This Air Fryer Turkey Breast recipe delivers perfectly golden brown skin and tender, juicy white meat without the hassle of a whole bird. It's ideal for a small Thanksgiving gathering, serving 4-6 people. The entire process, from prep to table, takes only 90 minutes. A rich, herby butter blend with fennel seeds, sage, rosemary, garlic and orange zest seals in moisture and crisps up the skin. Plus, unlike most air fryer turkey recipes, my version shows you how to turn those basket drippings into a rich gravy!
Round out your holiday feast by serving it alongside my air fryer mashed potatoes, healthy cranberry sauce, roasted Brussels sprouts with prosciutto and hearty whole wheat stuffing!
Quick Look: Air Fryer Turkey Breast
- ⏱ Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 👩🏻🍳 Cook Time: 60 minutes (based on 4 pound turkey)
- 🦃 Resting Time: 10 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 90 minutes
- 🍽 Servings: 6
- ⚡ Calories: 531 per serving
- 🔥 Flavor/texture: golden brown and crispy skin; tender and juicy white breast meat with a hint of fennel and orange.
- 👌 Difficulty: easy recipe
- ❤️ Why you'll love: the air fryer cooks a turkey breast quicker than the oven and frees up oven space; recipe includes a way to harvest the drippings for gravy.
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Why we love this air fryer turkey recipe
When it comes to holidays, we never cook a whole turkey (unless we're hosting a big crowd, which is almost never). We enjoy leftovers, but since there is just the two of us, a full turkey is way too much. That's why a turkey breast is perfect for us, and I love using my air fryer because it's such a time saver!
Here's why you'll love this recipe too:
- Cuts down cooking time: The high heat of the air fryer cooks a 4-5 pound turkey breast in around an hour or so (roughly 10-12 minutes per pound). It usually takes up to two hours in a traditional oven.
- Frees up oven space: Holiday dinners usually require a lot of oven space to roast vegetables, make dessert or cook stuffing (like my apple cranberry stuffing). Cooking your turkey in an appliance on the kitchen counter helps free up precious oven space.
- The flavor secret: This recipe uses an aromatic butter rub with fennel seeds, sage, rosemary, minced garlic and orange zest. Crushing the fennel seeds is the key to this flavorful bird!
- Bonus gravy: This recipe calls for adding broth to the air fryer drawer beneath the basket, so when the drawer catches the turkey drippings, it doesn't burn and start smoking. As a bonus, drippings can then be used as a savory base for gravy!
- Perfect for smaller gatherings: If you're cooking for just 4-6 people (who all prefer white breast meat), this recipe is for you, and you won't have to worry about an excessive amount of leftover turkey to use up!
More Thanksgiving recipes for a small gathering include my air fryer green beans, air fryer pumpkin fries and air fryer fingerling potatoes!
Table of Contents
Ingredient notes
- Turkey breast: I used a full bone-in, skin on breast (also called a turkey crown). For this recipe, I tested turkeys ranging in size from 4 to 5 pounds. I haven't tested this recipe with a boneless breast or roast with netting.
- Chicken broth: You need some broth to add to the air fryer drawer and more to make the gravy. I used reduced sodium broth as I find the turkey drippings make the gravy salty enough. You can also use vegetable broth if you prefer.
- Butter: Softened butter is mixed with the herbs and spices to create a rub that's stuffed underneath the turkey's skin. This crisps up the skin but also keeps the meat tender and juicy. I used unsalted butter. If you only have salted, you should just use ½ teaspoon of salt in the butter mixture.
- Fennel seeds: These seeds have a strong and sweet licorice flavor. Once mixed into the butter rub and baked into the turkey, it leaves a subtle flavor that pairs well with the savory herbs, garlic and sweet orange. Make sure you coarsely crush the seeds to release their oils and intensify the flavor.
- Fresh herbs: I used 1 tablespoon each of chopped fresh sage and rosemary. You can substitute with dried herbs, but reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon each as dried herbs are more potent than fresh.
- Garlic: Fresh, minced garlic works best in the butter rub. Add more cloves if you like things extra garlicky.
