Description
This Cranberry Glazed Turkey Breast recipe features a flavorful brined and spiced turkey breast roasted to perfection and topped with a tangy, sweet cranberry glaze. Perfect for holiday dinners or special occasions, this dish balances savory and fruity elements for a delicious main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Brine
- 8 cups cold water, divided
- 4 ounces kosher salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 4 pound boneless turkey breast
- 2 tbsp ginger
- 1 tbsp peppercorns
- 4 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup orange juice
Rub
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp thyme
Cranberry Glaze
- 12 oz cranberries
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 tsp orange zest
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup orange liqueur
Instructions
- Prepare the brine: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan on the stove. Add kosher salt and brown sugar, whisking until dissolved. Add remaining 4 cups cold water. Chill brine in the refrigerator until it reaches room temperature, at least 30 minutes.
- Brine the turkey: Remove turkey breast packaging and netting. Place turkey in a brining bag inside a large bowl or roasting pan. Add ginger, peppercorns, bay leaves, fresh thyme, white wine, and orange juice. Pour cooled brine over the turkey. Seal the bag ensuring turkey is fully submerged. Refrigerate overnight or up to 12 hours.
- Dry and prep the turkey: After brining, remove turkey from liquid, rinse under cold water, and pat dry thoroughly. Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Apply rub and roast: Rub olive oil all over turkey breast. Combine paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne, ground cloves, oregano, and thyme in a bowl. Rub spice mixture evenly over the turkey. If the breast is in two pieces, tie with kitchen twine. Place turkey skin side up on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Make cranberry glaze: While turkey roasts, add cranberries, fresh grated ginger, orange zest, honey, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, orange juice, water, and orange liqueur to a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook until cranberries burst, about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 more minutes. Strain mixture through a mesh strainer pressing solids to extract glaze. Set glaze aside and keep solid cranberry mixture for serving.
- Glaze and rest turkey: Remove cooked turkey from oven. Cut off kitchen twine if used. Brush cranberry glaze evenly over the turkey. Let turkey rest 10-15 minutes before slicing to retain juices.
- Serve: Slice turkey and serve with remaining cranberry solids on the side or spread on top.
Notes
- You can use bone-in turkey breast but increase roasting time by 10-15 minutes.
- Skin can be removed before cooking if desired, but not after roasting to preserve flavor from spice rub.
- Store leftover turkey in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days for best flavor.
- This recipe yields 8 servings based on ½ pound turkey per person using a 4 pound boneless turkey breast.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
