Boneless Thanksgiving Turkey may not be the huge centerpiece of the table like a 20 pound roaster is, but it sure makes a statement when you taste it! The butter, fresh mix of herbs and pure maple syrup keep this turkey moist and packed with flavor. On a practical note, without the bones, it is much easier to roast evenly. If you happen to have an issue with limited space in your oven, like I do, the Boneless Thanksgiving Turkey is a lifesaver! If you have a large group, you can always make a few of them.
About the Turkey
I like the Butterball Turkey Breast Roasts for this recipe. Although I am usually a fan of dark meat, I am not a fan of the Butterball Turkey Roast with light & dark meat. The flavor and texture just isn’t for me. I think it is because the light and dark meat don’t cook well together in the same bundle. One seems overcooked while the other isn’t quite done. No problem with the turkey breast roasts though! They usually come frozen, but defrost very quickly (another plus). Most of them are now gluten free too! Even though I make my own Drunk as a Sailor Gravy to go with this turkey, Butterball includes a packet of gluten free gravy starter, which is always an option.
Easy Prep
The easy prep is combining the butter, herbs and spices in a small bowl. The maple syrup will not incorporate well with the butter, but that is okay. Just mix it around the best you can. Set this aside while you move on to the turkey.
Messy Prep
I’ll be honest. The prep for this turkey can get a bit messy, but it is totally worth it! When you remove the plastic netting and packaging from the turkey, you’ll notice that the meat is held together with an elastic netting. DO NOT remove this! It is difficult to get back on and you need it to hold it all together. Of course I know this from experience. Uhg… Let’s not digress… The netting is open at both ends. Check inside both ends for neck bones and giblets. Remove those (if included) and set aside for your gravy or throw them away if not using them.
Place the turkey breast in your baking pan. Using your hands (these are the best tools for the job), take small handfuls of the butter mixture and push it inside the turkey. Try to get it between all of the layers and pieces. Reserve a few tablespoons to coat the outside of the turkey as well. This is a messy job, but the more butter and herbs that get loaded up inside the meat will be a huge return on the effort!
Worth the Mess!
Check out how beautiful and moist this Boneless Thanksgiving Turkey turns out! I will take this over a whole bird any day of the week. Thanksgiving week included!
This recipe is extremely allergy friendly, paleo, aip and keto. Although the herbs are geared toward Thanksgiving, they can certainly be mixed up to go with any meal you are making year around- Passover, Rosh Hashanah, Christmas, Easter or any weeknight!
Check out these great sides too: Browned Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Garlicky Brussels Sprouts, Ridonculous Gluten Free Mac and Cheese and Mom’s Broccoli Cheese Casserole.
Boneless Thanksgiving Turkey
Ingredients
- 4-5 Lb turkey breast roast I like the Butterball Turkey Roasts
- 1 stick butter or dairy free alternative
- ½ heaping cup mix of fresh herbs- sage, thyme, parsley, basil & chives chopped finely
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp real maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- In a small bowl, combine butter, herbs, salt, garlic powder and maple syrup. The syrup will likely separate from the butter mixture, but that is okay.
- Remove your turkey breast from the packaging. Leave the elastic net holding the breast pieces all together in place. The breast is actually in 3 or 4 different pieces inside the net, if you take it off, it will all fall apart and is tough to get back into the net (I know this from experience).
- Take a look at the net and you will see that it is open on the ends.
- This part is messy. Place the turkey in a small roasting pan. In small handfuls, take the butter mixture and push it into the middle of the turkey, get a bunch of it under the skin, in between all of the separate pieces. You really have to get up in that turkey’s business! But it is well worth the result, I promise! Finally put some on top of the breast. The remaining maple syrup can be poured into the middle of the turkey or on the outside, or both.
- Roast in the oven for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, or until the internal temp reaches 160 degrees. I use an internal thermometer with an alert when it reaches the desired temp. It is a life saver! Let it rest for 10 minutes. Remove the elastic netting by cutting it off with kitchen shears. Place the turkey on a serving platter and it is ready to slice and eat!