A Show-Stopping Cranberry Orange Glazed Turkey Breast for Your Festive Feast

Imagine a stunning festive centrepiece, brimming with flavour, that doesn’t involve the usual stress or demand all of your oven space. What if you could achieve a beautifully moist and tender turkey with crisp, golden skin, all enveloped in a sublime sweet and tangy glaze? You’re in the perfect place. Our Cranberry Orange Glazed Turkey Breast is designed to make your festive meal truly memorable.

We feel that a special celebration deserves a remarkable meal, but that shouldn’t mean spending the whole day feeling overwhelmed in the kitchen. This recipe centres on a turkey breast, which not only cooks significantly faster than a whole bird but is also simpler to carve and ensures succulent results every single time. The real star, however, is the dazzling glaze—a delightful fusion of tart cranberries, zesty orange, and a whisper of warm spice that beautifully enhances the turkey’s rich flavour. It has become one of our most beloved Christmas dinner ideas for very good reason!

Come along with us as we walk you through each straightforward step, from prepping the turkey to get that perfectly crisp skin, to simmering the most fragrant glaze you have ever experienced. Prepare to wow your loved ones with a dish that is as magnificent to behold as it is to eat.

Why You’ll Adore This Recipe

• Guaranteed to be Succulent and Juicy: Say goodbye to dry turkey! By concentrating on the breast and employing our straightforward roasting technique, we make sure the meat remains exceptionally moist and tender from the very first slice to the last.
• Packed with Festive Flavours: The pairing of cranberry and orange truly captures the essence of the festive season. Our glaze is a perfect balance of sweet, tart, and aromatic notes, creating a wonderful sticky coating that is sure to be a hit with everyone.
• Less Hassle Than a Whole Bird: This recipe is perfect for more intimate gatherings or for anyone wishing to sidestep the complexities of a large turkey. It cooks in a much shorter time and is incredibly easy to carve.
• An Absolutely Gorgeous Centrepiece: The rich, ruby-red glaze gives the turkey a beautiful, glossy sheen, transforming it into a truly impressive main course for any dining table.
• Simple to Make, Impressive to Serve: With easy-to-follow instructions and common ingredients, this recipe offers a gourmet-quality experience without any complicated cooking methods.

Ingredients

• 2 kg boneless, skin-on turkey breast joint (or crown)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1.5 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 large orange, halved
• A few sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme
• 300g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 120ml freshly squeezed orange juice (from 1-2 oranges)
• Zest of 1 large orange
• 100g soft brown sugar or maple syrup
• 60ml water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• A pinch of ground cloves (optional)

How to Make Our Perfect Cranberry Orange Turkey

Putting together this magnificent dish is surprisingly straightforward. We have organised the process into simple, clear stages to guide you towards a perfect result. Follow our lead, and you’ll soon be presenting a culinary masterpiece.

Step 1: Preparing the Turkey Breast

The journey to wonderfully crisp skin begins with preparing the turkey correctly. To start, remove the turkey breast from the refrigerator around an hour before you intend to cook. Bringing it to room temperature helps it cook through much more evenly.

1. Begin by setting your oven to preheat at 180°C (160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4).
2. Take the turkey breast out of its packaging and pat it thoroughly dry on all sides with paper towels. This step is vital for achieving that desirable golden, crispy skin.
3. Arrange the quartered onion, orange halves, and fresh herb sprigs in the base of your roasting tin. These will act as a natural trivet, elevating the turkey to allow for even cooking and infusing the meat with a beautiful aroma.

Step 2: Making the Aromatic Herb Rub

Before the glaze makes its appearance, we must season the turkey itself. This uncomplicated rub creates the first delicious layer of savoury taste.

1. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, dried thyme, crushed rosemary, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper, mixing them into a paste.
2. Carefully lift the skin of the turkey breast where you can and spread some of the seasoning paste directly onto the meat underneath.
3. Rub the rest of the paste all over the skin, making sure the entire breast is coated evenly.
4. Set the seasoned turkey breast down on top of the onions and orange in the roasting tin.

Step 3: Crafting the Vibrant Cranberry Orange Glaze

As the turkey starts its initial roast, we will prepare the spectacular glaze. This can even be prepared a day or two ahead to free up some of your time.

