An easy rub gives this moist and tender turkey breast great flavor. A great option for a smaller Thanksgiving group, or for a turkey dinner any time of year.
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Rinse and dry the turkey breast. Oil a roasting pan.
In a small food processor, combine the lemon zest, shallot, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Blend until it becomes a paste.
Loosen the skin from the turkey breast, and using your hand rub the paste over and under the skin, covering the breast completely.
Place the turkey breast in the roasting pan and roast for about 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 F and continue cooking for about 1 hour 15 minutes, until nicely browned, and a meat thermometer shows an internal temperature of 160 F. Let sit for 15 minutes for the juices to redistribute, and for the internal temperature to continue to rise to 165 F before slicing.
Notes
To ensure a moist and flavorful turkey breast, there are a few things you can do. If you think of it, make the rub/marinade mixture and slather it on the turkey (rubbing it under and over the skin) the night before. Toss it into a big zipper-top bag and refrigerate it. This will definitely give the meat more of the lemony-herb flavor, but if you’ve not planned ahead, don’t worry about it one little bit.