Let this Air Fryer Turkey Breast cook on the counter while all your sides cook in the oven! This tender turkey recipe is the perfect go-to for the holidays, especially if you are short on time or only cooking for a few people!

If you’re looking to throw together a full holiday meal, these side dishes are sure to make your menu complete. Check out these Perfectly Roasted Green Beans, Creamy Pea Salad with Bacon, and Italian Sausage Stuffing with Cranberries and Apples.

Sliced turkey breast topped with gravy and a side of green beans on a white plate


Is your mouth watering yet? The flavor that is in this air fryer turkey breast with rosemary and garlic is simply amazing. This comes out of the air fryer so tender and moist and just melts in your mouth. I love mine drizzled with some homemade turkey gravy, although my husband prefers his plane.

This Turkey Breast is made with fresh rosemary and garlic cloves. Cooking turkey breast in the air fryer instead of the oven means it’ll be ready in half the time! This is also perfect for Thanksgiving as it means you’ll be able to throw all of your sides in the oven while the turkey cooks on the counter!

Air Fryer Turkey Breast on a white plate with a side of gravy and green beans

Why this recipe works

  • If you love crispy skin on your bird, the air fryer just might be your new favorite approach to making your Thanksgiving turkey.
  • One of my favorite things about this is that you won’t have to spend all day keeping an eye on your turkey. If you are short on time, or just prefer to have meals done quickly, this recipe is for you! It is ready to go in just about half the time!
  • Are you also trying to figure out how all your recipes are supposed to share the oven and still be done at the same time? This is also perfect for Thanksgiving, as it means you’ll be able to throw all of your sides, pies, or rolls in the oven while the turkey cooks on the counter!

What You’ll Need

  • Turkey breast: You’ll want to get a turkey breast with the bone-in. If it is frozen, be sure to give it plenty of time to thaw completely in the fridge for at least 24-48 hours, depending on its size.
  • Garlic: whole garlic heads is what you want here. The entire head will go in with the turkey
  • Rosemary: You can usually find fresh rosemary in the produce section of the grocery store if you don’t have some on hand. While you can get away from dried rosemary, if that’s all you have, this is one of those special occasions where fresh herbs makes a difference.
raw turkey breast on a baking sheet, whole bulbs of garlic, lemons, fresh rosemary, salt, pepper, lemon juice

How to Make Air Fryer Turkey Breast

  1. Preheat Air Fryer to 350 degrees F. 
  2. Remove Turkey Breast from package. Discard any extra juice and pat the turkey breast dry.
  3. Pour the olive oil over top of the outside of the turkey breast.
  4. Season. Sprinkle the salt and black pepper on top. Next, remove the skins from the two heads of garlic. Place one whole garlic head inside of the turkey. Chop up the other garlic head into smaller pieces and place the pieces on top of the turkey skin (and under the skin if you wish).
  5. Add the chopped rosemary and squeeze the lemon all over the top of the turkey. Place the turkey breast in the air fryer.
Raw seasoned turkey breast in air fryer
  1. Cook at 350 degrees F for about 30-35 minutes.
  2. Flip the turkey breast over, raise the temperature to 375 degrees F and cook it for an additional 20-25 minutes. The turkey breast is ready when it’s a nice golden brown and the internal temperature of the turkey breast is 165 degrees.
Cooked turkey breast in air fryer

Airy Fryer Turkey FAQ’s

How do I know when the turkey breast is done?

Use a meat thermometer to determine the internal temperature of the turkey breast. It needs to reach 165 degrees F to determine if it’s cooked thoroughly. Make sure to insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast but be careful to avoid the bone.

How do I make my gravy thinner?

If gravy is too thick – you can add a little water or more stock. If it is too thin you can add a little cornstarch mixed with an equal amount of water to make a slurry. Keep in mind that gravy tends to thicken a bit as it cools. 

Can I use a frozen turkey?

You could. Keep in mind the cooking time will vary and it may turn out more dry. I recommend thawing your turkey breast in the fridge overnight prior to cooking.

What type of air fryer did you use?

The turkey breast in these pictures was made in the Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 Air Fryer / Pressure Cooker. The turkey is about 7 pounds and was cooked in the base itself rather than using the air fryer basket. But we also tested this recipe using a five-pound turkey which fit into the basket.

Additionally, we have used this recipe in the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Air Fryer / Indoor Grill and the Instant Pot Air Fryer to make sure it works across some of the most popular versions of this appliance. Across the board, the cooking time really only varied by about ten minutes, which is accounted for in the recipe printed below.

