Cajun Turkey Breast

My Cajun turkey breast is super tender and juicy from the skin all the way down to the bone, y'all!! It's thawed from frozen, then brined and rested uncovered in the fridge to develop that show-stopping crispy skin finish. Next, it's rubbed with a south Louisiana seasoning-spiked butter rub below and above the skin. Finally, it's baked low and slow until each feisty, flavorlicious bite straight melts in your mouth. Yep and yay...

Jump to:

• It's Got That Holiday Turkey Loving Feeling, Y'all...
• Ingredient Essentials & Substitutions
• Pay Attention to the Type of Turkey Breast That You Buy, Y'all... 
• Because You Might Be Let Down if You Don't...
• And Keep That Skin On, Y'all...
• How to Make Cajun Turkey Breast
• Other Cajun Holiday Meal Favorites
• More Scrumptious Baked Cajun Dishes
• Cajun Turkey Breast

It's Got That Holiday Turkey Loving Feeling, Y'all...

Cajun turkey breast is coated liberally with a south Louisiana spice-studded butter rub before being roasted in the oven. It's generally brined before baking with salt, liquid, and additional regional sauces and seasonings that tenderize the meat while infusing it with even more traditional Cajun flavors. 

The result is ultra-flavorful, fall-off-of-the-bone flesh that's so tender and juicy that you won't even reach for the gravy. For realz y'all!! 

Ingredient Essentials & Substitutions

• I generally use a 7—to 8-pound turkey breast for this recipe and use a generous amount of spices in the butter rub to season it evenly. With the stated proportions of butter and seasonings, you should be okay with a breast up to 9 pounds. However, if your breast is much larger, add another stick of butter and ⅓ more spices to the mix to ensure that you have enough to coat the entire outside of the breast.
• I use salted butter and add only a small amount of salt to the butter mixture. You can also use unsalted butter and season it to your usual tastes. 
• I love and use Great Value spices daily in my kitchen, y'all. And my recipes always turn out perfectly. So, use the dried spices that are available to you for this recipe. Just make sure that they're fresh and everything should turn out wonderfully. 
• I am, however, a hot sauce snob of sorts. 😊 So, I always use either Crystal or Louisiana hot sauce for this recipe. Tabasco will also do, but please, use a good south Louisiana hot sauce for this Cajun turkey breast recipe or it just won't truly be Louisiana legit, y'all!! 
• Try to use local honey for this recipe if at all possible. It will taste the best that way. But, if you can't, then grab the best brand that you can. You'll also need garlic, too. I use jarred minced garlic for this recipe most of the time. But, you can substitute fresh garlic if that's what you have on hand. 

Pay Attention to the Type of Turkey Breast That You Buy, Y'all... 

The type of turkey breast matters greatly, y'all. I've used both all-natural breasts and recently cooked a pre-brined breast for this recipe. And, I cannot stress enough that the pre-brined breast yielded different results than my trusty all-natural breasts. 

All-natural breasts require that you brine them first, or they will likely turn out drier than you would like. Since they have no flavoring at all, these types of breasts take at least 8 hours to soak up the brine. Then, they are ready for the oven, where the butter and herbs dissolve into the meat, saturating the breast with tender, ultra-flavorful deliciousness. 

While all-natural turkey breasts take longer to prep, they are sooo worth it because the leftovers taste the same as when they were first prepared. 

This was sadly NOT the case with the pre-brined breast that I prepared recently. Don't get me wrong, it was super delicious and incredibly tender right out of the oven. We loved it, and I could not wait for next-day leftovers. 

Because You Might Be Let Down if You Don't...

However, I could not have been more disappointed!! The heated leftover turkey was still very tender. But, the scrumptious flavors were ALL gone. And, what was left in its place was an almost unedible shell of itself that I didn't even trust to include in a leftover turkey recipe. I just didn't want to throw more money away, y'all!!

So, I'm going for all-natural turkey breasts for this Cajun recipe from here on out. The only exception to this rule I see in my future is if I'm super pressed for time and I think that there will be NO leftovers after the event. 

Otherwise, I'm staying with the all-natural types because this Cajun turkey breast recipe is precious to me. And, I want leftovers for DAYS after I make it each and every time. Indeed!!

And Keep That Skin On, Y'all...

You may be tempted to remove some of the skin of the Cajun turkey breast before roasting it. I get it because sometimes the skin just looks unattractive and unnecessary.

But trust me, y'all, it's VERY necessary. The skin holds the moisture in while you are cooking the breast. So, any loss of skin gives the heat in the oven an entryway into the flesh of the bird that could dry it out throughout the roasting process.

Also, you're going to slather an immensely flavorful spice-studded butter sauce both over and under the skin. So, stay on-recipe for the best success. Keep the skin on, y'all, and keep ALL of that yum-deliciousness covered from the heat. 

How to Make Cajun Turkey Breast

To start, brine the turkey if you do not have a pre-brined turkey.

Drain, and then leave the turkey uncovered in the refrigerator for several hours to aerate the skin and prepare it for roasting. This step will help create crispy turkey breast skin that will look great on your holiday table.

However, don't worry too much if you don't have time to do this. Things will still turn out ok. 

Now, use the back of a spoon to smash the softened butter down as much as possible.  

Then, sprinkle the spices over the butter, and stir until combined.

Now, pull the skin up carefully, and apply the seasoned butter over the flesh of the breast. Then, use what's left over to rub all over the skin. You should have more than enough butter rub. But, stop and make more if you don't.

Next, place the prepped Cajun turkey breast over a rack that's positioned inside of a large cast iron Dutch oven. You can also place it in a turkey roasting pan, as well.

Cover the breast loosely with aluminum foil, and slide it into the oven.

Finally, check on the bird periodically, and cover tightly with foil if you feel like the skin is getting too browned.

And that's it, y'all!!

The first thing that you notice about this Cajun turkey breast right out of the oven is its beautiful color. Then, as you let it rest, you savor the smell of its amazing aromas.

Once you cut into it, you see how it slides almost effortlessly off of the knife. And, when you taste it, you revel in its explosion of flavors and super moist, fall-apart texture.

Share with those who never left your side throughout the joys, the tears, the trials, and the triumphs in your life. Much holiday food love, and see y'all on the yum side...

NOTE: This post was originally published on November 21, 2016, and updated and republished on November 18, 2024.

Other Cajun Holiday Meal Favorites

These other Cajun holiday dishes pair perfectly with Cajun turkey breast.

More Scrumptious Baked Cajun Dishes

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