- Orange zest: 1 tablespoon of zest adds a slight sweet flavor that isn't overpowering but balances out the savory. (A large orange usually yields a tablespoon of zest).
How to air fry a turkey breast in the air fryer
Step 1: In a small bowl, mix together the butter, crushed fennel seeds, rosemary, sage, orange zest, garlic, salt and pepper.
Step 2: Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Loosen the turkey skin by sliding your fingers underneath and gently lifting it off the meat. Start near the cavity where the skin is looser and work your way around the entire breast. Insert the butter mixture into these pockets and press it into the meat. Sprinkle salt all over the surface of the skin.
Step 3: Pour ½ cup of broth into the bottom drawer of the air fryer basket. Place the turkey skin side/breast side up in the basket.
Step 4: Air fry at 350F for 25 minutes.
Step 5: Carefully flip the turkey breast over and air fry for another 25 minutes.
Step 6: Flip the turkey back over to the breast side up and air fry for another 10-15 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 165F. Remove from air fryer and let rest on a cutting board for 10-15 minutes before carving.
Step 7: Combine the air fryer turkey drippings with broth. Use the butter and flour to make a roux and slowly pour in the drippings/broth mixture. Whisk vigorously until mixed in. Continue stirring for 3-5 minutes until the gravy thickens.
Step 8: Slice the turkey and serve with gravy and other garnishes like fresh herbs and cranberries.
Gravy trouble shooting
- My gravy is too thin. Let it simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes. The gravy will reduce and naturally thicken. It will also thicken as it cools down, so keep that in mind.
- My gravy is too thick. Just whisk in some more broth or water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
- My gravy has lumps. No problem! This used to happen to me all the time. Just pour the gravy through a fine mesh strainer to remove the lumps.
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Expert tips
- Air fryer size. To fit a 5 pound turkey breast, an extra large basket-style air fryer works best (so anything from 5.5 - 8 quart). My air fryer is 5.8 quart and a 5 pound turkey was the maximum it could hold. I haven't tested this recipe in a toaster oven style air fryer.
- Clearance height. Turkeys vary is shape, so you'll want to make sure it fits in your basket and there is space between the top of the turkey and the top heating element in the air fryer. Make sure there is about an inch of clearance as the turkey will plump up as it air fries.
- Crushing fennel seeds. You can add the seeds to a resealable bag and use a rolling pin to crush them, but if you have a coffee grinder or small blender, that's the quickest way to crush them.
- Surface prep. Make sure you pat the surface of the turkey skin dry with a paper towel. This absorbs moisture and helps the skin crisp up.
- Add liquid to drawer. Adding broth or water to the bottom drawer of your basket style air fryer will catch the turkey drippings and prevent them from burning onto the bottom of the drawer.
- Thermometer is essential. I always use an instant read thermometer to make sure the thickest part of the turkey breast has reached 165F.
- Breast side up. I recommend starting with the turkey breast skin side up in the air fryer. This differs from a lot of recipes. I like to brown up the skin first, and then flip it over. But, I still finish with the breast side up to ensure it's super crisp.
- Resting period. Letting the turkey breast sit for 10-15 minutes before carving allows the juices to redistribute. Don't tent the turkey with foil during this time. This just makes the skin soggy.
Storing and reheating leftovers
Fridge/freezer: Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or for 2 months in the freezer. (I like to vacuum seal leftovers so they'll last even longer in the freezer).
Reheating: To reheat leftovers in the air fryer without drying them out, just wrap some slices of turkey in foil with a tablespoon of broth. Air fry at 350F for 4-6 minutes or until heated through.
Air fryer turkey breast FAQs
The best way to know is to check with an instant read thermometer. The thickest part of the breast should have an internal temperature of 165F. Other signs include the deep golden brown skin and clear juices running out of the turkey (they shouldn't be pink).
If your turkey is too tall for your air fryer, it's going to touch the top heating element and the skin will burn and char quickly. To help it fit, use kitchen shears to cut away the rib bones so the breast can press flat against the crisping tray of the air fryer. If it is still too tall, try laying it on it's side. As a last resort, you can cut the full turkey breast in half and cook the two halves separately.
