One-Pan Oven Roasted Turkey Breast with Vegetables Recipe
Are you cooking for an intimate group this Thanksgiving? Take it easy this year with a delicious oven-roasted turkey breast with vegetables. This one-pan dinner may be a little less traditional, but it’s simple to prepare and a total crowd pleaser!
For the second year in a row, I’m hosting Thanksgiving, mostly because we have a newborn baby and don’t want to travel several hours away to my husband’s family. Instead, they’ll all be coming here to enjoy the holiday meal with us. I say all, but it’s just his parents, his sister, her husband, and two kids. So, it’s a small crowd for a holiday dinner.
While a whole roasted turkey may be the traditional route for Thanksgiving, for the past few years, we have opted for a simpler Thanksgiving dinner by cooking a turkey breast instead. Not only is this oven-roasted turkey breast with vegetables simple, but everyone loves the flavor. Besides, we always sliced the turkey before bringing it to the holiday table anyway (and no one ate the dark meat), so cooking a big bird was a bit of a waste.
Looking for more easy Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas?
- 15 Minute Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- The Best Ever Sausage Stuffing Recipe
- No-Fail Flaky Pie Crust
- Delicious Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Easy Pumpkin Muffins
Why I Recommend Choosing a Simple Holiday Dinner
The holidays are all about family. When you spend the entire time cooking a big dinner, you miss out on the conversation and the bonding. I love this one-pan oven-roasted turkey with vegetables because it’s easy. Plus, it’s perfect on its own for a weekend dinner or a small dinner party. It’s fancy enough to feel festive, but simple enough to let you be part of the festivities.
Besides, everyone loves this holiday main dish. It’s the best Thanksgiving turkey recipe for a small group. Not to brag, but my one-pan turkey dinner is an absolute crowd-pleaser that I have perfected over the past four or five times of making it. You can use one small (2lb) turkey breast to feed about eight people or double it to feed a larger crowd. We usually just do the 2lb size turkey and still have some leftovers!
Also, if you see turkey breasts on sale during these holiday months—stock up! This sheet pan turkey dinner is a comforting winter meal, an elevated Sunday dinner, and a great dinner party main course. Everyone loves turkey, and this recipe is moist and juicy (not dry like some turkey recipes). People will rave about the flavor!
The Secret to Perfect Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
The secret to this delicious turkey recipe is butter (and the magic that happens during oven roasting).
The turkey breast is smothered in a flavorful butter mixture that makes the most delicious turkey gravy you’ve ever tasted (so save those pan drippings)! Because the vegetables are slow roasted in the same pan as the savory turkey breast, they get the melted butter saucy deliciousness all over them, too!
The other secret about this recipe is that it takes NO TIME. There’s minimal prep involved, which is another reason I love it so much. You’ll be out of the kitchen and visiting with guests in no time. All you do to prepare the turkey is make the butter mixture. You put the butter sauce on the turkey, cut the veggies, and throw in some pre-washed baby potatoes, then you wait. Yes, there’s some cooking time, but nowhere near what you’d need for a full bird. All-in-all, oven-roasted turkey breast is a very simple but oh-so-delicious Thanksgiving turkey dinner (or sheet pan Christmas dinner)!
The gravy that results from the rub on the turkey coats the vegetables, allowing them to caramelize to perfection. Don’t worry – there will be plenty of gravy left over to drizzle over the turkey, too!
While everything is baking in the oven, it’s time to make a batch of my 15 minute homemade cranberry sauce. Once you realize how simply this is to make, you’ll never buy store bought again.
The other thing that is essential for any Thanksgiving dinner is fresh dinner rolls. Your guests are going to be amazed when you bring out this moist, soft homemade rolls. They take only 10 minutes to make with a quick 30 minute proof, and then another 20 or so to bake.
I will admit that my favorite homemade stuffing recipe requires a little more work than the rest. BUT, you can make the mixture the night before (which I do!) and then bake it on Thanksgiving day. It’s SO good that I had to mention it in case you’re in need of a solid stuffing recipe.
If this is your first time hosting for Thanksgiving, I promise you your guests will be impressed. Whether you’re feeding 2, 4 or more, this is an easy Thanksgiving menu that yields great results but also gives you time to interact with your guests!
So, this year, don’t stress, especially if you’re not cooking for a big crowd. Instead, make this delicious one-pan oven-roasted turkey with vegetables, sit back and enjoy! Oh, and one pan means minimal clean up too! You’ll have plenty of time for pie and conversation with this easy holiday dish.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please give it 5 stars in the recipe card below!
One-Pan Roast Turkey Breast and Veggies Thanksgiving Dinner
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- zest of 1 lemon
- salt
- pepper
- 1 2lb turkey breast deboned
- 1 lb medium shallots
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 lb baby potatoes pre-washed, bagged
- 5-6 carrots
- 3 parsnips
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 tablespoon flour or cornstarch
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425°F.
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove 6 strips of lemon zest, making sure to avoid the white pith. Thinly slice each strip crosswise.
- In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, dijon mustard, lemon zest and ½ tsp. each of salt and pepper. Then set aside.
- Remove skin from turkey breast. Rub butter mixture all over and place skin back on top.
- Form into a log shape and wrap with butcher's twine to secure.
- In another bowl, toss shallot with olive oil and ¼ tsp. each of salt and pepper. Arrange in the center of a large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan.
- Place turkey on top of the shallots. Roast for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop carrots in half across the middle, then each half into 2 or 3 strips lengthwise. Repeat with parsnips.
- Remove turkey from oven and transfer to cutting board.
- Add carrots, potatoes and parsnips to baking sheet along with ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Toss with shallots and pan gravy.
- Place turkey back on top. Return to oven and and roast until turkey registers 165°F and vegetables are browned and tender, 30-45 minutes more.
- Transfer to a clean cutting board and allow to rest for atleast 10 minutes before serving.
- Remove vegetables and place in a dish.
- Transfer pan juices to a pot (or put the roasting pan on the stovetop), add 1 cup of beef stock and 2 tablespoons of flour. Heat on medium-heat, whisking until gravy is free of lumps. Thicken with more flour or cornstarch as needed.
