Name: Air-Fryer Turkey Breast
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 bone-in turkey breast (3–4 lb); 2 tbsp olive oil; 1.5 tsp kosher salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp paprika

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Air-Fryer Turkey Breast

Air FriedEasyPrep 15 minCook 1hServes 6

A bone-in breast is the weeknight Thanksgiving: crisp skin and juicy meat in about an hour, no whole-bird commitment.

Ingredients

1 bone-in turkey breast (3–4 lb)
2 tbsp olive oil
1½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp paprika

Steps

Pat the breast very dry. Rub with oil and the seasonings.
Place skin-side down in the air-fryer basket. Cook at 360°F for 25 minutes.
Flip skin-side up and cook 25–35 minutes more, until the thickest part reads 165°F.
Rest 15 minutes before slicing.

Serve with: cranberry sauce, quick gravy and garlicky green beans.

If your basket is small, a 3 lb breast fits most models. For a larger breast, the oven at 325°F (about 20 minutes per pound) is the safer bet.

Find this recipe in the Holidays section on the RecipeDelish home page, where you can scale it, print a clean PDF, download the shopping list and use cook mode.

Tips & mistakes

Pat the breast very dry before seasoning — dry skin is what turns crisp, and wet skin steams instead.
Check the size first: a 3 lb breast fits most baskets; bigger ones need the oven, where the heat circulates better.
Flip it skin-side up for the second half so the skin crisps evenly on the side that shows.
Rest it 15 minutes before slicing, or the juices run out onto the board and the meat dries out.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know it is done? A thermometer in the thickest part should read 165°F; the juices should run clear. The thermometer is the only reliable check — time alone varies too much between air fryers.

Can I cook it from frozen? No: thaw it fully in the fridge first, or the outside overcooks while the center stays raw. A 3 to 4 lb breast needs about a day in the fridge to thaw.

What if the skin browns too fast? Tent it loosely with foil for the last stretch and keep cooking until the center is done. The foil slows the browning without stopping the cooking.

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