Whether you’re planning Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, or just want to serve up a delicious main dish for dinner, air fryer turkey breast is a great way to get a delicious turkey dinner in less time! If you’re cooking for 6 or fewer people this year, you might want to think about getting a turkey breast instead of a whole turkey.
Scroll down for a printable recipe or continue reading for step-by-step directions and tips for cooking your turkey breast in the air fryer.
AIR FRYER TURKEY BREAST
I am a huge fan of my air fryer and I use it for everything from frozen foods to vegetable side dishes to baking! As the holidays get closer, there is a question I get asked a lot…
CAN YOU COOK A TURKEY BREAST IN AN AIR FRYER?
The short answer is yes.
Using your air fryer to roast a turkey breast gives you meat that is moist and perfectly cooked. You’ll still get that gorgeous, browned skin on the outside.
You can use bone in or boneless turkey breast for this recipe. I prefer to use boneless but either will work. No matter which turkey breast you use, you’ll have a delicious main course in under an hour!
HOW TO AIR FRY A TURKEY BREAST
Whether you plan to use a bone in or boneless turkey breast, it’s important to make sure that you choose one that fits in the basket of your air fryer!
You can find turkey breasts that range from a nice little bird to huge things that look like they’re a complete turkey! The bigger ones typically won’t fit into the air fryers that most of us own. So you want to pay attention to that aspect of things. I recommend looking for a turkey breast that is under about 4 pounds. I generally use one that is between 2.5 and 3lbs.
The turkey needs to be small enough so that it doesn’t touch the top of the inside of your air fryer.
HOW MUCH TURKEY BREAST PER PERSON?
If you haven’t made a turkey breast before, you might be concerned about how much turkey you need to prepare for the people you’re planning on feeding.
One of the best parts of using boneless turkey breast is that it gives you a lot of meat when it’s finished cooking.
If you use a bone in turkey breast, it’s recommended that you have about 1 to 1 1/4 pounds per person. For a boneless turkey breast, 1/2 to 3/4 of a pound per person is the recommendation.
I find that a 3lb boneless turkey breast can cover 6 to 8 servings easily for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas because of all of the other side dishes that are on the table.
Depending on which turkey breast you use (and the size of it), this recipe yields 4-8 servings depending on the size of the turkey you can fit in your air fryer. It only takes about 5 minutes to prep (excluding the time needed to thaw a frozen turkey breast) and then about 45 minutes to cook.
For this recipe, you will need:
- 1 2.5-3 pound boneless turkey breast, fully thawed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
If you have a combination of favorite herbs and seasonings that you like to use when you prepare turkey, they will work with this recipe as well!
You will also need your air fryer. But you can use either a bone in or a boneless turkey breast and follow the same steps.
COOKING AIR FRYER BONELESS TURKEY BREAST
If your air fryer model requires preheating, heat it to 375°.
Then brush all sides of the turkey breast with olive oil. Rub in the paprika, poultry seasoning, thyme, and rosemary. You can rub them in individually or mix them all together and then put them on the turkey.
If your turkey breast has a net around it, you can leave it on and cook it with the net. Though it may take a bit longer to cook than if you unwrap it.
Please the turkey breast in the air fryer basket and cook for 45 minutes at 375°.
Turn the turkey breast over halfway through the cooking time to get both sides similar browning.
Around the 35-minute mark, use a meat thermometer to check the turkey temperature. You want the center of the turkey to be 165° so it is fully cooked. Then continue cooking for 10 more minutes.
I recommend keeping an eye on the turkey because every air fryer model is different. The meat thermometer will help ensure your turkey is fully cooked. Once it reaches 165°, watch for darkening skin and remove the turkey when you’re happy with the color.
Remove the turkey breast from the air fryer and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before carving and serving.
COOKING AIR FRYER BONE IN TURKEY BREAST
If you are using a bone in turkey breast, you may need to adjust the cooking time. I actually find that cooking boneless turkey breast sometimes takes longer in my air fryer than bone in.
Use the recommended cooking time from the recipe and check the internal temperature while you cook to monitor the bone in turkey.
HOW LONG TO COOK TURKEY BREAST IN AIR FRYER
It takes about 45 minutes to cook a 2.5-3 pound turkey breast in the air fryer. Cooking time may change slightly based on air fryer model or the size of the turkey breast.
AIR FRYER SIDE DISHES TO SERVE WITH TURKEY
Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 2.5-3 pound boneless turkey breast (fully thawed)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 375° (if required by your air fryer model).
- Brush all sides of the turkey breast with olive oil and rub in the paprika, poultry seasoning, thyme, and rosemary. If using a turkey with skin, rub seasonings underneath the skin.
- Place the turkey breast in the basket of the air fryer and cook for 45 minutes, flipping the breast halfway through the cooking time.
- To prevent overcooking the turkey, use a meat thermometer to check the turkey at the 35 minute mark. The center of the turkey should be 165° when it is fully cooked.
- Remove turkey from air fryer and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving and serving.
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