Air Fryer Turkey Breast – hands down the best turkey I’ve ever eaten. SO tender and juicy. Cooks in under an hour! Bone-in turkey breast marinated in Italian dressing and Worcestershire sauce and cooked in the air fryer. Perfect for the holidays or any day of the week. The turkey meat is great for your holiday meal, casseroles, soups, and sandwiches. A must if you have an air fryer!
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Pin This RecipeBest Air Fryer Turkey Breast Recipe
This Air Fryer Turkey Breast is the BEST turkey I’ve ever eaten! This was my first time cooking a whole turkey breast and it was perfect. Super tender and juicy with perfectly crispy skin. If you have an air fryer, you MUST make this for the holiday. Heck, I make this turkey almost monthly since I got my air fryer. It is so easy to make. The turkey meat is great for casseroles, soups, sandwiches, and wraps.
What is an air fryer?
An air fryer is basically a countertop convection oven. It circulates air around the food for faster cooking. The rapidly circulating air makes the food crispy, much like deep frying but without the need for oil. You also don’t need to preheat the air fryer, making cooking in the air fryer much faster than cooking in the oven.
How to Air Fry a Bone-In Turkey Breast
Cooking a bone-in turkey breast in the air fryer is super easy. Start by cutting the ribs off of the turkey breast. You want to cut the ribs off of the breast so it will sit flat in the air fryer basket. I just used a pair of scissors and they came off in a jiffy. It was super easy to cut them off the breast.
Next, marinate the whole turkey breast in some Italian dressing and Worcestershire sauce. I let it marinate overnight in the refrigerator. If you don’t have that much time, just let it hang out in the marinade for at least an hour.
Once the turkey has been marinated, remove it from the marinade and pat it dry with a paper towel. Place the turkey skin-side down in the air fryer basket. Cook for 20 minutes. Flip the turkey breast and cook an additional 30 to 35 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to check the thickest part of the breast. Remove turkey from the air fryer and let rest 10 minutes before slicing it with a sharp knife.
Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I have to marinate the turkey? No. You can cook the turkey plain, brine it or season it with herb butter and spices.
- Here is our favorite turkey brine: https://www.plainchicken.com/brined-thanksgiving-turkey
- You also can season the turkey breast with fresh herbs and butter. Fresh thyme, fresh sage, fresh rosemary, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, salt, and black pepper all work great.
- To make the herb butter, combine ¼ cup of softened butter with the herbs of your choice, salt and pepper. Rub an even coating of the butter mixture on all sides of the turkey breast before placing it in the air fryer.
- I use a Philips XXL Air Fryer and was able to fit a 4.5-pound whole turkey breast in the basket.
- How long to cook turkey breast per pound? To reach a safe internal temperature of 165ºF, you want to cook the bone-in turkey breast for about 12 to 13 minutes per pound. So, if you have a 4-pound bone-in turkey breast you will cook the turkey breast for about 50 to 55 minutes.
- Can I cook a boneless turkey breast in the air fryer? Yes! Leave the netting on the turkey breast. Season as desired. Place in the air fryer. For a 3-pound turkey breast, cook at 360ºF for 1 hour, flipping every 15 minutes. Make sure to check for an internal temperature of 165ºF.
- Can I freeze leftover turkey? Yes! Place any leftover turkey in a freezer bag and freeze for a quick meal later.
What to Serve with Turkey
We absolutely love this tender and juicy turkey breast. The simple marinade adds tons of great flavor. I still can’t get over how easy it is to make. Beats the heck out of baking a turkey in the oven. I love that I can make a turkey any time of the year with ease.
This turkey is the perfect addition to your holiday meal. Cooking the turkey in the air fryer frees up the oven for all of your favorite side dishes. We love to serve this with sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, cornbread dressing, and rolls. You must give this turkey a try!
Looking for more delicious holiday side dishes? Here are a few of our favorite side dishes that go great with this delicious turkey:
Homemade Cranberry Sauce
Homemade Cranberry Sauce – a million times better than the canned stuff. Can make ahead and refrigerate until ready to…
Cornbread Dressing
Cornbread Dressing – delicious southern holiday staple. Can make ahead and refrigerate or freezer for later. Makes enough to feed…
Praline Sweet Potato Casserole
Praline Sweet Potato Casserole – our new favorite sweet potato casserole!! Mashed sweet potatoes topped with a crunchy praline topping…
Make Ahead Pocketbook Rolls
Make-Ahead Pocketbook Rolls – the dough will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator!! Great make-ahead side for your holiday…
Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1 (4 to 5-lb) bone-in turkey breast, ribs removed
- 1½ cups Italian dressing
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
Instructions:
- Using kitchen shears, remove ribs from turkey breast.
- Place turkey breast in a large ziplock bag. Pour Italian dressing and Worcestershire sauce over turkey. Seal bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour up to overnight.
- Remove turkey from marinade and discard the marinade.
- Place turkey breast skin side down in the air fryer basket. Cook at 350ºF for 20 minutes.
- Turn over the turkey breast and cook an additional 30 to 35 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Use a meat thermometer to check the thickest part of the breast.
- Remove turkey from air fryer and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes:
Steph
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I’ve made this recipe the last two years. It’s great and everyone loved it. I plan to make it again this thanksgiving . Thanks for the recipe !
I used a turkey roast and this recipe last year. Hands down the best turkey I’ve ever prepared. It was the first thing I made in my air fryer 🙂 Thanks!
What about a boneless breast??? Modifications?
A boneless turkey breast would not take as long to cook.
I made this for the first time yesterday and it was FANTASTIC!!! There were only 3 of us and everyone loved it!
SO glad you enjoyed it! It is perfect for smaller holiday meals.
I didn’t see your recipe until now, so I didn’t get to marinade it. I have a 6# bone-in breast. Any suggestions for the Air fryer?
There are cooking times listed in the post. Scroll up to read them.
I’ve Googled and still do not know what it means “cut the ribs off”. Every answer to this question shows & tells how to debone a breast Can one just buy a boneless turkey breast ? Maybe you would be so kind to give us a more in depth explanation or photo of “cut the ribs off” . Thanks
There are little ribs attached to the turkey breast. You will want to use some kitchen shears and cut those little bones off. When you take the turkey out of the packaging you will see them. You can leave them on if you would like.
Can you elaborate on how to remove the ribs?
There really isn't much to elaborate on – take some kitchen scissors and cut the ribs off. When you look at the breast, you will clearly see the ribs. They cut right off – super easy.