Published November 1, 2007. From Cook's Illustrated.
Our challenge in developing the best easy roast turkey breast recipe was to get moist, juicy meat and crisp skin. To do so, we had to determine the best roasting technique, with a high temperature to crisp the skin and a low temperature for moist meat. The optimal combination for our turkey breast recipe was to start the turkey breast in a 425-degree oven for the first half-hour of cooking and then reduce the heat to 325 degrees for the remaining hour.
This recipe works equally well with any type of turkey breast. We recommend brining (see procedure below) if using a natural turkey breast (no salt added). Using a kosher turkey breast (soaked in salt water during processing) or self- basting turkey breast (injected with salt and water) eliminates the need for brining. The ingredient list on the turkey breast's package will say whether it's been treated with salt. If brining the turkey, omit the salt from the recipe. If the breast has a pop-up timer, do not remove it. Just ignore it (they pop too late) and follow the times and temperatures in the recipe. A turkey breast doesn't yield much in the way of drippings, so a classic pan gravy recipe is not an option. Instead, try our All-Purpose Gravy. For the gravy and our oven-baked holiday stuffing recipes, see related recipes.
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