It doesn't have to be November for you to cook an air fryer turkey breast in the Ninja Foodi Grill.
Most of us love turkey sandwiches but typically don't go through the hassle of cooking an entire turkey. And I get that.
Frankly, it's a lot of work and a lot of meat to cook just for sandwiches.
But lately, supermarkets have been selling just the turkey breast on its own. You don't need to buy a large bird to have freshly cooked turkey at home.
For most people, this makes cooking turkey so much more manageable.
Typically these smaller turkey breasts are found in the freezer section of the meat department.
I've found that they range between 2-5 pounds, and if you keep your eyes open for when they are on sale, they are quite reasonably priced.
One of the benefits of these pre-portioned turkey breasts is that they often come pre-brined in a salt solution. This keeps the turkey meat juicy and moist during the cooking and adds a significant amount of flavor to the meat.
Recipe Ingredients:
- 1- Boneless turkey breast (2.5-3lbs)
- 3 tablespoons poultry rub
Before you cook an air fryer turkey breast in the Ninja Foodi Grill, you want to ensure it has been properly defrosted.
Most turkey breasts are freshly frozen, and the package gives good directions on the best defrosting method before cooking. Cooking times will vary depending on the size. A bone-in turkey breast will also take longer to cook in an air fryer basket than a boneless turkey breast. All meat is different, and your cook time will likely vary. So be sure to use a meat thermometer like an instant-read thermometer to monitor doneness, and the meat has reached an internal temperature that's safe for eating (165F + ).
If the packaging doesn't give defrosting suggestions, I recommend allowing it to defrost for a full 48 hours in the refrigerator.
Place the turkey breast on a wire rack over a sheet pan that will fit in your refrigerator. This will allow juices that can sometimes seep out to get caught in the pan and not make a mess in your refrigerator.
How to make a turkey breast in the air fryer
I'll let you in on a little secret here. Making a turkey breast in the air fryer is incredibly simple.
- Remove turkey breast from the packaging
- Wash the turkey and pat dry with paper towels
- Allow the turkey breast to sit at room temperature for an hour
- Season well on all sides with poultry rub
- Preheat the air fryer to 350F
- Place turkey breast in air fryer skin side up to start
- Cook the turkey breast in the air fryer flipping every 15 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F
- Allow the turkey breast to rest covered in foil on a plate for 10 minutes
- Slice and serve
Expert Tips
- A frozen turkey beast can be placed in a refrigerator to thaw 2-3 days ahead of time but is typically ready for cooking from frozen after 12 - 15 hours in the refrigerator.
- For a nice change from the poultry seasoning, consider experimenting with other flavors like cajun rub, BBQ seasoning, and curry powder. Make your own seasoning with fresh herbs, garlic powder, olive oil, and onion powder, and it will taste like Thanksgiving dinner.
- Allowing the turkey breast to sit at room temperature for an hour before cooking will allow the meat to cook more evenly, resulting in a much juicier turkey breast from the air fryer.
- If slicing for sandwiches, allowing the meat to rest for up to 45 minutes on a plate will make it simpler to slice.
Storage instructions
Turkey breast cooked in the air fryer can be kept in your refrigerator for up to three days. Be sure to have the cooked turkey in a sealed container or ziplock bag to prevent the meat from picking up any odd flavors. You can also cut the turkey into chunks and freeze it for soups or a stew. Frozen turkey will keep for up to a month when well sealed.
What to serve with this recipe?
It's hard not to want to serve turkey with both corn and potato. For a nice change of pace, check out this air fryer twice-baked potato recipe and my spin on jalapeno bacon corn.
Time is subjective when it comes to safely cooking turkey or any poultry as different variables can cause the meat to cook at different speeds. This is why I always recommend using a thermometer to check the food's doneness.
Either a simple instant-read thermometer or a leave-in digital probe thermometer will allow you to monitor the food's temperature. Turkey breast should be cooked to a minimum of 165F internally.
If you need to budget how much time the cook should take, a safe bet is for the meat to take about 15-20 minutes per pound when fully defrosted.
Yes! You can most definitely use bone-in turkey breast for this air fryer recipe. The most important thing to consider when using bone-in turkey breast is that the meat must fit inside your air fryer without blocking any of the airflow. As long as the meat fits inside of your cooker it's not going to be a problem.
Be sure that when you insert a thermometer it gets close to the bone in the thickest part of the meat but does not actually touch the bone which will give you an inaccurate reading.
If you've tried this recipe and enjoy it, I'm sure you will love this Moscow Mule brined pork chop. Give it a shot and leave a comment about how everyone loved it as much as we do!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Turkey Breast Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 2.5 Frozen Turkey Breast
- 3 Tablespoons Poultry Rub
Instructions
- Defrost the turkey breast based on the manufacturer's instructions or follow the suggestions in this article
- Allow the turkey to rest at room temperature for one hour
- Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels
- Season the turkey breast with your favorite turkey seasoning
- Preheat your Ninja Foodi Grill to 325F on the bake setting
- Bake at 350F flipping every 15 minutes for 75 minutes
- Roast the turkey breast skin side up at 375F for 15 minutes or until the skin of the turkey breast is browned to your liking
- Allow the meat to rest loosely tented with foil for 15 minutes before slicing
If turkey's not your thing, maybe you would like cooking low-carb chicken wings or even burgers in the Ninja Foodi Grill better?
If you're looking for other inspiring recipes to cook in the Ninja Foodi Grill, some of our favorites are listed in this post with plenty of ideas about what you should be cooking next.
We've also compiled a list of the best accessories for the Ninja Foodi Grill that we own and use on a regular basis you may find interesting.
I’m going to fix this for Easter. It looks really good!
Question: why do you preheat
At 325 and then bake at 350.
I am a new user of my grill.
As long as you are cooking to a safe internal temperature, 325 or 350 should yield similar results. Good luck!
This appears to be recipe for a bone-in Turkey breast, is that correct? I’ve seen several for boneless Turkey breast in the Ninja but I’m looking for bone-in.
You are correct. This is for boneless. However- the technique is the same. Most importantly make sure your meat fits inside the Ninja Foodi. Be sure to use a thermometer and that it's in the thickest part of the meat but not touching the bone. Otherwise, it's about the same provided you cook to internal temperature. Hope this helps
I'm new to my foodi grill I've only air fried and used the grill setting so far but I just bought a boneless turkey breast I have it thawing now in the fridge and I'm definitely going to use your recipe and directions tomorrow I hope it turns out great..ill be back to leave a reply once its done..thank you so far
I hope it turns out wonderful Meg! Good luck-
Do you place the breast straight into the pan, or put it in the basket?
It would depend on the size of the meat. I always try to use the basket whenever possible. Regardless when cooking like this you should flip at least once if possible. Let us know how it works out -
Could you also use the thermometer mode to gauge for doneness?
Hey Jean- you absolutely can use the thermometer to gauge doneness!
A thermometer is the only real way to know if food is cooked properly and with this recipe it could be the difference between perfectly cooked and juicy or an undesirable result.