Succulent Steam Oven Turkey Breast

Roasting a turkey breast in a steam oven is extremely simple and ensures the meat remains succulent and juicy. There is no need to soak the turkey in a wet brine prior to cooking or to baste it with copious amounts of butter; just give it a good dry rub and let the combination of convection and steam do its magic. I used a bone-in half breast in this recipe, but you will still get good results using a boneless turkey breast.

Lean tender cuts of meat are always best cooked at a moderate temperature, with a short blast of high heat at the beginning or end of the cooking time. When cooked this way, the meat remains succulent and juicy. If your oven features a meat probe, that will be the most accurate way to determine the cooking time. Otherwise, check the meat for doneness after 40 - 50 minutes of cooking time with an instant-read thermometer.

Turkey is best cooked to an internal temperature of 165 F/74 C, but it should be let rest for 10 - 15 minutes to allow the internal temperature to rise to 180 F/82 C before slicing.

INGREDIENTS

2 - 3 lb bone-in turkey breast

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp garlic herb spice

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1 tsp olive oil

PREPARATION

Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. Combine the salt, seasoning, and oil and rub into all areas of the turkey. Refrigerate uncovered or loosely covered with a sheet of wax paper overnight. Place the turkey on a rack in a shallow pan and bring it to room temperature for at least an hour before cooking.

Heat the oven in the combination Convection Steam mode to 375. Use 30 - 60% if your oven has a variable humidity option.

If using an oven meat probe or wireless probe, insert the sensor into the thickest part of the turkey at an angle, taking care it doesn’t touch the pan.

Place the turkey in the oven, connect the probe, and program the probe to reach an internal temperature of 165F. Set the timer for 15 minutes.

When the timer elapses reduce the oven temperature to 300F/149C for the remainder of the cooking time. If your oven does not have a probe function, check with an instant-read thermometer after 40 minutes to determine the exact cooking time.

Serves 4