Air Fryer Turkey Breast and Gravy
This juicy Air Fryer Turkey Breast recipe is made with a bone-in turkey breast, simple seasonings and olive oil or butter. Making gravy with the drippings is easy and I'll show you how!
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Calories: 4ounces
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (5-7-pound) bone-in turkey breast (After giblets and any gravy packet is removed from inside package.)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or softened butter
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Gravy
- ⅓ cup drippings from roasting turkey breast
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 15 ounce can chicken or turkey broth (about 1 ¾ cups)
Instructions
- Using strong kitchen shears or poultry scissors, remove the side rib bones and back bone from the turkey breast, if present. This will help the turkey breast fit in the air fryer and also not tip over. Pat dry the turkey breast using paper towels.
- Use an air fryer that is deep enough so that the heating coils clear the top of the turkey breast by at least ½ inch. I used an Instant Brands Versa Zone basket-style air fryer. I call it my double-wide. Any air fryer deep enough to clear the top of the turkey breast from the heating coils will work.
- Combine the oil, paprika, garlic salt, onion powder and black pepper in a small bowl. Rub the skin of the turkey with the seasoned butter and rub a little bit of the mixture on the other side of the breast.
- Make Ahead: At this point, it can be a make-ahead recipe. Just put the rubbed turkey breast in a covered container overnight and cook the next day.
- Spray the air fryer rack with olive oil or oil spray. Place the turkey breast on the rack, breast side down. Cook the turkey at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
- Using large tongs, carefully turn the turkey breast over and cook it, breast side up, and cook an additional 20 minutes or until an instant read thermometer registers 160F degrees.
- Remove the air fryer basket and cover the turkey in the basket with aluminum foil. Let stand in the air fryer basket on a kitchen towel or trivet, 10minutes. The air fryer basket will catch the juices under the rack. The temperature of the turkey will rise to 165F degrees.
- Transfer the turkey breast to a cutting board to slice it.
- To Make Gravy
- Pour ⅓ cup of the turkey drippings from the bottom of the air fryer basket into a 12 inch skillet. Stir in the flour. Gradually stir or whisk in the broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly. Yield: 2 cups.
Notes
Tip: How long to cook a 7 pound turkey breast in air fryer will depend on a couple of things. One, cutting the back and rib bones reduces the time. Also, if the package says 7 lbs, be aware that they often stick heavy gravy packets and even turkey necks in the package to increase the weight since you pay by the pound. Five to 6 pounds is a good size to end up with when air frying a bone-in turkey breast.
Note: If using an oven-style air fryer with stacked racks, remove the turkey breast and place on a cutting board. Save any juices after 10 minutes standing time for the gravy.
