Dutch Oven Boneless Turkey Breast

This Dutch Oven Boneless Turkey Breast features an orange herb rub over a boneless turkey breast, roasted in a Dutch oven on a bed of orange and onion slices. It’s simple and incredibly fresh, tender, moist, and flavorful.

While Thanksgiving sides are always a highlight of the meal, the turkey can totally be, too! And this Dutch oven boneless turkey breast 110% proves that, because it is absolutely packed with delicious, fresh flavor.

I’m team fresh herbs on your Thanksgiving turkey, so this herb rub uses just that – fresh parsley, rosemary, thyme, and sage. To dial up the flavor further, I use the zest from a whole naval orange (citrus pairs beautifully with both herbs and poultry), along with fresh, minced garlic.

This citrus herb rub, plus my expert tips below, will leave this boneless turkey breast moist, tender, and flavorful. Perfect for a weekly roast, or small Thanksgiving gathering!

(And if you are making this for Thanksgiving, don’t forget to check out some of my favorite Thanksgiving sides, like maple miso roasted vegetables, asiago mashed potatoes with garlic thyme browned butter, and apple cider cranberry sauce!)

Why This Dutch Oven Boneless Turkey Breast Recipe is SO Good!

• It’s perfect for a smaller Thanksgiving gathering, or if you just don’t feel like making a whole turkey.
• Turkey breast is lean, but kept moist and tender with my methods.
• Preparing the turkey to roast is pretty low-maintenance.
• While it needs 90 minutes in the oven, that’s much less than a whole turkey.
• It’s absolutely PACKED with fresh, herby flavor.
• Did I mention it’s delicious?

Ingredients Needed

For a full ingredient list with quantities, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

• Boneless Turkey Breast: You’ll want to look for a boneless turkey breast – skin on or off is fine. You’ll see that boneless turkey breasts come in a netting – leave that netting on, because it helps retain the shape will roasting.
• Naval Orange: The whole orange is used here! Fully zest the entire orange to use in the citrus herb rub, then the orange gets sliced and placed on the bottom of the Dutch oven for the bed for the turkey breast to sit on.
• Onion: Another aromatic that makes up our bed that the turkey sits on. This prevents too much direct heat from hitting the turkey breast (keeping it moister), and provides a subtle flavor.
• Fresh Herbs: The fresh herbs shine here! You need fresh rosemary, thyme, parsley, and sage.
• Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil binds the rub together and adds moisture to the turkey breast. And fun fact – the turkey is roasted at 350 degrees, which is below the smoke point of extra virgin olive oil, so you retain the health benefits of olive oil!

Step-by-Step Directions

For complete instructions, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post!

1. Combine the orange zest, minced herbs, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil for the rub.
2. Place orange and onion slices on the bottom of the Dutch oven.
3. Pat the turkey breast dry and rub the citrus herb mixture all over (leave the netting on).
4. Place the turkey breast on the bed of onions and oranges.
5. Roast for 90 minutes, drizzling the remaining olive oil on at the 60-75 minute mark to retain more moisture.
6. Rest 10-15 minutes before removing the netting and carving.

Expert Tips

• Keep the Dutch oven uncovered. You only want to cover the Dutch oven if the turkey is getting too browned.
• Leave the netting on. There’s typically a twine-like netting that covers the turkey breast, and this is to keep the boneless turkey breast in a roast-like shape. While you can take the netting off before roasting, you’ll likely loose the shape of the roast, which can affect cooking times (i.e. if one part is thinner or more narrow, it may end up dry while waiting for a thicker part to cook). I recommend leaving it on!
• Add more olive oil at the 60-75 minute mark. This can help promote better browning, and also help retain more moisture.
• Go by turkey temp to know when it’s done! Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast (the middle). Remove the turkey from the oven when the temperature reads 160-165 degrees (165 degrees is what’s considered done, but there will be some carry over cooking as it rests).

Substitutions & Variations

• Change up the Herbs: If you prefer only one or two herbs, you can cut down on the variety – still total 4 tablespoons minced herbs, though!
• Use different citrus: I love orange zest here, but you can use the zest of two lemons in place of the naval orange.
• Different fat: avocado oil or even softened butter both also work in the herb rub.
• Bone-in turkey breast: You can absolutely roast a bone-in turkey breast in a Dutch oven with this same method and citrus herb rub. It’ll just require more time (still go by an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees for when to remove from the oven).
• A whole turkey: this same citrus herb rub is delicious on a full turkey (and is the primary way I make full turkeys!) With a whole turkey, I typically double everything — sometimes more, depending on the size of the bird.

Storage, Freezing, & Reheating

Cooking a turkey breast is great for smaller gathering, especially if you don’t want a ton leftover. But if you do have leftovers, here’s what you do:

• Storage: Leftover turkey breast can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days.
• Freezing: Freeze leftover cooked turkey breast in an airtight, freezer-safe bag or container for up to three months.
• Reheating: Reheat sliced turkey breast in the oven at 300 degrees in a baking dish with a little chicken stock/ broth added. Cover with foil and heat 20-30 minutes, until warmed through. Alternatively, you can microwave, covered with a damp paper towel, at 50% power in one minute intervals.

Supplies You’ll Need

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• Dutch Oven: I highly recommend a good Dutch oven in general. Because they’re made from cast iron, they maintain temperature great, which is perfect for something like this where you’re roasting slowly. This oval 4.5 quart Dutch oven is similar to what’s pictured here, but you can use any – Lodge is fabulous brand, with this round 6 quart Dutch oven being a very multi-purpose option!
• Meat Thermometer: The best thing you can do to avoid a dry Thanksgiving turkey is to use a meat thermometer. Many, like this one, have a probe where you can insert it into the middle, or the thickest part of the turkey breast, and set it to alert you when it reaches your desired temperature.

More Thanksgiving Recipes You’ll Love

• Air Fryer Turkey Breast
• Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes
• Healthier Corn Casserole
• Gluten-Free Sausage Stuffing
• Prosciutto Green Beans
• Cinnamon Glazed Carrots

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