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overhead shot of roasted turkey breasts in a pot of cranberries
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4.68 from 37 votes

Roast Turkey Breast with Saucy Cranberry Sauce

This Roast Turkey Breast with Saucy Cranberry Sauce is your answer to stress free holiday and a great alternative to cooking a whole turkey.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 50 minutes
Total Time2 hours
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: roast turkey breast
Servings: 6
Calories: 604kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cranberries fresh or frozen
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup apple jelly
  • ½ teaspoon five spice
  • 3 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 4 pound turkey breast with skin
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper or to taste
  • 4 tablespoon butter unsalted
  • 2 medium onions chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375℉.
  • * In a food processor add 2 cups of the cranberries, orange juice, apple jelly, five spice and cornstarch. Pulse a few times until smooth. Set aside.
  • Season the turkey breast with the rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper generously.
  • In a large skillet melt 2 tbsp of the butter. Add the turkey breast and brown on both sides until golden. Place the turkey in a roasting pan that's big enough for the breast. I used a 5 qt Dutch Oven.
  • In the same skillet melt the remaining 2 tbsp of the butter. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes until it starts to brown and becomes soft and translucent. Season the onion with salt and pepper.
  • Add the cranberry mixture to the skillet and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 1 cup of cranberries.
  • Pour the cranberry sauce around the turkey breast, you can pour over the turkey breast too, but I like the turkey breasts to be nice and golden when done.
  • Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for about 1½ or until the internal temperature of the turkey breast is at 165℉.
  • Remove the roasting pan from the oven, cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing the turkey.

Notes

  1. Crockpot Alternative: Follow all the steps up to and including step 6, but instead of placing the turkey in a roasting pan, place it in a slow cooker and pour the sauce around it. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. Check the internal temperature and make sure it's at 165 F degrees, otherwise cook it longer.
  2. A 9 x 13 roasting pan will also work for this recipe. 
  3. "Five Spice" is a blend of five powdered spices which would typically include cloves, cinnamon, star anise, peppercorns and fennel seed. You can find this already prepared at your local grocery store.
  4. *If you do not have a food processor, just stir everything together in a sauce pan and cook it down for about 5 minutes until the cranberries soften a bit.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 604kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 66g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 184mg | Sodium: 839mg | Potassium: 954mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 410IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 2mg