Air Fryer turkey breast on a white plate with a side of gravy and green beans

Recipe Tips

  • Choosing your turkey: Use a fresh, whole, bone-in turkey breast for best flavor. Many stores allow you to reserve your turkey in advance of special holidays so that you can get a fresh turkey.
  • Air Fryer: Depending on what kind of air fryer you have and how big your turkey breast is, you may have to use the actual air fryer dish or tray if the turkey won’t fit into the basket. Flipping it halfway through cooking time still leaves you with crisp skin and even cooking.
  • Gravy: Be sure to see the recipe card for all the gravy instructions. Keep in mind you can add fresh herbs to the gravy also.
  • Leftovers: If you do have any leftovers you can store them in the fridge for 3-4 days. Besides turkey sandwiches, leftover Turkey is perfect for making pot pies, soups, casseroles, or anything else you can think of! Any leftover gravy can be reheated via stovetop or microwave. Store the gravy in a covered container in the fridge.
Cooked turkey breast with a slice cut out
Slices of turkey breast cooked in the air fryer, covered with gravy and a side of green beans

Side Dishes To Go With Your Turkey Breast

Did you make this recipe?

Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.

Stay in the know

Air Fryer Turkey Breast with Gravy

5 from 5 votes
Amy Nash
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 11 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Let this Air Fryer Turkey Breast cook on the counter while all your sides cook in the oven! This tender turkey recipe is the perfect go-to for the holidays, especially if you are short on time or only cooking for a few people!

Ingredients
  

Turkey

  • 5-7 pound bone-in turkey breast
  • 1 ½ teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 fresh whole garlic heads
  • 1 ½ Tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
  • ½ a lemon

Turkey Gravy

  • ½ cup fat drippings from your turkey
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ cups turkey or chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon salted butter

Instructions
 

Turkey

  • Preheat Air Fryer to 345 degrees. 
  • Remove Turkey Breast from package. Discard any extra juice and pat the turkey breast dry.
  • Pour the olive oil over top of the outside of the turkey breast.
  • Sprinkle the salt and black pepper on top. 
  • Next, remove the skins from the two garlic heads.
  • Place one whole garlic head inside of the turkey.
  • Chop up the other garlic head into smaller pieces and place the pieces on top of the turkey skin (and under the skin if you wish).
  • Add the chopped rosemary and squeeze the lemon all over the top of the turkey.
  • Place the turkey breast in the air fryer.
  • Cook at 350 degrees for about 30-35  minutes.
  • Flip the turkey breast over, raise the temperature to 375 degrees and cook it for an additional 20-25 minutes.
  • The turkey breast is ready when it’s a nice golden brown and the internal temperature of the turkey breast is 165 degrees.

Gravy

  • After removing the turkey from the air fryer, there will be fat drippings and juice left in the pan, this is what you want for the gravy. 
  • You’ll want to heat the fat drippings back up until they start to sizzle and brown a little. You can do this on the stovetop.
  • Heat a sauce pan at medium high heat, add the fat drippings to the sauce pan. 
  • Once they are browned, add the flour in slowly, constantly stirring with a whisk. 
  • Heat for about a minute or until golden brown.
  • Next, add the turkey broth. Then add the garlic powder,  black pepper, and butter. Whisk well.
  • Continue to cook it until it starts to bubble,  stirring consistently. Reduce the heat and simmer for about five minutes, continuing to stir. 
  • Transfer gravy to gravy boat or serving container.

Notes

  • Use a meat thermometer to determine the internal temperature of the turkey breast. It needs to reach 165 degrees to determine if it’s cooked thoroughly. Make sure to insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast but, avoid the bone. 
  • This is a fresh, whole, bone-in turkey breast.
  • Depending on what kind of air fryer you have and how big your turkey breast is,  you may have to use the actual air fryer dish or tray if the turkey won’t fit into the basket. Flipping it halfway through cooking time still leaves you with crisp skin and even cooking. This one was made in the Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 Air Fryer / Pressure Cooker. The turkey is about 7 lbs and is in the base pot instead of the basket. I have also used this same recipe to make a 5 lb one,  which fit into the basket. Additionally, I’ve used this recipe in the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Air Fryer / Indoor Grill and the Instant Pot Air Fryer.  So, it really just comes down to selecting a turkey breast that fits into your air fryer. The cooking time only varies by about ten minutes which is accounted for in the recipe.
  • If you do have any leftovers you can store them in the fridge for 3-4 days. Besides turkey sandwiches, leftover Turkey is perfect for making pot pies, soups, casseroles, or anything else you can think of!
  • If gravy is too thick – you can add a little water or more stock. If it is too thin you can add a little cornstarch. 
  • You can also add fresh herbs to the gravy. Any leftover gravy can be reheated via stovetop or microwave. Store the gravy in a covered container in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 731kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 77g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 225mg | Sodium: 1478mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 80IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @HouseOfNashEats or tag #houseofnasheats!

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About the author

Hi, I'm Amy

I enjoy exploring the world through food, culture, and travel and sharing the adventure with mostly from-scratch, family friendly recipes that I think of as modern comfort cooking.

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Reader questions and reviews

  1. Jennifer says:

    I love making things in my air fryer! In all this time I never thought I would make a turkey in mine and now I am hooked! I will be eating turkey all year round and not just at thanksgiving! It was so moist and the skin was super crispy!

  2. Kathleen Pope says:

    5 stars
    I need roasted turkey more than once or twice a year, I am so excited to make this in my air fryer! So delicious!!

  3. Min says:

    5 stars
    This is going to make my Thanksgiving dinner SO much easier! Cannot wait to try it for the holidays!