Oven “Fried” Turkey Breasts
Love fried turkey, but don’t want to deal with the hot oil? I’ve got a solution for you today! Oven Baked Turkey Breast that looks and tastes like fried turkey, without all the fuss and mess… and calories.
The big question as we get closer to Thanksgiving is… How will you attack your turkey?
Do you deep fry it? Do you roast it in the oven? Do you prepare a 20 pounder, or stick with white meat only? Do you season it traditionally, or get a little crazy with herbs and spices?
What is your game plan?
And is your game plan the same as it’s always been, or are you willing to try something new??
Over the years I have prepared many many turkey recipes.
I actually started roasting turkeys when I was 18. I spent a year after high school in an internship program where I lived in a 2 bedroom apartment with 5 other girls. A few of us cooked together on a regular basis and found we could roast a turkey at the beginning of the week and feed the entire apartment for days.
1995 will be forever coined in my mind as “The Year of Turkey” leading me to see turkey as not just a once or twice a year menu item, but a healthy and relatively inexpensive year-round dinner option.
One of my favorite ways to enjoy turkey is to deep fry it.
I’m sure you’ve seen the youtube clips of someone’s carport going up in flames from a turkey fryer gone awry. Hot boiling oil has always been something that scares me.
And even after owning a more advanced model of a turkey fryer (one that I actually love and feel safe using) I find that I only pull it out on rare occasions.
Yet this “fried” turkey recipes is another story.
In fact it isn’t fried at all, but rather, coated in a crunchy crust and baked to juicy perfection.
It has the taste and texture of battered fried turkey, without the excessive amount of fat and calories. On top of that, this baked turkey breast recipe is quick to prep and pop in the oven, and is fantastic for families that only like white-meat.
My oven baked turkey breast recipe feeds 8-10 people, but you could easily half the recipe for a smaller gathering.
The secret to the ultra crunchy coating and juicy flavorful meat, is in the simple ingredients.
I ground pretzels and wheat crackers to make the outer coating. Then seasoned the turkey breasts with Old Bay Seasoning and brushed them with a yogurt-mayo blend to “glue” the crumbs onto the breasts.
The yogurt-mayo layer helps insulate the meat so it bakes moist and tender. And the pretzel and cracker crumbs are kissed with butter so they turn golden and crisp under the heat.
Baked Turkey Breast is something you can serve all year long. This recipe will be an instant hit at your holiday table this year, but don’t feel limited to Thanksgiving and Christmas.
You can make baked turkey breast on any busy night of the week!
Baked Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless turkey breasts about 4 pounds
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Old Bay seasoning
- 1 1/2 cups pretzels or wheat crackers like Triscuits, I used half of each
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Place the butter on the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle the turkey breasts liberally with Old Bay Seasoning on all sides. Then mix the yogurt and mayonnaise together and brush it over the turkey breast, coating them completely. Place the baking sheet with the butter into the oven so the butter melts.
- Place the pretzels and/or crackers in the food processor and pulse until finely ground. Then pour the crumbs out into a shallow dish. Press each turkey breast into the crumbs to coat with crumbs on all sides.
- Take the hot pan out of the oven and swirl the melted butter around the pan. Then lay both turkeys breasts top-side-down on the pan to coat in butter. Flip the turkey breasts over and pop in the oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Remove from the oven and allow the turkey breast to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
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What a healthy alternative to actually frying a whole turkey! Must try!
What a neat recipe. It’s so fun to venture away from traditional for Thanksgiving!
I love this~ And, I love your “year of turkey story”. What a chuckle! :)