1. In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients for the glaze: the cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar (or maple syrup), water, cinnamon stick, and cloves (if you’re using them).
2. Bring this mixture to a gentle simmer over a medium heat, stirring now and then.
3. Allow it to bubble gently for about 10–15 minutes. You will notice the cranberries begin to pop as the mixture thickens into a gorgeous, glossy sauce.
4. Once it has thickened, take it off the heat and remove the cinnamon stick. The aroma in your kitchen will be absolutely wonderful! This is the essence of our cranberry orange turkey flavour.

Step 4: Roasting and Glazing to Perfection

It’s now time to unite all the elements. The first roasting period ensures the turkey is cooked through, while the final stage with the glaze produces that irresistible sticky coating.

1. Place the turkey in the preheated oven to roast for an initial 60 minutes.
2. After an hour has passed, take the turkey out of the oven. Liberally brush about half of your cranberry orange glaze all over the breast, ensuring you cover all of the skin.
3. Put the turkey back into the oven to roast for a further 30–45 minutes. During this final cooking time, brush the breast with the remaining glaze every 15 minutes. This layering process helps to build up a rich, caramelised exterior.
4. The turkey is ready when its skin is a deep golden-brown and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 74°C. For peace of mind and precision, we strongly advise using a digital thermometer. You can find further guidance on cooking poultry safely from the UK Food Standards Agency.

Step 5: The Crucial Resting Period

Please don’t be tempted to skip this part! Resting the meat is fundamental for a juicy final product. When you take the turkey out of the oven, its juices are concentrated at the surface. Allowing it to rest gives them time to redistribute throughout the meat, making every slice moist and full of flavour.

1. Gently move the glazed turkey breast onto a warm serving platter or a carving board.
2. Cover it loosely with a tent of aluminium foil and let it rest for a minimum of 15–20 minutes before you begin to carve.
3. While the turkey is resting, you can strain the wonderful juices from the roasting tin to create a quick and flavourful gravy.

Serving Suggestions for Your Turkey Breast Recipe

This turkey breast recipe makes for a fantastic main course that goes wonderfully with all the traditional accompaniments. We particularly enjoy serving it with crispy roast potatoes, honey-glazed parsnips, steamed green beans, and a generous portion of sage and onion stuffing. For those who appreciate poultry dishes all year round, our Lemon Garlic Chicken provides a zesty change of pace, while the Baked Honey Dijon Chicken Recipe offers a similarly pleasing sweet-and-savoury profile.

FAQ

Your New Favourite Festive Tradition

And there you have it—a glorious, succulent, and incredibly tasty Cranberry Orange Glazed Turkey Breast that we are sure will become a new family favourite. It’s proof that you don’t need a huge, complicated bird to produce a truly memorable and impressive meal. This recipe wraps up all the festive flavours you adore in one simple, manageable, and beautiful dish.

We hope you’ll make this recipe your own. It’s a wonderful dish that brings warmth and delight to the table, whether for Christmas, Boxing Day, or any special Sunday dinner. We would be thrilled to see your culinary triumphs, so please don’t hesitate to share your results in the comments or tag us on social media!

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Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 1 hr 45 mins
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 kg boneless, skin-on turkey breast joint (or crown)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1.5 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 large orange, halved
• A few sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme
• 300g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 120ml freshly squeezed orange juice (from 1-2 oranges)
• Zest of 1 large orange
• 100g soft brown sugar or maple syrup
• 60ml water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• A pinch of ground cloves (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C Fan/Gas Mark 4). Pat the turkey breast dry. Arrange the quartered onion, orange halves, and fresh herbs in a roasting tin to create a natural trivet.
2. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, dried thyme, crushed rosemary, garlic powder, salt, and pepper into a paste. Rub some under the skin and the rest all over the outside of the turkey. Place the turkey on the trivet.
3. To make the glaze, combine the cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, water, cinnamon stick, and optional cloves in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens and the cranberries have popped. Remove the cinnamon stick.
4. Roast the turkey for 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush generously with about half of the prepared glaze.
5. Return to the oven and roast for a further 30-45 minutes, basting with the remaining glaze every 15 minutes. The turkey is cooked when an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 74°C.
6. Transfer the glazed turkey to a carving board, cover it loosely with foil, and let it rest for at least 15-20 minutes before carving and serving.