Flavorful Roasted Turkey Breast with Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries is the perfect Thanksgiving dinner recipe for a small gathering. Not only does this amazing dish make a beautiful presentation and feed four, but it is made in one skillet and cooks in under an hour.
Yes, you read that right! This cozy Thanksgiving dinner recipe features a pan-seared, split bone-in, skin-on turkey breast topped with a herb and lemon zest rub, sweet potatoes, and tart mouth-watering, juicy cranberries. Everything is oven-roasted in a delicious wine sauce that takes just under an hour!
Sound too good to be true? Well, believe it!
Why you will love this recipe:
- This is the low-stress, easy, and best of all, delicious and healthy-ish Thanksgiving meal you have been dreaming about.
- No more wrestling with a large turkey and lots of side dishes, and then dealing with all the leftovers and, worse, the clean-up.
- You will be in and out of the kitchen in an hour and with only one pan to wash!
Here’s what you will need:
- Split turkey breast: is one-half of a whole turkey breast and is split lengthwise at the breastbone. It’s ideal for smaller gatherings. A two to three-pound, bone-in, skin-on breast works best in this recipe and stays moist and juicy. Because it is smaller in size, it’s easy to brine overnight without taking over your refrigerator.
- Sweet potatoes: are highly nutritious, and because of their sweet taste, are often called nature’s candy. Their beautiful orange color is a nice contrast to the turkey and cranberries. You can substitute white potatoes if you like.
- Cranberries: I am obsessed with these tasty, ruby-red balls of tart deliciousness and add them to everything I can, especially this time of year. I also stock up on them when they are in season and stash as many bags as I can in my freezer to use throughout the year.
- Herbs and citrus: fresh thyme and rosemary, and lemon zest come together to create a wonderful, fragrant rub that seasons the turkey breast with the most wonderful citrusy flavor.
- White wine: cooking the turkey and sweet potatoes in white wine adds another flavor dimension and keeps everything moist. I used sauvignon blanc, but you can use chardonnay or any white wine you like. If you prefer not to use wine, you can substitute chicken stock.
- Miscellaneous: olive oil, garlic, kosher salt, ground black pepper, brown sugar, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar round out the ingredients list and add fabulous flavor to the dish.
How to make it:
- Optional: brine your turkey breast.
- When ready to cook, gather and prep your ingredients and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix two tablespoons of olive oil with thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, and garlic.
- If you brined your turkey, rinse off the brine and drain it well. Use a paper towel to pat dry. Then, season both sides with salt and pepper and top with the herb and lemon zest mixture.
- Heat a large (12-inch) oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the turkey breast, skin side down. Pan-sear it for five minutes, turn over and cook for five more minutes. Remove the breast from the skillet and set aside.
- Add butter and the sweet potatoes to the skillet and cook for five minutes, until they are slightly softened. Then, add the wine and cook for three minutes.
- Add the cranberries, lemon juice, brown sugar, and balsamic sugar to a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Nestle the turkey breast in the pan with the sweet potatoes.
- Spoon the cranberry mixture over the potatoes.
- Place the skillet in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, or until an instant-read meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F. when inserted into the thickest part of the breast.
- When the turkey is done, remove the skillet from the oven, cover it loosely with foil, and let it rest for at least ten minutes before you slice it.
Serve immediately!
Frequently asked questions:
How long to thaw?
Most often, split turkey breasts are found fresh at the grocery store and are not frozen. If yours is frozen, depending on the size, it will take approximately 24 to 36 hours to thaw in the refrigerator (not at room temperature).
How to brine a turkey breast?
I think brining the breast before cooking it makes it extra juicy and gives it great flavor. To brine it, add one-half cup each of kosher salt and granulated sugar to a gallon of water. Stir until everything is dissolved. Submerge the breast in the water, cover, and refrigerate a minimum of eight hours up to 24 hours.
How to tell when it’s done?
The USDA recommends that the internal temperature of turkey breast reach at least 165
What to serve it with?
This one-skillet meal is self-contained, and I usually serve it as is. For a special occasion like Thanksgiving, you might want to add a side dish or two, such as my Southern Sweet Onion Casserole, Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing, Baked Pineapple Casserole, or Ultimate Broccoli Cheese Casserole.
Sharon’s tips:
The cooking time listed in this recipe is for a three-pound bone-in turkey breast. If your breast is larger or smaller, it will take more or less time to cook. It’s important to use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. Overcooking is the single biggest cause of dry and tough meat.
