If you’re looking for a holiday turkey but prefer not to tackle a whole turkey, try this Cranberry Glazed Turkey Breast recipe!
This turkey with cranberry sauce recipe turns out moist and tender, and perfectly balanced with a slightly sweet and tart cranberry glaze. I guarantee this will be the star at your table as it pairs well with any festive side, can be made in advance, and keeps well.
The key to the turkey turning out super crispy but juicy on the inside is cooking it a high temperature for the first few minutes which helps crisp up the skin and then lowering the heat for the remainder of the cook time.
Though this turkey recipe is great, if you prefer an option without the cranberry glaze, this Oven Roasted Turkey Breast is a great alternative.
Prepping the Turkey
- Turkey breast: I used 2 boneless breasts to make this recipe but you can use bone in if you want. Note that bone-in breasts may need longer to cook.
- Butter: Room temperature butter helps create the cranberry glaze.
- Rosemary: Use finely chopped, fresh rosemary to coat the turkey. Dried rosemary will also work if that’s all you’ve got.
Roasting the Turkey
- Combine butter, chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Spread the herb butter mixture onto the turkey breasts using a pastry brush or your hands, covering the surface evenly, and then transfer the turkey to a baking dish.
- Roast turkey at 450F degrees for the first 15 minutes and then turn the temperature to 350F degrees. Use a kitchen thermometer, for safety and doneness, to confirm the internal temperature is 165F degrees.
Cranberry Glaze for Turkey
- Cranberries: You can use fresh or frozen cranberries. If using frozen, no need to thaw.
- Cranberry juice: Any type of cranberry juice will work; fresh or shelf stable.
- Honey: I like my cranberry sauce mildly tart but you can adjust the amount of honey you add based on your sweetness preference.
- Cornstarch: I added cornstarch to thicken the sauce but you can also use arrowroot.
Stove Top Cranberry Glaze
- Place cranberries, cranberry juice, and honey in a small pot and cook on low heat.
- Combine the cornstarch in water and then stir it into the pot with the cranberries.
- Cook the cranberry sauce on low until it becomes a thick glaze. Note that it will thicken as it cools down.
- Pour cranberry glaze over the turkey, add fresh rosemary, and serve.
FAQs
Yes, you can use bone-in turkey if you prefer. Note that bone-in turkey takes slightly longer to cook. As a general rule you would want to cook a bone-in turkey for approximately 20 minutes per pound, while for boneless turkey breast the recommendation is 15 minutes per pound.
Yes, you can cook this turkey breast in slow cooker or crockpot on low heat for up to 6 hours. See more details in recipe card.
Yes, this cranberry sauce for turkey can also be used as a topping or side for pork recipes and chicken too!
tips and tricks for SUCCESSFUL cooking
If your turkey breast comes in a ball with a netting around it, remove the netting, open up the turkey breast, and tuck in the thinner ends so it’s uniform for cooking and appearance’s sake.
Pat the turkey dry with paper towels to remove any moisture to help crisp up the skin when cooking.
Use a ratio of 1 tbsp of cornstarch/ arrowroot per 1 cup of liquid.
Set the oven timer for 15 minutes when you put the turkey in at the high temperature. This will remind you to lower the temperature in time, which will help prevent you from overcooking the turkey.
Turkey Leftovers
Storage: Uneaten cranberry glazed turkey breast will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
Freezer: Store leftovers in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Make ahead: This recipe for turkey breasts can easily be made a few days ahead of time. Alternatively you can get the glaze ready up to one week before and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Using turkey leftovers: most of us get just as excited for leftover turkey as we do for the big Thanksgiving meal. My favorite way to use leftover turkey is by making this turkey white bean kale soup, turkey chili, turkey fennel stuffed cabbage rolls or this turkey butternut squash skillet.
Want to know what to serve this cranberry glazed turkey breast with?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below 👇🏻 Thank you!
herb butter turkey breast
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Mix room temperature butter, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl, like a paste.
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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)
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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
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Add cranberries, cranberry juice and honey to a small pot and cook on low heat.
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Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tbsp water, then add to the cranberry sauce. This will help thicken the sauce to a glaze. (See notes)
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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).
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When ready to serve, pour cranberry glaze over the turkey. Add fresh rosemary and serve.
Slow Cooker Instructions
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Mix room temperature butter, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl, like a paste.
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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)
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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.
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Top with cranberry glaze for turkey or homemade turkey gravy (see notes below)
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
Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 389mg | Potassium: 508mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 94IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
