For those having a more intimate affair on Thanksgiving, I give you this garlic and herb stuffed turkey breast. This meal is perfect for 4-8 people and takes a fraction of the time of a full turkey. The turkey breast has garlic and herbs stuffed under and on the skin. The breast is then slow smoked and roasted on a kamado grill, although a charcoal grill or pellet grill will work too.
Turkey. It’s everywhere. It’s on the Thanksgiving table, it’s on our sandwiches at lunchtime, it’s in our burgers, it’s even in our bacon. Turkey has become a household staple all over the nation. But the bird itself has been typecast as a holiday feast centerpiece, and not as an everyday dinner item.
Did you know that almost all grocery stores carry these big birds all year round? And if you’re not interest in carving, cutting and cleaving the leftovers, many grocery stores carry a smaller version of just the breast which makes for a fantastic weeknight meal in April or an intimate Thanksgiving dinner for six or less. Also, this is a garlic and herb stuffed turkey breast, but not crammed full of traditional stuffing.
Garlic and Herb Stuffed Turkey Breast Ingredients:
I started with a 6 1/2 lb. turkey breast, which is a pretty standard size. It’s been thawed and prepped with a mixture of olive oil, fresh rosemary, thyme, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper. I stuffed the mixture under the skin of the breast and all over the outside:
Once the breast is on the grill I’m not going to check on it or re-baste it. If you’re making this at home, be sure to use all the marinade, all over the turkey to ensure maximum flavor!
I filled my kamado grill with charcoal and once I had a nice fire I closed the lid and opened the top and bottom vents to let the charcoal burn down until it started holding a temperature of 450 degrees (about 30 minutes). Once the temperature was holding, I closed the top vent and closed the bottom vent 3/4 of the way. Then I placed the turkey breast in the center of the grill rack, and closed the lid:
The charcoal is low enough in this grill not to burn the bottom, but if your grill is not as deep as this kamado, then push the charcoal to sides or push to one side and put the charcoal on the other side to keep it from taking on direct heat.
I checked on the turkey breast only once about 30 minutes into grilling. I wanted to make sure the temperature was holding and everything was cooking evenly.
When the turkey breast reached 165 degrees in the center, I pulled it.
I allowed the turkey breast to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.
The skin was perfectly browned and super crispy. The meat was tender and juicy, and the flavor was savory, smoky and delicious!
The aromatics under the skin and on the outside really amp up the flavor of the turkey to a whole other level and just might have your family swooning:
This was a super simple way to prepare a big dinner with the family and it gave us plenty of leftovers. You don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving to get your turkey, but you can cook it then too.
How to Grill Garlic and Herb Stuffed Turkey Breast
Preheat your kamado grill to a holding temperature of 450F degrees.
In a large bowl combine the olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir until combined and rub the mixture all over the turkey, stuffing about 1/3 of the mixture underneath the skin of the breast with a spoon or brush.
Place the turkey breast directly into the center grilling rack of the kamado and close the lid.
Grill the turkey until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 165F degrees in the center, which took a little over an hour.
Remove the breast and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below or send me an email. You can also check out other content I have done over on my website Phoenix Family Foodie
***Editor’s Note ~ Heather is an absolutely phenomenal cook/chef/pitmaster on top of being one of the best bakers on the planet. I don’t say that lightly. I’m not kidding. Get over to her website and check her out. Here’s another recipe that Heather has done for us. She looked at beer can chicken and scoffed, “I can do one better with Wine Can Chicken.”***
A turkey breast with garlic and herbs stuffed under the skin and on the outside before being grilled to smoky garlic and herb stuffed turkey breast perfection.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr
Course: Entree, Grilled Thanksgiving Turkey, Main Course
Cuisine: American, American Fare, Barbecue, BBQ, Thanksgiving Dinner, Traditional American
In a large bowl combine the olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir until combined and rub the mixture all over the turkey, stuffing about1/3 of the mixture underneath the skin of the breast with a spoon or brush.
Place the turkey breast directly into the center grilling rack of the grill and close the lid.
The charcoal is low enough in this grill not to burn the bottom, but if your grill is not as deep as this kamado, then push the charcoal to sides or push to one side and put the charcoal on the other side to keep it from taking on direct heat.
Allow the turkey to grill until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 165F degrees in the center
Remove the breast and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes before carving and serving.
Heather Walker has been successfully creating and competing in food since 2010. She has won over $100,000 in cash, prizes, worldwide travel, television appearances and print publications. Some of her biggest wins have come from companies such as Bertolli Olive Oil, Pepsi, Kraft and Kenmore. In 2014 and 2015, Heather finished as a top five finalist at the World Food Championships, an achievement that earned her a commendation from Arizona Governor Doug Ducey.
She made her Food Network debut in 2016, where she won the pilot episode of Bakers vs. Fakers. She then followed up with two more Food Network wins in 2019.
Heather is a regular contributor to the popular Phoenix morning news show “Good Morning Arizona” as a family food expert and regularly publishes recipes on her website www.phoenixfamilyfoodie.com. Her personal culinary arsenal contains over 300 recipes, with countless print and video publications for restaurants, websites and international culinary brands.
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