When grease from the turkey falls through the crisping tray onto the hot bottom drawer, it will burn and start smoking. That's why the recipe calls for adding ½ cup of broth to the bottom drawer before air frying. As a bonus, this liquid can then be used for gravy. If you don't have broth and don't plan to make gravy, you should still add ½ cup of water to the air fryer drawer to prevent smoking.
You can't go wrong with classic turkey soup or sandwiches. That's usually our go-to. If you're looking for unique ways to use it up, try substituting it for chicken in my dairy-free buffalo chicken dip or adding it to a salad to make it a main meal, like my fall orzo salad.
More Thanksgiving recipes
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📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Turkey Breast (with Gravy)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (76 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ tablespoons fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, (from 1 large orange)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4-5 pound bone-in turkey breast, (turkey crown)
- ½ cup reduced sodium chicken broth
For the gravy:
- 1 - 1 ½ cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
Instructions
Prep and cook the turkey:
- In a small bowl, mix together the butter, crushed fennel seeds, rosemary, sage, orange zest, garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
- Place the turkey on a clean work surface and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Loosen the turkey skin by sliding your fingers underneath and gently lifting it off the meat. Start near the cavity where the skin is looser and work your way around the entire breast.
- Insert the butter mixture into these pockets and press it into the meat.
- Sprinkle the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt all over the surface of the skin.
- Pour ½ cup of broth into the bottom drawer of the air fryer basket.
- Place the turkey skin side/breast side up in the basket. Air fry at 350F for 25 minutes.
- Carefully flip the turkey breast over and air fry for another 25 minutes.
- Flip the turkey back over to breast side up and air fry for another 10-15 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer reads 165F.
- Remove from air fryer and let rest on a cutting board for 10-15 minutes before carving.
Make the gravy:
- Carefully lift the crisping plate off the air fryer drawer. Pour the drippings into a 2-cup measuring cup. (You can strain it first if you prefer). Add enough broth to the measuring cup to bring it to 1 ½ cups.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter. Once bubbling, add in the flour and whisk constantly for at least a minute. The roux should be a smooth, golden paste.
- Slowly pour in the drippings/broth mixture, whisking vigorously as you pour. Once bubbles start to form, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn on the saucepan. The gravy will thicken as it simmers.
Notes
- Air fryer size. To fit a 5 pound turkey breast, an extra large basket-style air fryer works best (so anything from 5.5 - 8 quart). My air fryer is 5.8 quart and a 5 pound turkey was the maximum it could hold. I haven't tested this recipe in a toaster oven style air fryer.
- Clearance height. Turkeys vary is shape, so you'll want to make sure it fits in your basket and there is space between the top of the turkey and the top heating element in the air fryer. Make sure there is about an inch of clearance as the turkey will plump up as it air fries. If the turkey touches the top heating element, it will burn quickly and may cause your air fryer to smoke.
- Crushing fennel seeds. You can add the seeds to a resealable bag and use a rolling pin to crush them, but if you have a coffee grinder or small blender, that's the quickest way to crush them.
- Surface prep. Make sure you pat the surface of the turkey skin dry with a paper towel. This absorbs moisture and helps the skin crisp up.
- Add liquid to drawer. Adding broth or water to the bottom drawer of your basket style air fryer will catch the turkey drippings and prevent them from burning onto the bottom of the drawer.
- Thermometer is essential. I always use an instant read thermometer to make sure the thickest part of the turkey breast has reached 165F.
- Breast side up. I recommend starting with the turkey breast skin side up in the air fryer. This differs from a lot of recipes. I like to brown up the skin first, and then flip it over. But, I still finish with the breast side up to ensure it's super crisp.
- Resting period. Letting the turkey breast sit for 10-15 minutes before carving allows the juices to redistribute. Don't tent the turkey with foil during this time. This just makes the skin soggy.
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Enter your email address and I'll send it straight to your inbox. You'll also receive new recipes from me regularly!
Nutrition Facts per Serving
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is an estimate only and will vary depending on the substitutions made and the brands used.
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