Smoky Roast Turkey Breast

Here’s my general rule of thumb in regards to reading labels:

If I find myself saying “what is that?” while going through the list of ingredients on a label, I don’t want to eat it. Shouldn’t we know what all of the ingredients are without having to research them?

For example: turkey breast, in my humble opinion should consist of:

1. turkey
2. spices (maybe)
3. salt

We know what all of the ingredients above are, right? No problem.

So why is it that I can’t seem to find a package of turkey breast without CARRAGEENAN? What is that? More importantly, why is it in everything? Sure it’s “from seaweed” which makes it sound harmless enough, but it’s not. (Sorry)

This above rant is exactly why most of the food I buy doesn’t have labels at all. It’s the basis of my food philosophy.  But don’t get me wrong, I get really excited when I find things that have labels but are minimally processed and have just a few real ingredients.

I have yet to find turkey breast that fits the above description. Hence this blog post. But don’t fret. The following recipe couldn’t be simpler to make, and the result is way tastier than anything you’ll find within a resealable plastic package.

This turkey recipe is a great multitasker; It’s great to keep in the fridge for an easy snack or as part of a delicious lunch, like these turkey B.L.A.T. boats. It can even step in for the holiday turkey if you’re cooking for two, or if you’re craving Thanksgiving dinner in March.

The smoky rub gives this turkey a nice smoked, slightly spicy flavor. If you prefer a simpler version, just skip the rub and give it a good pinch of salt. You can add dried herbs such as rosemary and thyme too, if you’d like.

Smoky Roast Turkey Breast 

1 small tied turkey breast (1-1.5 pounds is perfect)
1 tablespoon smoky rub *
1 lemon or small orange, sliced

* Smoky Rub:
1 Tablespoon each paprika, sea salt, coconut palm sugar (feel free to skip the sugar if doing a sugar detox or Whole30)
1 teaspoon each cumin, corainder
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle

• Rub the smoky rub all over the turkey breast and allow to come to room temperature, about 1-2 hours. (you can also let it sit overnight in the fridge for more flavor, if you’d like)
• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Place the turkey and the orange or lemon slices in a baking dish and roast until it’s cooked through and reaches 165° on a meat thermometer. My roast was 1.3 pounds and took about 45 minutes. If it’s smaller than that, check it after 30 minutes, and then every 10 minutes after that.
• Allow to cool, and slice as needed.
• Store tightly wrapped in the fridge.

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