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My Air Fryer Turkey Breast is just amazing. Get ready to enjoy the crispiest skin on the moistest turkey recipe you will ever taste. The garlic and herbs take this turkey recipe over the top!
Turkey in the Air Fryer is the solution to saving space in your oven while cooking a beautiful, moist turkey in just 40 minutes!
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Best Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Every year, I like to come up with a new way to serve turkey over the holiday season. I’ve made turkey every way from the traditional way in the oven-roasted turkey, to turkey in the Instant Pot, turkey on the grill, and now turkey in the air fryer!
Of all of the turkey recipes I’ve tried, my air fryer turkey breast has to be one of my favorites. It’s deliciously moist with the most gorgeous golden-brown crust on the outside, flavored with herbs and garlic.
The best part of all is it only takes 40 minutes to cook a turkey in an air fryer, and only 10 minutes to rest before you carve it. That means you can have an incredible turkey dinner on the table in under an hour!
Turkey breast in an air fryer is a perfect choice for smaller gatherings; a 4-pound turkey breast will feed up to 5 people, so it’s great for a small family Thanksgiving dinner or Friendsgiving!
Air Fried Turkey Breast Ingredients
- boneless turkey breast
- fresh rosemary
- fresh parsley
- garlic
- sea salt or Maldon salt
- pepper
Notes about the ingredients:
- You can use dried herbs instead of fresh ones if you prefer. The recipe card includes measurements for both. Choose a 4 to 5-pound turkey breast.
- You can use bone-in or boneless; bone-in instructions are included in the FAQ.
- Because this is an air fryer recipe, you will not need any olive oil to coat the turkey. Simply cover the whole breast in seasoning and air fry.
How to Air Fry Turkey
- Preheat the air fryer to 350°F. Chop fresh herbs and garlic (or simply add dried herbs if using dried) and combine in a bowl with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle turkey breast with seasoning mixture, patting the seasoning down to cover all sides of the turkey.
- Add turkey breast to a greased air fryer tray or basket. Air fry in a preheated air fryer for 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165°F on an instant-read meat thermometer.
- Allow turkey breast to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Air Fry Turkey Breast Recipe Tips
- A 4 to 5-pound turkey breast will fit well in a 5-quart or larger air fryer. Make sure the height of your turkey breast is below the top of the basket before frying.
- Cook time depends on the size of the turkey breast. To make sure it is completely cooked, use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the internal temperature.
- Try slathering your turkey breast with Garlic Butter Sauce to add extra moistness and flavor to the meat.
- Thaw turkey breast before air frying it; you can follow my guide on How to Thaw Turkey to thaw it quickly in a water bath.
- I also recommend giving my Butter Injection for Turkey a try!
Turkey Breast in Air Fryer FAQs
If your air fryer is over 5 quarts, it will easily accommodate a 4-5 pound turkey breast.
Account for ¾ pound per person. A 4-pound turkey breast feeds approximately 5 people with some leftovers.
You can air fry skinless turkey breast, but to ensure it does not dry out, brush the turkey with oil or butter every 15 minutes or so while it cooks. Garlic butter sauce is a great way to add flavor to the turkey while keeping it moist.
Mix your seasoning in a bowl, then pat your turkey down all over with the seasoning. You want to encrust the turkey on all sides with the seasoning for best results. Use the turkey seasoning outlined in the recipe card below, or my famous Turkey Rub.
Leftover turkey will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator when properly stored in an airtight container.
Raw turkey breast is good for 1-2 days in the refrigerator before cooking, so as long as it’s thawed you can prep it the night before by seasoning it and placing it in the refrigerator in a pan wrapped tightly with plastic wrap or in a tightly sealed plastic bag placed in a pan.
Bringing turkey to room temperature results in a moister, more evenly-cooked bird. While it is not necessary to bring turkey breast to room temperature in order to air fry it if you allow it to come to room temperature (about 30 minutes) you may find your turkey is moister than if you had not.
How to Carve Turkey Breast
Boneless Turkey
Boneless turkey breast is easy to carve. Slice in even slices about ½ an inch thick, or to preference, using your sharpest knife, vertically from the thickest part of the turkey breast to the thinnest part.
Bone-In Turkey
- To carve bone-in turkey breast, run your knife along both sides of the breast bone.
- Cut along the bone from the top to the bottom of the breast. Then, carefully work your knife underneath one side of the turkey breast to separate the meat from the bone.
- Continue until you cut away the entire boneless breast piece, then repeat on the other side.
Best Turkey Recipes
- Roasted Boneless Turkey Breast
- Deep Fried Turkey
- Spatchcock Turkey
- Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe
- Grilled Turkey
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast
- Smoked Turkey
Make your leftovers into Turkey Carcass Soup, the best turkey noodle soup!
Turkey Internal Temperature
Air fry turkey breast to an internal temperature of 165ºF. Use an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the bird to check the internal temperature.
For more info on turkey cooking times and temps, take a look at our Turkey Temperature Chart!
Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Give our Popular Thanksgiving Dishes a try for even more ideas!
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Juicy Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Equipment
- Bowl for mixing seasoning
Ingredients
- 4 pound boneless turkey breast
- 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped
- 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 Tablespoon sea salt or maldon salt
- 2 teaspoons pepper
If using dried herbs
- 1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1½ Tablespoons dried parsley
- 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F. Chop fresh herbs and garlic (or simply add dried herbs if using) and combine in a bowl with salt and pepper.2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, 3 Tablespoons fresh parsley, 3 cloves garlic, 1 Tablespoon sea salt, 2 teaspoons pepper, 1 Tablespoon dried rosemary, 1½ Tablespoons dried parsley, 1½ teaspoons garlic powder
- Sprinkle turkey breast with seasoning mixture, patting the seasoning down to cover all sides of the turkey.4 pound boneless turkey breast
- Add turkey breast to a greased air fryer tray or basket.
- Air fry in preheated air fryer for 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165°F on an instant-read meat thermometer.
- Allow turkey breast to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Try slathering your turkey breast with Garlic Butter Sauce to add extra moistness and flavor to the meat.
- Thaw turkey breast before air frying it; you can follow my guide on How to Thaw Turkey to thaw it quickly in a water bath.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Let us know what you think or ask a question about the recipe!