Homemade Turkey Deli Meat

Easy, Affordable, & So Much Better Than Store-Bought

Clean ingredients, incredible flavor, and perfect for weekly meal prep

If you’ve ever stood in the deli aisle staring at $12–$14 per pound turkey and thought, “There has to be a better way…” — there is. And it’s surprisingly simple.

This homemade turkey deli meat is made with one turkey breast, a flavorful compound butter, and real pantry spices. No preservatives, no fillers, no mystery ingredients. Just juicy, tender turkey that slices beautifully for sandwiches, wraps, salads, and snack plates.

Once you make this at home, it’s hard to justify buying deli meat again — especially when it costs less than half the price and tastes so much better.

Why You’ll Love Making Deli Turkey at Home

• Simple, natural ingredients

• No preservatives or additives

• Perfect for meal prep

• Customizable seasoning

• Delicious warm or cold

• Slices beautifully like true deli meat

Cost Comparison: Store vs. Homemade

• Store-bought deli turkey: $10–$14 per pound

• Homemade turkey deli meat: ~$3–$5 per pound

And with the homemade version, you’re getting real butter, real spices, and real protein — not fillers or excess sodium.

Ingredients

Compound Butter

• 1 stick salted butter, softened

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 2 teaspoons paprika

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon garlic salt

• ½ teaspoon Lawry’s seasoning salt

• ½ teaspoon dried oregano

• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin

• ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper

✨ Feel free to adjust, add, or leave out any seasonings you prefer. This recipe is very forgiving and customizable.

Turkey

• 1 turkey breast, skin removed

• ½–1 cup liquid (water, chicken broth, or turkey broth)

Additional Seasoning (Before Baking)

• ½ teaspoon paprika

• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt

• Freshly cracked black pepper

How to Make Homemade Turkey Deli Meat

1. Prep the turkey

Remove the skin from the turkey breast and pat it completely dry with paper towels. This helps the butter stick and ensures even roasting.

2. Make the compound butter

In a bowl, mix together the softened butter, Dijon mustard, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, garlic salt, honey, Lawry’s seasoning salt, dried oregano, cumin, and black pepper.

Taste it — it should be well-seasoned and flavorful.

3. Butter the turkey

Generously rub the compound butter over the entire turkey breast, coating all sides.

This butter is the secret to juicy, flavorful meat.

4. Wrap & rest (optional but recommended)

Wrap the buttered turkey breast tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8–24 hours.

This step deepens the flavor, but if you’re short on time, you can skip it and bake right away.

5. Bring to room temperature

Remove the turkey from the fridge and place it on a roasting pan. Let it sit at room temperature while you preheat the oven to 350°F.

6. Season again before baking

Once the turkey is in the roasting pan, lightly sprinkle the top with:

• Paprika

• Garlic salt

• Freshly cracked black pepper

This adds extra surface flavor and beautiful color as it roasts.

7. Add liquid to the pan

Pour ½–1 cup of water or broth into the bottom of the roasting pan. This keeps the turkey moist and prevents the drippings from burning. If you check the turkey while it is roasting and there is no water or broth left in the pan add some more, this ensures a moist breast.

8. Roast

Bake uncovered at 350°F for 1–2 hours, depending on the size of the turkey breast, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. The breasts at the store near me are 4-5 pounds, they take almost 2 hours to bake. A smaller breast (1-2.5 pounds) will take closer to an hour to reach the desired temperature.

After about 45 minutes, or once the turkey has developed nice color, tent loosely with foil to prevent over-browning.

9. Rest

Remove from the oven and let the turkey rest.

For best deli-style slicing, refrigerate until fully cooled before slicing.

That said… it’s also delicious sliced and served warm.

How to Slice Like Deli Meat

• Chill fully for clean slices

• Use a very sharp knife

• Slice against the grain

• Go slow for thin, even pieces

Why This Method Works

• Skin removal lets seasoning penetrate

• Compound butter locks in moisture

• Optional resting time builds flavor

• Extra surface seasoning boosts taste and color

• Foil tenting prevents dryness

A Staple Worth Making

This homemade turkey deli meat is one of those recipes that quietly makes life easier — healthier lunches, better flavor, and real savings at the grocery store. I hope you try this recipe soon!

Lauren Morgan

The @ Weeknight_Homemaker