Description
A succulent boneless turkey breast brined with aromatic spices and roasted to perfection, then glazed with a vibrant cranberry sauce that balances sweet and tangy flavors for a festive 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 4 cups of cold water, then refrigerate to cool to room temperature.
- Brine the turkey: Remove packaging from turkey breast and place it in a brining bag inside a large bowl or roasting pan. Add ginger, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, white wine, and orange juice. Pour cooled brine over turkey, seal the bag ensuring the turkey is fully covered, and refrigerate overnight or up to 12 hours.
- Prepare the turkey for roasting: Remove turkey from brine, rinse under cold water, and pat dry. Preheat oven to 375°F. Rub turkey with olive oil then evenly apply the spice rub. If turkey breast separates, tie pieces together with kitchen twine. Place skin side up on rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan.
- Roast the turkey: Roast for 1 hour or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from oven and brush cranberry glaze over the turkey. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
- Make the cranberry glaze: While turkey roasts, combine all glaze ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst (10-15 minutes). Reduce heat to low and cook another 5 minutes. Strain mixture through a mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing solids to extract liquid. Reserve solid cranberries to serve alongside or atop the turkey.
Notes
- You can use bone-in turkey breast; add 10-15 minutes to roasting time as it cooks slower.
- Removing skin before cooking is possible, but skin adds flavor and retains the spice rub.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container; they keep up to 7 days refrigerated.
- Serving size is approximately ½ pound of turkey per person; recipe serves 8 people with a 4-pound boneless breast.
- Tie turkey breast pieces together with kitchen twine if they separate during preparation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
