This incredible Dutch oven turkey breast recipe is perfect for a delicious and simple Thanksgiving dinner for a smaller gathering or a cozy Sunday meal. The tender turkey breast is moist and flavorful, served with a silky-smooth gravy made from the pan juices.
Add red-skinned mashed potatoes, roasted veggies, dried cranberry sauce, and homemade gravy to this Dutch oven turkey breast, and you'll have a delicious dinner perfect for a holiday feast yet simple enough to enjoy any day.
The advantages of using a Dutch oven to cook the turkey breast are that it helps keep the meat incredibly moist, concentrates flavor into the gravy, and simplifies the cooking process, making it mostly hands-free. Check out this Turkey Breast with Sauce; it's also cooked in a Dutch oven.
All you need to do is marinate the breast, sear it briefly, and then let it simmer gently for about one hour - much less time than required for cooking a whole bird. I use an oval enameled Dutch oven large enough to fit the meat snuggly with just a little room around it.
Another bonus: You can use your favorite marinade and still use this recipe to cook the turkey breast.
Learn how to make fall-off-the-bone turkey wings or a turkey leg in the air fryer.
Ingredients: 9 + a bit of oil, salt, and pepper
Prep time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: 6 hours or overnight + 20 minutes to bring to room temperature
Cooking time: 1 hour
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Recipe ingredients
Turkey breast: A boneless, skinless turkey breast weighing around 2.5 lbs (1.2 kg) is fine; a little more or less than that is perfectly fine; adjust the cooking time accordingly (See tips on cooking times).
- I prefer to remove the skin when cooking a turkey breast in the Dutch oven. This method ensures juicy turkey breast even when cooked without the skin on, and the skin will just be floppy anyway.
- You can also use a bone-in turkey breast, but be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly, as bone-in pieces will require a bit longer. The best way to ensure doneness is to check with a meat thermometer.
The marinade ingredients are soy sauce, honey, garlic powder, ground ginger, a pinch of cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. If you like a different marinade, use it for this recipe. Try this Brined Boneless Turkey Breast recipe, too.
Gravy ingredients: Chicken broth or stock, reserved marinade, heavy cream, and cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Dutch oven turkey breast?
Step #1: Mix all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl.
Step #2: Dry the meat with paper towels and place it in a ziplock bag. Pour the marinade over the turkey, seal the bag while pressing out excess air, and massage the meat to coat it. Place the bag in a large container and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Step #3: Reserve the marinade, bring the breast to room temperature, and sprinkle it with salt and black pepper.
Step #4: Sear the turkey breast in the Dutch oven for 2-3 minutes per side.
Step #5: Add stock and reserved marinade and simmer until cooked through (50-60 minutes). Let turkey rest covered loosely with aluminum foil for about 10 minutes.
Step #6: Strain the gravy into a small saucepan and add heavy cream. Thicken it with cornstarch slurry.
Cooking tips
Don’t skip marinating and searing the meat. The marinating process tenderizes the breast and fills it with flavor, and the searing locks in juices, resulting in more tender and moist meat. The browned bits left in the pot also add rich flavor to the gravy.
Cooking time: The breast will need about 15-20 minutes of cooking time per pound (450 g), but it's best to check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab) to ensure the meat is safely cooked - insert it into the thickest part of the turkey breast. Fortunately, this recipe is more forgiving than others; the slow cooking in the closed Dutch oven helps prevent the turkey from drying out.
Check out this post that shows where to put the thermometer in a turkey.
Store and reheat
Refrigerate leftover turkey in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freeze the meat slices and the sauce in different airtight containers for up to 3 months. Defrost them in the fridge and reheat them before serving. If the gravy is too thick, you can add an extra splash of stock or cream.
To reheat, slice the turkey and warm it gently in the gravy until heated through. You can also use a microwave in short intervals, adding a splash of broth or gravy to keep it moist.
Use the leftovers to make Fried Rice with Turkey, Turkey Orzo Soup, or Turkey Avocado Sandwich.
What to serve with a turkey breast?
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📖 Recipe
Dutch Oven Turkey Breast
Equipment
- Dutch oven
- Fine-meshed sieve
- Ziplock bag
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs turkey breast boneless, skinless, 1.2 kg, Note 1
Marinade (Note 2):
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Gravy:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cup chicken stock 350 ml
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
Make marinade:
- Combine all the marinade ingredients in a small bowl.
- Marinade turkey breast: Pat the meat dry with paper towels, then place it in a large ziplock bag. Pour the marinade over the turkey, seal the bag tightly while pressing out excess air, and massage the meat through the bag to coat it thoroughly. Set the sealed bag in a large container (to catch any leaks) and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or, ideally, overnight.
- Bring to room temperature: Remove the turkey breast from the bag, reserving the marinade for cooking. Let the meat sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
Cook turkey breast:
- Sear turkey breast: Sprinkle the breast with salt and pepper on all sides. Heat the oil in the Dutch oven and sear the meat for about 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Cook turkey breast: Pour the stock and reserved marinade into the Dutch oven. Cover the pot and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour, turning the breast twice to ensure even cooking. Start checking for doneness after 50 minutes if the breast is relatively flat. If the breast is thicker in the center, it may need a little longer. Adjust cooking time as necessary to ensure the meat is fully cooked (Note 3). Use a meat thermometer to verify that the internal temperature has reached 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part.
- Rest the meat: Remove the meat from the pot, cover it loosely with foil, and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
Gravy:
- Strain the gravy through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepan. Place the saucepan on the stovetop, add the heavy cream, and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Thicken the gravy: Whisk together cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until smooth. Gradually pour the slurry into the simmering gravy, whisking constantly. Let the mixture bubble briefly until it thickens slightly.
- Serve: Thickly slice the turkey breast and serve it immediately with the gravy.
Notes
- Turkey breast: A little more or less than 2.5 lbs (1.2 kg) is perfectly fine; adjust the cooking time accordingly. You can also use a bone-in turkey breast, but make sure to adjust the cooking time, as bone-in pieces will take longer to cook. The most reliable method to check for doneness is to use a meat thermometer. I always remove the skin when cooking turkey breast in the Dutch oven.
- Marinade: You can use another marinade if you like; the flavor will be different but the cooking process remains the same.
- Cooking time: The breast will need about 15-20 minutes of cooking time per pound (450 g), but it's best to check with an instant-read thermometer to ensure the meat is safely cooked.
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