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Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast

October 26, 2017 by Edyta 26 Comments

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Edyta
Author at Eating European
Recipe developer, photographer and the writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes
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Latest posts by Edyta (see all)
  • Borscht (Barszcz Czerwony) – Authentic Polish Recipe - December 19, 2022
  • Authentic Polish Pierogi with Potatoes and Cheese (Pierogi Ruskie) - December 8, 2022
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Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don’t want to cook the whole bird.

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don't want to cook the whole bird.

This Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast combines all the familiar, fall flavors. It’s first rubbed with fresh herbs like: sage, thyme and rosemary. Then it’s cooked with apples, cranberries, onions and garlic and glazed with apple cider with honey. Need I say more?

Well….I will say more. This was by far the juiciest turkey that I’ve ever made in an oven. I suspect that the fact it was tied with kitchen twine helped to keep a lot of the moisture in. This specific cut of meat was boneless, but with the skin. You can use this recipe to cook turkey breast on the bone as well, but if you only find a breast without the bone, ask your butcher to tie it for you. It’s a game changer!

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don't want to cook the whole bird.

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don't want to cook the whole bird.

I wanted to create a recipe before the holidays that would be based on part of a turkey, and not the whole bird, as a lot of people want to just cook for a smaller party.

Also, this recipe is so good and easy that you don’t even need a holiday like Thanksgiving to whip it out for. Preparation takes less than 15 minutes, and then it cooks in the oven for about an hour & a 1/2, depending on the size of the breast. So you could even make this Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast for your next Sunday dinner and really tease the upcoming Holidays.

And that’s exactly what I did. My sister-in-law and her boyfriend were flying out of our local airport for vacation and decided to stay with us for the night before, to have easier access to the airport.

So, I made this Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey, with this Dill Mashed Potatoes, for dinner and they absolutely loved it. In fact, they walked into our house and said ‘it smells like Thanksgiving here’. The aroma was incredible, and the taste was even better!

They said that it was so perfectly seasoned and balanced that they couldn’t imagine even adding salt or pepper. I’ll take that testimonial. If you’re looking to pair the bird with something else then I think either this Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes or Sourdough Mushroom Leeks and Bacon Stuffing, would work nicely.

Here’s what you’re going to need for this party:

  • A boneless skin-on turkey breast;
  • Apples (they’re in season now!);
  • Onions;
  • Garlic;
  • Dried cranberries;
  • Fresh rosemary;
  • Fresh sage;
  • Fresh thyme;
  • Dried thyme;
  • Sweet paprika;
  • Granulated mustard seeds;
  • Salt & Pepper;
  • Chicken stock;
  • Extra virgin olive oil;
  • Lemon juice;
  • Apple cider; &
  • Honey

While it may seem like a lot of ingredients, trust me they work so perfectly together that you won’t want to skip out on any of them. And I can bet that most of these ingredients you already have in your pantry.

For those of you who follow me, you’ll know that I usually don’t do step-by-step photos, but this time I really wanted to show you how to make it perfectly. The printable recipe can be found below as well.

  • Peel and quarter your apples

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don't want to cook the whole bird.

  • Quarter the onion and add to the skillet. Cut off the bottom of the garlic and add to the skillet too, along with the herbs.

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don't want to cook the whole bird.

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don't want to cook the whole bird.

  • Season onions and apples with salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Sprinkle on one tablespoon of lemon and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don't want to cook the whole bird.

  • In a bowl combine fresh herbs: sage, rosemary, thyme, mustard seed powder, sweet paprika, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don't want to cook the whole bird.

  • Prepare your turkey breast.

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don't want to cook the whole bird.

  • Rub the paste on the entire breast from both sides and place it on top of the bed of onions and apples.

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don't want to cook the whole bird.

  • Sprinkle on the dried cranberries, and add chicken stock to the skillet.

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don't want to cook the whole bird.

  • Preheat the oven to 450F degrees and roast turkey for 20 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to 325F and roast for approximately another 1hr, or 1hr & 20 mins.
  • Baste the breast with the pan juices every 15-20 minutes.
  • Start checking the temperature the bird after it’s baked in the oven for an hour.
  • When the internal temperature reaches 150-155F baste it with the cider-honey glaze and cook for another 15-20 minutes, until the internal temperate reaches 165F.
  • Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes before carving.

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don't want to cook the whole bird.

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don't want to cook the whole bird.

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don't want to cook the whole bird.

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don't want to cook the whole bird.
4.89 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 413kcal
Author: Edyta

Ingredients

For the roast

  • 2,5 lbs turkey breast up to 3 lbs, boneless, skin-on
  • 2 apples peeled, cored and quartered
  • 1 onion medium, sweet, quartered
  • 3 sage leaves fresh
  • 1 string rosemary fresh
  • 4 strings thyme fresh
  • 1 whole garlic bottom cut off
  • 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon thyme dried
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups chicken stock or more
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

For the rub

  • 2 teaspoon rosemary fresh, chopped
  • 2 teaspoon thyme fresh. chopped
  • 2 teaspoon sage fresh, chopped
  • 2 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 2 teaspoon mustard seeds granulated
  • 2 cloves garlic large, minced
  • 1,5 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
  • juice from half a lemon
  • freshly ground pepper

For the glaze

  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoon apple cider

Instructions

  • Add apples, onions, garlic and whole herbs to the cast iron skillet or baking dish; Add olive oil and lemon juice and season everything with salt, pepper, dried theme;
  • In a bowl combine the rub ingredients: garlic, fresh herbs, paprika, mustard seeds, salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice;
  • Rub the paste on the entire breast from both sides and place it on top of the bed of onions and apples;
  • Add cranberries and one cup of chicken stock. You will be adding chicken stock as the turkey is cooking to ensure that there is enough liquid to baste the breast. You may use between 2-4 cups of chicken stock;
  • Preheat the oven to 450F degrees and roast turkey for 20 minutes;
  • Reduce the heat to 325F and roast for approximately another 1hr, or 1hr & 20 mins;
  • Baste the breast with the pan juices every 15-20 minutes;
  • Start checking the temperature the bird after it's baked in the oven for an hour
  • When the internal temperature reaches 150-155F baste it with the cider-honey glaze and cook for another 15-20 minutes, until the internal temperate reaches 165F;
  • Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 15 minutes before carving.

