Homemade Turkey Recipe

Preheat and season

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. Rub olive oil evenly over the skin. In a small bowl mix kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried thyme; sprinkle and rub the seasoning evenly over the turkey breast, including under the skin where possible.

Roast

Place the turkey breast skin-side up in a roasting pan or baking dish. Pour 1 cup low-sodium broth into the pan (not over the skin) to keep the meat moist. Cover loosely with foil and roast in the preheated oven. Roast until the internal temperature at the thickest part reaches 155–160°F (68–71°C), about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes for a 3 lb breast. Start checking temperature at 1 hour.

Rest

Remove the turkey from the oven, tent with foil, and let rest 20 minutes. During resting the internal temperature will rise to about 165°F (74°C) and juices will redistribute.

Hand-pull

After resting, remove and discard skin (optional). Use two forks or your hands (wear gloves) to pull the meat into shreds along the grain into bite-sized pulled pieces. Reserve any pan juices — skim fat and spoon a tablespoon or two over the pulled turkey to keep it moist, if desired.

Prepare produce

Slice tomatoes into 1/4-inch rounds (about 6–8 slices per tomato depending on size). Thinly slice the red onion into rings. Season tomato and onion lightly with 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp black pepper and optional 1/2 tsp lemon juice; set aside for 5 minutes to macerate.

Toast rolls

Halve the sandwich rolls. Heat a skillet over medium heat with 1 tsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter (or use an oven broiler). Toast cut sides of rolls until golden and slightly crisp, about 1–2 minutes per side in skillet (or 1–2 minutes under broiler).

Assemble sandwiches

Spread approximately 3 tbsp mayonnaise on the cut side of each roll (adjust to taste). On the bottom half place a generous portion of warm pulled turkey (about 6 oz or roughly 3/4–1 cup per sandwich). Top the turkey with two slices of provolone cheese per sandwich (so 2 slices on each). Add 2 leaves of lettuce, 2–3 tomato slices, and a few rings of red onion. Add a small pinch of salt and pepper to taste if desired. Place the top roll and press gently.

Optional melt

If you prefer the cheese melted, after assembling without the top roll place open-faced sandwiches under a broiler or in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 2–4 minutes until the provolone softens/melts, then add the top roll.

Serve

Cut sandwiches in half if desired and serve immediately while turkey is warm. Offer extra mayonnaise or pan jus on the side.

Any reserved pan juices can be reduced in a small skillet over medium heat 2–3 minutes and spooned over the pulled turkey in the sandwich for extra moisture and flavor. Use butter and oil only for toasting rolls as directed above.