If you are not a fan of white meat, feel free to substitute a bone-in, skin-on turkey thigh. You can also substitute chicken breasts in this recipe, but be sure to adjust the cooking time.
This recipe isn’t just for Thanksgiving; it would also be great served for Easter or Christmas, or any other special occasion.
Related recipes:
There is no doubt about it; Thanksgiving is a food lovers’ holiday. If you are looking for another option for a smaller gathering this year, check out my popular Turkey Cutlets with Gravy and Cornbread Dressing recipe. Also, you might like these roundups for more quick and easy recipes:
- 42 Best Savory Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes
- 35 of the Best and Easiest Sweet Potatoe Recipes
- 22 No-Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes
- 25 Best Thanksgiving Dressing and Stuffing Recipes
- 40 Best Desserts for Thanksgiving
- 50 Best Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
- 27 Best Thanksgiving Leftover Recipes and Menu Ideas
And, in the event you need even more recipes and menu ideas, you can check out all of my Thanksgiving recipes by clicking on the link.
★ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
📋 Recipe:
Roasted Turkey Breast with Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds split turkey breast bone-in, skin-on
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 sweet potatoes large, peeled, and cut into cubes
- 1 cup white wine can substitute chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Optional: brine your turkey breast.
- Gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, mix two tablespoons of olive oil with thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, and garlic.
- If you brined your turkey, rinse off the brine and drain it well. Use a paper towel to pat dry. Then, season both sides with salt and pepper and top with the herb and lemon zest mixture.
- Heat a large (12-inch) oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the turkey breast, skin side down. Pan-sear it for five minutes, turn over and cook for five more minutes. Remove the breast from the skillet and set aside.
- Add butter and the sweet potatoes to the skillet and cook for five minutes, until they are slightly softened. Then, add the wine and cook for three minutes.
- Add the cranberries, lemon juice, brown sugar, and balsamic sugar to a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Nestle the turkey breast in the pan with the sweet potatoes and spoon the cranberry mixture over the potatoes.
- Place the skillet in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, or until an instant-read meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F. when inserted into the thickest part of the breast.
- When the turkey is done, remove the skillet from the oven, cover it loosely with foil, and let it rest for at least ten minutes before you slice the meat.
Notes
How long to thaw?
Most often, split turkey breasts are found fresh at the grocery store and are not frozen. If yours is frozen, depending on the size, it will take approximately 24 to 36 hours to thaw in the refrigerator (not at room temperature).How to brine a turkey breast?
I think brining the breast before cooking it makes it extra juicy and gives it great flavor. To brine it, add one-half cup each of kosher salt and granulated sugar to a gallon of water. Stir until everything is dissolved. Submerge the breast in the water, cover, and refrigerate a minimum of eight hours up to 24 hours.How to tell when it's done?
The USDA recommends that the internal temperature of turkey breast reach at least 165°F. Be sure to use an instant-read meat thermometer and stick it in the meat's thickest part, not touching the bone. Remove your turkey breast from the oven when it reaches 160 degrees. The breast will continue to cook while it rests and will come up to 165 degrees.What to serve it with?
This one-skillet meal is self-contained, and I usually serve it as is. For a special occasion like Thanksgiving, you might want to add a side dish or too, such as my Southern Sweet Onion Casserole, Traditional Southern Cornbread Dressing, Baked Pineapple Casserole, or Ultimate Broccoli Cheese Casserole.Notes:
The cooking time listed in this recipe is for a three-pound bone-in turkey breast. If your breast is larger or smaller, it will take more or less time to cook. It's important to use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. Overcooking is the single biggest cause of dry and tough meat. If you are not a fan of white meat, feel free to substitute a bone-in, skin-on turkey thigh. You can also substitute chicken breasts in this recipe, but be sure to adjust the cooking time. This recipe isn't just for Thanksgiving; it would also be great served for Easter or Christmas, or any other special occasion.Nutrition
Can you make this using canned cranberries? I don’t have fresh …
I don’t think I have ever seen canned cranberries so I can’t say for sure. If they are just canned in some type of liquid, I think if you rinse and drain them, that might work. If they are in a sauce or already made into cranberry sauce, probably not. If already in a sauce, I would probably just serve them on the side. If you do that I would still add the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar mixture to the sweet potatoes.
Good luck and let me know how it turns out. Happy Thanksgiving!
This looks fabulous! my hubby and I are spending Thanksgiving by ourselves this year! I may try it out then! Thanks for the recipe!