This Air Fryer Turkey Breast recipe is a great healthy weeknight main dish! Let your air fryer do the work and YOU reap the rewards!
Everyone loves a warm turkey breast because it feels like a holiday, but you can have Thanksgiving every week with this easy Air Fryer Turkey Breast recipe with just a little oil and a few spices!!
Roasting a whole turkey is an all-day ordeal, but roasting a turkey breast in the air fryer is ready in under and hour!
This gives every family the option to have a healthy roasted turkey main dish every week instead of once a year.
Want to have a mini-Thanksgiving meal any time of year?
Try our Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole and our Gluten-Free Mushroom Stuffing, both with all the flavor but less of the guilt of the holidays!
How to make Air Fryer Turkey
Many recipes have you cook the turkey breast longer, but I've had luck with this timing for 3-pound breasts.
Depending on the size, you may need to adjust the time. Always check your temperature before you slice!
- Rub oil onto turkey breast and sprinkle both sides with spices.
- Put turkey in air fryer basket. I use parchment paper under the turkey to make cleanup easier!
- Cook for about 40 minutes at 360°F or 182°C, flipping turkey breasts halfway through cooking. Make sure your turkey is at least 165°F!
- Rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving!
Can I cook a frozen turkey breast in the air fryer?
Unfortunately a frozen turkey breast is not an option for the AF.
By the time it thawed and cooked the turkey breast, it would be very overcooked and dry — no one wants that!
If you have a frozen turkey breast, thaw it at least overnight in the refrigerator.
It takes about 24 hours of thaw time in a 40°F fridge for every five pounds of turkey.
What size air fryer do I need to cook a turkey?
Air fryers work by circulating hot air around the food to cook it, similarly to a convection oven.
To cook a 3-pound turkey breast, like in this recipe, you need at least a 3-quart AF Unit, if not larger, such as a 5-quart option.
Make sure when you place your turkey in the basket you space everything out as much as possible, aiming for nothing touching.
This will help with even cooking as well as getting the outside brown and crispy!
More yummy air fryer recipes
We have so many air fryer recipes to choose from!
If you are having trouble figuring out which one to try next, we suggest: Air Fryer Mexican Corn on the Cob, Air Fryer Kale Chips, Meatloaf in the air fryer, Air Fryer Sweet Potato Hash and Air Fryer Asparagus
Looking for purchase an air fryer? Wondering which air fryer is right for you?
Here are my TOP picks of air fryers on the market today!
Pro Tip: This recipe can be made in the air fryer unit with a basket or the air fryer oven.
If you are using the air fryer oven, use the middle rack and select the "Air Fry" function.
Meat Air Fryer Resources - We have a Meat/Veg Air Fryer Newsletter, which you can subscribe to here. We also have several Air Fryer Facebook Groups that you can join (see below for links).
Vegetarian Air Fryer Resources – We have a vegetarian air fryer newsletter, which you can subscribe to here. We also have a specific vegetarian air fryer recipes group on facebook.
If you are looking for vegetarian recipes beyond air fryer ones, we have a Vegetarian Newsletter as well as a Vegetarian Recipes facebook group. This newsletter and FB group offers up recipes that on the stove, in the oven, on the grill, in the instant pot and more!
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Air Fryer Turkey
Equipment
- Air fryer
- Cutting board
- Knife
Ingredients
- 3 lb. turkey breast
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp paprika
Instructions
- Rub oil onto turkey breast. Combine seasonings and sprinkle on all sides of turkey.
- Place turkey breast in air fryer basket.
- Cook at 360°F or 182°C for 20 minutes. Flip breast and cook another 20 minutes. Turkey should be 165°F.
- Rest turkey for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Air Fryers can vary greatly. Please take the time to learn your specific air fryer. You may need to adjust times and temperatures based upon your air fryer. All though this website attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, the information should only be considered an estimate. Varying factors such as different product types, different brands, etc. can change nutritional information. It is your responsibility as a consumer to read all labels to make sure the ingredients fit your dietary needs as well as calculate your own nutritional information as a double check.
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I had a turkey breast in the fridge and we made this for lunch. It turned out moist and delicious!
Hi Carolyn, thanks for stopping by and checking out the recipe AND making it! So glad the timing worked out that you had a turkey breast in your fridge. So glad you loved our air fryer turkey!
I didn't know that using as air fryer was so easy. I have been seeing some really great recipes using them. This recipe looks like a must try!
Thanks Angela!
I have been cooking turkey this way for years in my convection oven but love this air-fryer recipes for nights when it is only my husband and I.
So glad you found it! Enjoy!
Such a creative and delicious use of the air fryer! Such an easy recipe, and so flavorful. Plus, it never hurts to have such a budget friendly dish. Thank you for the great recipe!
You are so welcome, glad you gave it a try!! 🙂
I've been loving my air fryer but hadn't thought to cook turkey in it like this until your recipe. This recipe is a hit!
Yay, so glad our air fryer turkey was a hit!
I am so happy I've found an air fruer turkey recipe. I've always made turkey in a different way but sooo ready to use air fryer for it now!
Have fun! So glad you found it, please come back and let us know if you like it!
The looks delicious. Do you recommend brining before you cook it?
Hi Elizabeth! I think it comes down to a personal preference, but I do not brine it when I cook it in the air fryer because it cooks a bit quicker. I do brine when I oven roast 🙂
Could this be done with a bone-in turkey breast? How should I adjust the cooking temp/time?
Yes, It can. I haven't personally tried it but members in our air fryer group have talked about it. I would start at 350F 20 minutes, turn over and cook for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160F It may vary based upon the size of the turkey breast but it gives you a starting point 🙂 Let is rest 10 minutes before carving.
I tried this and loved it. We will be having a small Thanksgiving this year, so I plan to make this!
So glad you liked it, thank you for coming back and leaving a review and comment!