Nutrition

Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 1282mg | Potassium: 655mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 480IU | Vitamin C: 9.2mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1.9mg
Tried this recipe?Show me @eatingeuropean or tag #eatingeuropean!

 

Fall Harvest Roasted Turkey Breast is a perfect recipe for Thanksgiving if you don't want to cook the whole bird.

Read about the author Edyta here or follow Eating European on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

 

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Filed Under: Dinner, Gluten Free, Healthy, Meat and chicken, Thanksgiving/Holidays

Previous Post: « Dill Mashed Potatoes with Brown Butter
Next Post: Lentils Stuffed Acorn Squash with Apples & Cranberries »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Debi at Life Currents

    October 27, 2017 at 9:54 am

    This will be great for Thanksgiving. We don’t need a whole turkey – too big – so this will be nice.

    Reply
    • Edyta

      October 27, 2017 at 11:55 am

      That’s a great recipe if you don’t want to use the whole turkey 🙂

      Reply
  2. Tina

    October 27, 2017 at 10:04 am

    5 stars
    Sometimes it’s just me and my husband for Thanksgiving, what a great option! I never thought to just cook the breast, oh this would be so much easier:)

    Reply
    • Edyta

      October 27, 2017 at 11:55 am

      It is easy Tina and it really is delicious!

      Reply
  3. Ginny

    October 27, 2017 at 11:02 am

    5 stars
    Love the apples and all the herbs & seasonings. Sounds delicious!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      October 27, 2017 at 11:56 am

      It is super delicious!

      Reply
  4. Jacque

    October 27, 2017 at 11:12 am

    5 stars
    This is making my mouth water! I have saved for this holiday season 🙂

    Reply
    • Edyta

      October 27, 2017 at 11:56 am

      Great! I hope you will like it Jacque!

      Reply
  5. Beth

    October 27, 2017 at 12:12 pm

    5 stars
    That is just a beautiful looking bird! I totally want some of this right this second! Gorgeous!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      October 27, 2017 at 1:03 pm

      Thank you Beth!

      Reply
  6. Sues

    November 1, 2017 at 11:07 pm

    This looks so flavorful and perfect! Great for a small Thanksgiving or just a nice way to enjoy turkey throughout the year 🙂

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 2, 2017 at 9:53 am

      Thanks Sues. Yes, you can enjoy it throughout the year 🙂

      Reply
  7. Vaughn

    November 1, 2017 at 11:34 pm

    5 stars
    gonna try this one with a chicken

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 2, 2017 at 9:52 am

      I’m sure it will work with chicken!

      Reply
  8. Emily

    November 2, 2017 at 4:52 am

    5 stars
    Wow gorgeous photos, they make me want to go and make it right now!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 2, 2017 at 9:51 am

      Thanks Emily!

      Reply
  9. David @ Coo

    November 2, 2017 at 7:21 am

    5 stars
    what a delicious fall meal! Turkey breast is the perfect size for a regular family meal. Need to try this one.

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 2, 2017 at 9:51 am

      Thanks David. It is a perfect size meal 🙂

      Reply
  10. Maria Rose

    November 22, 2017 at 7:34 am

    Turkey looking so delicious. That perfect meal for a small family. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Edyta

      November 23, 2017 at 9:28 am

      Thanks Maria. It is perfect for small family.

      Reply
  11. Aastha Joshi

    August 28, 2018 at 9:02 am

    5 stars
    wow one more amazing recipe very thankful to you for sharing keep sharing I really like your recipe waiting for another amazing one!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      August 28, 2018 at 9:05 am

      Thank you so much Aastha! I really appreciate it.

      Reply
  12. Beverly Stevens

    December 16, 2019 at 4:29 am

    My family made this delicious turkey for Thanksgiving..It was so good . Thank you!!

    Reply
    • Edyta

      December 16, 2019 at 9:30 pm

      Perfect. I’m very happy to hear that.

      Reply
  13. Sharon

    December 17, 2020 at 7:35 pm

    Using Jenny O Boneless Frozen turkey breast. I think the skin has been removed. Will this recipe still work?

    Reply
  14. Sheree

    December 22, 2020 at 10:42 pm

    I bought a bone-in turkey beast before I saw this yummy recipe. Can I use this with a bone-in turkey breast? If so, how would I use the ingredients and cook the turkey breast? I want this Christmas meal to be very special since it is the first Christmas without my dear sweet mother. Please help!

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Edyta. I’m a recipe developer, photographer, and writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes. I consider myself a home chef with a cultivated passion for amazing food.
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Hi, I'm Edyta. I’m a recipe developer, photographer, and writer behind the Eating European food blog of European and Mediterranean healthy and delicious recipes. I consider myself a home chef with a cultivated passion for amazing food.
I’m also a reformed New York State attorney, who practiced for several years only to thereafter decide that this was my real passion. Maybe one day I decided to step back to the courtroom, but in the meantime I’m enjoying spending my time with my kids, my husband, my kitchen and YOU! Read More…

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