Cranberry Turkey Breast

If you're looking for a holiday turkey option but prefer not to tackle a whole turkey, try this Cranberry Glazed Turkey Breast recipe!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 45

Total Time1 55

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cranberry glazed turkey breast, herb butter turkey breast, thanksgiving turkey breast, Turkey Breast

Servings: people

Author: Silvia Dunnirvine

Ingredients

3 1/4 lb turkey breast (2 boneless turkey breasts, 1 3/4 lb each)
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp rosemary finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Cranberry Glaze

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberry
1 cup cranberry juice
2 tbsp honey mildly tart, add more for a sweeter profile
1 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot, for thickening
1 tbsp water

Instructions

herb butter turkey breast

Mix room temperature butter, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl, like a paste.
Use a brush, back of a spoon or your hands to spread the herb butter mixture on the turkey breasts. Be sure to cover all the surface evenly. Transfer turkey to a baking dish. (See notes)
Roast the turkey at an oven temperature of 450F degrees for the first 15 minutes to lock in moisture and give it a golden crust. Then turn the oven temperature to 350F degrees and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Be sure to check the internal temperature using a kitchen thermometer. For safety and doneness, the internal temperature should be 165F degrees.

Cranberry Glaze for Turkey

Add cranberries, cranberry juice and honey to a small pot and cook on low heat.
Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tbsp water, then add to the cranberry sauce. This will help thicken the sauce to a glaze. (See notes)
Cook cranberry sauce on low for about 25 minutes until the sauce becomes a glaze (not too thick, it will thicken more as it cools down).
When ready to serve, pour cranberry glaze over the turkey. Add fresh rosemary and serve.

Slow Cooker Instructions

Mix room temperature butter, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl, like a paste.
Use a brush, back of a spoon or your hands to spread the herb butter mixture on the turkey breasts. Be sure to cover all the surface evenly. Transfer turkey to a the slow cooker. (See notes for slow cooker)
Add up to 1 cup of broth (beef, chicken, turkey) to the bottom of the slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 5-6 hours.
Top with cranberry glaze for turkey or homemade turkey gravy (see notes below)

Notes

The turkey breast will likely come in the shape of a ball with a netting around it. If this is the case, remove the netting and open up the turkey breast. I tucked in the thinner ends so it's uniform for cooking and looks nice.

Before seasoning the turkey be sure to pat it dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. This will help crisp up the skin when cooking.

The recommended amount of cornstarch/ arrowroot is 1 tbsp per 1 cup of liquid.

Slow Cooker Turkey - Add veggies such as onions, carrots, garlic, mushrooms, celery, thyme and sage to the bottom of the slow cooker for a delicious turkey gravy. Note, once the turkey is done, you will need to add the cooked veggies and broth to the blender and process into turkey gravy

Nutrition