I have been cooking turkey for nigh on 20 years and how long do you cook turkey breast is one of the most often asked questions. For such a beloved meat turkey is seldom cooked right by the masses. Usually population overcook turkey breast and it turns out dry and hard, fit only for the house pet.
That is part of the presuppose I learned to cook, I was fed up with complaining year in and year out about how dry the turkey was!
Meat Loaf
So how long do you cook turkey breast? It depends on the weight of the turkey and if the turkey has been boned. The other factor to think is if the turkey is fresh or frozen.
The attractiveness and annoyance of cooking is that it is not an exact science because we all use distinct kitchen equipment.
Traditional cooking will tell you to cook the bird based on weight, 20-30 minutes per pound at 325 Fahrenheit is the usual advice. This is fine if your turkey breast is thawed or fresh.
The best way to have a moist turkey and to ensure it is properly cooked is to use a thermometer. Once the internal climatic characteristic is 170 Fahrenheit the turkey breast will be ready to eat and moist. If you don't possess a thermometer then the 20-30 minutes rule still applies.
Use a shallow roasting pan if you can, they allow the turkey to cook more evenly. I like to add herbs, water, a quartered onion, celery and carrots to the pan to stop it drying and to generate a flavoursome base for a gravy.
If the breast is stuffed then the cooking time is 30-40 minutes per pound.
An Alternative to Pan Cooking.
I like to slow cook most of my meats to ensure the herbs and spices I use have time to work their way into the meat. Slow cooking means using a very low heat and cooking for several hours. The turkey breast is moist and juicy every time.
Rub seasoning under the skin of the meat (garlic salt, sage, thyme and all purpose seasoning) and put in a slow cooker with chopped carrots, celery, a whole onion (peeled) and a can of cream of chicken soup (good quality).
Leave for 6-8 hours or until internal climatic characteristic is 195. Turn off, take off turkey and leave for 10-15 minutes before carving and serving with the sauce (discard veggies) and mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.
The perfect turkey breast should have juicy white meat, meaning it is firm yet moist. When it hits your mouth it should have an roughly spongy juiciness. If you overcook it you will know. It will taste like you're trying to chew week-old gum!
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