Hosting a smaller group for Thanksgiving? Yes, you can make a juicy turkey breast on the grill! This grilled turkey breast recipe has an easy marinade and butter baste.

I’m here to say that grilling turkey breast might be my new favorite way to make it! Making turkey breast has always intimidated me just a little bit because it’s such a lean meat, and there’s a high risk of it drying out on me! But, with this easy recipe, I think I’ve cracked the code on grilling a turkey breast and having it be perfectly juicy without too much effort!

a photo of grilled turkey breast on a platter with green herbs

White meat turkey is a super lean cut of meat. So, to make sure this turkey breast turned out nice and juicy, I marinated it in Italian dressing overnight. Then, I grilled it over medium heat for a bit over an hour, basting it with butter and yummy seasoning. 

Please know that your cook time will vary a little depending on the size of your turkey breast! So, while the turkey grills, I check on it every 20 minutes or so to make sure the grilling temperature is steady, and the turkey is progressing! I know that it’s hard not to peek more than this, but you really want to keep the grill lid closed as much as possible. Why? Well, heat escapes when you open it, and the grill will take a few minutes to come back to temperature. Think of it like an oven!

an overhead photo of a raw turkey breast, a bottle of Italian dressing, a stick of butter and a packet of Italian dressing mix

But I make the most of each time I open the grill by also basting the turkey! Each time you check the turkey, you will baste it with a simple melted compound butter. For this recipe, I combined butter with Italian dressing mix, which has plenty of salt, garlic, oregano and other seasonings that pair super well with the marinated turkey. 

Adding the butter baste, plus the marinade step, will keep the turkey breast meat nice and juicy.

a photo of grilled turkey breast on a plate

How much Turkey Breast per Person? 

Not sure how much turkey to buy? The general rule of thumb for a bone-in turkey breast is to purchase 1.25 pounds of raw turkey per person. If you are serving an ample amount of side dishes, you could possibly take this number down to 1 pound per person. I know this sounds like a lot, but remember that the leftover carcass will weigh quite a bit!

If you’re using a boneless turkey breast for this recipe, please just purchase about 3/4 pound of turkey per person.

a photo of a grilled turkey breast, sliced on a white platter

Grilled Turkey Breast Substitutions

I used a bone-in turkey breast for this recipe, which is the whole breast (both sides). You can also use a split turkey breast (half of the whole breast), but please know your cook time will reduce. Having a good meat thermometer on the ready is crucial!

Yes, you can absolutely use a boneless turkey breast for this recipe, if you use a boneless breast, try grilling it in an aluminum pan since they don’t hold their shape super well. I also recommend leaving the net on the turkey while it cooks, then removing it afterwards. 

a platter of grilled turkey breast

You can substitute olive oil for the butter in the basting liquid.

If you don’t have an Italian seasoning packet to use, substitute 1/2 Tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon (or less) red pepper flakes. Feel free to add more oregano or thyme to the blend if desired. Rosemary is also a welcome addition.

a photo of a whole turkey breast on a grill

Recipe Variations

BBQ Turkey Breast: Baste the turkey breast with your favorite barbecue sauce for the final 5-10 minutes of grilling. 

Add a few wood chunks to your charcoals for extra smokey flavor. 

Looking for more delicious turkey recipes? Check out all of my turkey recipes on Blackberry Babe.

Preparing the Grill

For this recipe, you’ll need to prepare your grill for indirect grilling. This means that you need to prep an area to grill the turkey breast over indirect heat, where it will not be directly over the flames! You can do this in a few different ways.

I used a gas grill for this recipe. My grill has three burners/zones. I turned on the left and center zones to about half power and left the right zone off. If your grill has an elevated rack, you may be able to use it instead of turning a burner off. My turkey breast was too tall and did not allow me to use the rack above the grill!

Of course, you can also use your charcoal grill! Group the coals on one side of the grill, or you can use a Vortex tool to group the charcoal, funnel the heat and create an indirect cooking area outside of the coals.

If you want to, you can “beer can” the cavity of your bone-in turkey breast for extra moisture. If you do this, I recommend filling the beer can with a mixture of light beer and/or chicken broth!

a photo of sliced turkey breasts

Serving Suggestions for Grilled Turkey Breast

Serve this turkey breast recipe as the main dish for a smaller Thanksgiving gathering or holiday dinner! Check out this list for suggestions on the best side dishes for Thanksgiving.

Or grill up this turkey breast and serve it as a lean protein for summer barbecues. It pairs perfectly with Grilled Corn on the Cob and a crisp green salad.

a photo of a turkey breast in marinade

Saving Turkey Leftovers

Place leftover turkey in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. This turkey recipe freezes beautifully and should stay good for up to 6 months.

If you have leftover turkey, I recommend using it in this delicious Santa Fe Turkey Sandwich, or these wonderful Thanksgiving Turkey Sliders! Or you can dice it up and substitute it for chicken in my Crack Chicken Noodle Soup.

I hope you and your family enjoy this grilled turkey recipe! If you tried it, leave me a note in the comments, below.

a photo of grilled turkey breast on a platter with green herbs

Juicy Grilled Turkey Breast with Italian Marinade

Hosting a smaller group for Thanksgiving? Yes, you can make a juicy turkey breast on the grill! This grilled turkey breast recipe has an easy marinade and butter baste.
4.98 from 43 ratings

Ingredients
 

  • 3-5 pound bone-in turkey breast, fresh or thawed
  • 15 ounces zesty Italian dressing

For the butter baste:

  • 1/2 pound butter, salted
  • 1 packet Italian dressing mix

Instructions
 

  • Day Before – Marinade: Add the turkey breast to a casserole dish or large Ziploc bag. Pour the Italian dressing over the top of the turkey breast, starting in the cavity. Seal (or cover), and place in the refrigerator overnight, or for a minimum of 4 hours. You may want to flip the turkey breast halfway through.
  • Day Of – Grilling: Thirty minutes before grilling, remove your turkey from the fridge to allow it to come closer to room temperature. Remove from marinade and pat the turkey skin dry with paper towels. 
  • Prepare the grill to a temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and prep a zone for indirect cooking. 
  • Prepare the butter baste by whisking together the melted butter and seasoning packet.
  • Place turkey breast skin side down (breast down) directly on the grill grates, in the zone prepared for indirect cooking. Brush the turkey with the seasoned butter baste, including inside the cavity.
  • After 20 minutes, flip the turkey over so that it is breast side up, and baste again.
  • Check on the turkey every 20 minutes. Baste each time and rotate the breast 90 degrees clockwise if the heat source is to one side of the breast. If the heat source is under the breast, you shouldn't need to rotate it.
  • Continue to grill until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breast reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit using an instant read thermometer. For my 4.5-pound bone-in breast, it took about 80 minutes total.
  • Transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving. 
  • Serve garnished with fresh herbs or whole cranberries for a pop of color! 

Video

Notes

I used a 4.5 pound bone-in turkey breast. I found that the side closest to the heat did char a bit, so I rotated the turkey breast each time I checked on it to give each side a chance to char. The skin was crispy and delicious.
If this doesn't happen for you, you may want crisp up the skin by searing your turkey breast skin side down for 1-2 minutes over direct heat before pulling it off.
Serving: 1, Calories: 1203kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 137g, Fat: 65g, Saturated Fat: 29g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 31g, Trans Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 460mg, Sodium: 1614mg, Sugar: 10g
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