Name: Roast Turkey Breast with Saucy Cranberry Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 110 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 3 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen); 1 cup orange juice; 1 cup apple jelly; 1/2 tsp five spice; 3 tbsp cornstarch; 4 lb turkey breast (with skin); 1 tbsp fresh rosemary (chopped); 1/2 tsp dried thyme; 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste); 1/4 tsp pepper (or to taste); 4 tbsp butter (unsalted); 2 medium onions (chopped)

This Roast Turkey Breast with Saucy Cranberry Sauce is your answer to a stress free holiday and a great alternative to cooking a whole turkey.

overhead of a large pot with 2 roasted turkey breasts sitting in lots of cranberry sauce

Now I know with the holidays coming up that many of you are getting an early start on planning out your spreads. Let me tell you that cooking turkey breast is your answer to stress free holiday cooking.

This recipe is perfect especially if you’re only cooking for a few people, don’t want to cook a whole turkey and end up with tons of leftovers that you have no idea what to do with.

Besides the simplicity of this recipe, I really love this cranberry sauce, it’s sweet but tangy and well the obvious reason is that it pairs magnificently with this turkey breast.

As far as the turkey breast goes, I’d recommend going with a breast with the skin on for a bit more flavor but skinless works just as well, not to mention it will be a bit healthier. You’ll need about 4 lb of turkey breast, mine came in two pieces, but sometimes you can find a whole piece and it may have the bone in too, which is fine.

2 turkey breasts topped with herbs sitting on fresh cranberries in a large pot

Ingredients

Turkey – We want to use just the breast today so no need to buy the whole turkey! Be sure to buy it with the skin on.
Cranberries – Fresh or frozen either works just perfectly for this recipe!
Apple jelly – To add some nice and simple sweetness and texture to our cranberry sauce.
Orange – Just the juice today, this will add some acidity and brightness to our sauce.
Spices – We’re just using all spice today, its full of some really great depth of flavor and complexity that will round out our sauce nicely.
Cornstarch – This will thicken our sauce up nicely without adding any flavor to our sauce.
Herbs – Chopped fresh rosemary and dried thyme.
Butter – Unsalted, to brown our turkey in.
Onions – White or yellow onions, something that cooks down well.
Seasoning – Salt and pepper to taste.

2 turkey breasts on a platter with cranberry sauce, roasted potatoes, and fresh rosemary

How To Make Roast Turkey Breast with Saucy Cranberry Sauce

Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
Prep the sauce: 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.
Prep the turkey: Season the turkey breast with the rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper generously.
Brown the turkey: 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.
Saute the sauteables: 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.
Create the sauce: 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.
Finish the dish: Place the roasting pan in the oven and bake for about 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature of the turkey breast is at 165 F degrees. Remove the roasting pan from the oven, cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing the turkey.

Looking To Make Your Turkey Extra Special?

You’re accomplishing two very important things when you create a brine for your turkey. Since it’s a very lean type of meat, especially the breast, this will help it plump up and get extra juicy. No more dry bites of turkey!

You’re also getting flavors deep into the actual meat rather than just having them sit on top. If this all sounds very appealing to you then I definitely recommend you check out my Brined Turkey Breast recipe, all that juicy meat will pair perfectly with our tart cranberry sauce.

No Food Processor?

No problem! 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.

overhead of a plate and cutlery decorated with sprigs of rosemary and fresh cranberries

Slow Cooker Option

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.

How to Serve

This wonderful recipe will go well with any of your favorite sides! You can try some potato wedges like you see in the photos, or you can check some of these recipes out:

overhead of a plate full of sliced turkey, roasted potatoes, and cranberry sauce decorated with rosemary sprigs and fresh cranberries

Leftovers

Fridge

Store your turkey in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can reheat it in the microwave or sliced up on the stovetop. Use a skillet over medium heat. I like to reheat it using a bit of the gravy so that it doesn’t dry out.

Freezer

Your turkey will last 2-3 months in the freezer. I would suggest slicing the turkey and freezing it for an hour on a baking sheet covered with plastic wrap. Transfer the pieces to a large freezer bag or an airtight container. With this method, you can grab a few slices when you need them without everything sticking together. Thaw either in the microwave or at room temperature for 1-2 hours.

Sauce

Cranberry sauce when stored properly can last up to 2 weeks in the fridge, which is why this is perfect for making ahead.

Roast Turkey Breast with Saucy Cranberry Sauce