Sunday Supper is an Amazon Associate and may receive compensation for purchases made through affiliate links.
My Air Fryer Turkey Breast recipe is the solution to saving space in your oven while cooking a beautiful, moist turkey in just 40 minutes! Complete with a luscious, golden-brown skin flavored with garlic and herbs, this easy turkey breast recipe is an instant holiday favorite.
Jump to:
Best Air Fried Turkey
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, 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 most 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!
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.
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.
To air fry turkey breast, preheat your air fryer to 350ºF.
To air fry a frozen turkey breast, first, allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Place it in a pan in the refrigerator so any drippings from the packaging will collect in the pan and not in your fridge. A frozen turkey breast will only take overnight to thaw, but if you need to thaw it more quickly than that, follow my water bath guide on How to Thaw a Turkey for Thanksgiving. Do not cook directly from frozen, or your turkey will dry out.
You can air fry a bone-in turkey breast as long as the turkey breast is small enough to fit in your air fryer. A 4 pound turkey breast will fit in an air fryer that is 5.3 quarts or larger. To air fry a bone-in turkey breast, cook for approximately 10 minutes more than boneless, checking the temperature with a meat thermometer.
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 Recipe.
Leftover turkey will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator when properly stored in an airtight container.
If cooking a frozen turkey breast, allow it to thaw the night before. One of the benefits to cooking turkey breast for Thanksgiving is its quick thaw time, and by air frying it you halve the normal time it takes to cook a turkey. In just under an hour, you can have your Thanksgiving turkey on the table.
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 more moist than if you had not.
You should never rinse raw turkey as you run the risk of becoming ill. It is not necessary to rinse turkey.
You do not need to cover your turkey with tin foil when making air fryer turkey breast. It cooks entirely without foil.
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 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 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 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!
How to Carve Turkey Breast
Boneless
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
- 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.
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.
Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes
Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Give our Popular Thanksgiving Dishes a try for even more ideas!
My Favorite Kitchen Tools
As an Amazon Associate, I may receive compensation for purchases made through affiliate links.
- Maldon Sea Salt Flakes: The most amazing Maldon Salt. If you do nothing else, sprinkle a tiny bit of maldon salt on your recipes. I promise, it will change your recipes!
- Le Creuset Dutch Oven: I have had my Le Creuset Dutch Oven for many years. It is an amazing kitchen staple.
- Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet: I love my Le Creuset Dutch Oven so much, I purchased this skillet. It is just amazing.
- Victorinox Swiss Army Slicing Knife: Hands down the best knife for slicing beef! This is a true kitchen staple.
- Yaxell Mon 8″ Chef’s Knife: I highly recommend everyone own a good chef’s knife. It will make your chopping so much easier!
- Presto 16-inch Electric Foldaway Skillet: If you cook for a large family like I do, an electric skillet is an absolute must. It enables you to cook in large batches.
- All-Clad Slow Cooker, 7-Quart: I love slow cooker recipes. This is my current slow cooker and it does a great job.
Did you try my air fryer turkey breast recipe? Let me know what you think in the comments below and with a rating! I love to hear from you.
📌 Pin it for later!
Did you enjoy this page? Save it on Pinterest for later!📋 Recipe
Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Equipment
- Air fryer
- 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!