Roast a bone-in turkey breast at 325 °F for 1½ to 2¼ hours if it weighs 4 to 6 lb, or 2¼ to 3¼ hours at 6 to 8 lb, and take it out when the thickest part reads 165 °F. Those are the USDA timetable rows, and the calculator above is set up for six guests with a bone-in breast, which comes to a 6 lb breast. Change the guest count, or switch to A turkey I already have and type the weight on the label.
A breast instead of a whole bird
For a small table a whole turkey is mostly leftovers: USDA’s whole-turkey timetable starts at 8 lb. A bone-in breast is all white meat, roasts in about two thirds of the time an 8 to 12 lb whole turkey needs, and fits in a smaller oven. USDA’s portion is ¾ lb per person because the bone and skin make up part of the weight; a boneless breast roast needs only ½ lb. For ten or more people the calculator suggests two breasts rather than one oversized piece, since USDA’s table stops at 8 lb.
Roasting it
USDA’s method is the same as for a whole bird: an oven at 325 °F or higher, the breast on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Put the thermometer in the thickest part, away from the bone. The timeline schedules the first check about half an hour before the expected finish, and plans 20 to 30 minutes of resting under foil before you carve.
Frozen breasts
A frozen bone-in breast thaws on the same rules as a whole turkey: about a day in the fridge for every 4 to 5 lb, so plan one to two days for most breasts.
Bone-in turkey breast: size and roasting time
| Guests | Breast to buy | Roast at 325 °F | Stuffed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 lb | 1½ to 2¼ hours | Not applicable |
| 6 | 6 lb | 1½ to 2¼ hours | Not applicable |
| 8 | 7.5 lb | 2¼ to 3¼ hours | 3 to 3½ hours |
| 10 | 2 × 5 lb | 1½ to 2¼ hours | Not applicable |
| 12 | 2 × 6 lb | 1½ to 2¼ hours | Not applicable |
Sizes at a normal appetite (1¼ times USDA's ¾ lb of bone-in breast per person), rounded up to a half pound. Times: USDA FSIS, "Turkey from Farm to Table", for a thawed breast at 325 °F (half breast, 2 to 3 lb: 50 to 60 minutes; whole breast, 4 to 6 lb: 1½ to 2¼ hours; whole breast, 6 to 8 lb: 2¼ to 3¼ hours). The stuffed time for a 6 to 8 lb breast, 3 to 3½ hours, is also from "Turkey from Farm to Table"; FSIS's "Let's Talk Turkey" gives 2½ to 3½ hours for the same size. Done at 165 °F in the thickest part.