Description
This Cranberry Glazed Turkey Breast recipe features a flavorful brine, a well-seasoned spice rub, and a tangy cranberry glaze that perfectly complements the roasted turkey. Ideal for festive dinners, this dish yields tender, juicy turkey breast with a vibrant, sweet-tart glaze and aromatic spices.
Ingredients
Scale
Brine
- 8 cups cold water, divided
- 4 ounces kosher salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ginger
- 1 tbsp peppercorns
- 4 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup orange juice
Turkey
- 4 pound boneless turkey breast
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 over medium heat. Add kosher salt and brown sugar, whisking until fully dissolved. Remove from heat and add the remaining 4 cups cold water. Let cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes until it reaches room temperature.
- Brine the Turkey: Remove turkey breast from packaging and place inside a brining bag in a large bowl or roasting pan. Add ginger, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, white wine, and orange juice. Pour the cooled brine over the turkey, ensuring it is fully submerged. Seal the bag and refrigerate overnight or up to 12 hours.
- Prepare the Turkey: Remove the turkey from brine, rinse under cold water, and pat dry thoroughly. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Rub the turkey breast all over with olive oil.
- Apply the Spice Rub: In a small bowl, combine paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, ground cloves, oregano, and thyme. Rub the spice mixture over the turkey breast evenly. If the breast comes in two pieces, tie them back together with kitchen twine. Place the turkey, skin side up, on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan.
- Roast the Turkey: Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165°F. Remove the twine after cooking.
- Make the Cranberry Glaze: While the turkey roasts, combine cranberries, grated ginger, orange zest, honey, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, orange juice, water, and orange liqueur in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries burst, about 10-15 minutes. Lower heat to low and simmer an additional 5 minutes.
- Strain the Glaze: Pour the cranberry mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing solids with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Set aside the glaze and separately reserve the solids to serve on the side or spread on the turkey.
- Glaze the Turkey: Brush the cranberry glaze evenly over the roasted turkey breast. Let the turkey rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Bone-in turkey breast can be used, but will require an additional 10-15 minutes of roasting time.
- You can remove the skin before cooking if preferred, but it helps keep the meat juicy and retains the spice rub flavor.
- Store leftover turkey in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- This recipe uses a 4 pound boneless turkey breast to serve 8 people, assuming ½ pound per person.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
