Turkey breast cooking time by weight
A turkey breast is the usual pick for two to four people: a 4 to 6 lb bone-in breast feeds them with leftovers. It needs far less oven time than a whole bird, but how much depends on the oven temperature, so the tables below show two common ways. Each one has the clock time it goes in for a 5 PM dinner.
At 325 °F, the USDA way
The USDA's turkey roasting guide gives one range for an unstuffed breast of 4 to 8 lb at 325 °F: 1½ to 3¼ hours. I read the figures from a copy of the brochure hosted by University of Wisconsin Extension, because the USDA's own file would not open for me. The USDA gives no weights in between, so the minutes below are my estimate: a straight line from 90 minutes at 4 lb to 195 at 8 lb, rounded to 5. The rows are for a bone-in breast, and the clock times leave the USDA's 20 minute stand before carving.
| Weight | Roast (estimate) | Goes in | Comes out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 lb | 1 h 30 min | 3:10 PM | 4:40 PM |
| 5 lb | 1 h 55 min | 2:45 PM | 4:40 PM |
| 6 lb | 2 h 25 min | 2:15 PM | 4:40 PM |
| 7 lb | 2 h 50 min | 1:50 PM | 4:40 PM |
| 8 lb | 3 h 15 min | 1:25 PM | 4:40 PM |
Start checking the temperature about 30 minutes before the estimate is up. A whole bird is on the turkey roasting time chart.
At 400 °F, for small breasts
The recipe at foodiecrush roasts at 400 °F. It allows 17 to 20 minutes per pound for a whole bone-in breast (45 to 60 minutes for its 3 lb example) and 20 minutes per pound for a boneless breast that is rolled and tied. Split bone-in breasts take 14 to 15 minutes per pound, and boneless cutlets about 12. Only the 3 lb size is the recipe's own; the 2 and 4 lb rows are the per-pound rates multiplied out, so they are estimates. The clock times use the long end and the same 20 minute stand.
| Weight | Bone-in, minutes (2 and 4 lb estimated) | Boneless rolled, minutes (estimate) | Goes in for 5 PM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 lb | 34 to 40 | 40 | 4:00 PM |
| 3 lb | 51 to 60 | 60 | 3:40 PM |
| 4 lb | 68 to 80 | 80 | 3:20 PM |
When it is done
- The USDA's safe minimum is 165 °F, with the thermometer in the thickest part of the breast. The brochure says its times are approximate and to check with a food thermometer.
- The foodiecrush recipe pulls the breast at 150 to 155 °F and says it climbs to 160 °F while resting. That is below the USDA minimum, so if you follow the USDA, keep roasting to 165 °F.
- Rest: the USDA suggests 20 minutes before carving so the juices set. foodiecrush says at least 10.
A small dinner in one oven
Menu for two to four: a 5 lb bone-in breast (1 h 55 min at 325 °F, from the first table), then stuffing in a dish, green bean casserole and dinner rolls at 350 °F. Dinner at 5 PM. The breast goes in at 2:05 PM and comes out at 4:00 PM. It sits covered for an hour while the oven moves to 350 °F (15 minutes in the plan) and the sides go in one after another. The hour of waiting is the planner's assumption, and so are the side dish times, which are typical values I picked.
| Time | Step |
|---|---|
| 1:50 PM | Preheat the oven to 325 °F |
| 2:05 PM | Put Bone-in turkey breast, 5 lb in the oven (325 °F, 1 h 55 min) |
| 4:00 PM | Take Bone-in turkey breast, 5 lb out (1 h before serving) |
| 4:00 PM | Set the oven to 350 °F and let it get there |
| 4:15 PM | Put Stuffing (in a dish) in the oven (350 °F, 45 min) |
| 4:30 PM | Put Green bean casserole in the oven (350 °F, 30 min) |
| 4:45 PM | Put Dinner rolls in the oven (350 °F, 15 min) |
| 5:00 PM | Take Stuffing (in a dish) out |
| 5:00 PM | Take Green bean casserole out |
| 5:00 PM | Take Dinner rolls out |
| 5:00 PM | Serve |
A smaller breast needs the oven for less time: a 3 lb breast at 400 °F goes in at 3:40 PM, and the oven is free before that for sides that can wait covered. To hold a breast longer, see how to keep turkey warm before serving. For a whole bird and a bigger table, read Thanksgiving dinner with one oven. Open this menu in the planner to change the weight, the dinner time or the dishes.