One-Pan Roast Turkey Breast with Herb Stuffing and Cranberry Sauce
By America's Test KitchenPublished on September 10, 2020
Time
5½ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
1 (6- to 7-pound) bone-in whole turkey breast, trimmed5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme 1 onion, chopped fine2 celery ribs, minced1 pound hearty white sandwich bread, cut into ½-inch cubes12 ounces (3 cups) frozen cranberries, thawed1 cup sugar ¼ cup water 1 cup chicken broth, plus extra as needed1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Before You Begin
If using a self-basting turkey breast (such as a frozen Butterball) or kosher turkey, do not brine in step 1, but season with salt after rubbing with butter in step 2.
Instructions
- Dissolve ½ cup salt in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge turkey in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours; remove from brine and pat dry with paper towels.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Mash 3 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon sage, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Using fingers, gently separate skin from meat. Spread half of butter mixture under skin directly onto meat. Spread remaining butter mixture evenly over skin.
- Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in 16 by 12-inch roasting pan over medium heat (over 2 burners, if possible). Add onion, celery, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon sage and remaining 1 tablespoon thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, place turkey, skin side up, on top of vegetables and arrange bread around turkey. Roast turkey for 30 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue to roast turkey until breast registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour.
- While turkey roasts, combine cranberries, sugar, water, and ¼ teaspoon salt in bowl and microwave, stirring occasionally, until cranberries are broken down and juicy, about 10 minutes. Coarsely mash cranberries with fork; set aside for serving.
- Remove pan from oven. Transfer turkey to carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest 15 minutes. Stir broth and parsley into stuffing left in pan, cover with foil, and let stand 10 minutes; add extra broth if stuffing is dry. Carve turkey and serve with stuffing and cranberry sauce.
Time
5½ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
1 (6- to 7-pound) bone-in whole turkey breast, trimmed
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
1 onion, chopped fine
2 celery ribs, minced
1 pound hearty white sandwich bread, cut into ½-inch cubes
12 ounces (3 cups) frozen cranberries, thawed
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 cup chicken broth, plus extra as needed
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Ingredients
1 (6- to 7-pound) bone-in whole turkey breast, trimmed
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
1 onion, chopped fine
2 celery ribs, minced
1 pound hearty white sandwich bread, cut into ½-inch cubes
12 ounces (3 cups) frozen cranberries, thawed
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 cup chicken broth, plus extra as needed
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Ingredients
1 (6- to 7-pound) bone-in whole turkey breast, trimmed
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
1 onion, chopped fine
2 celery ribs, minced
1 pound hearty white sandwich bread, cut into ½-inch cubes
12 ounces (3 cups) frozen cranberries, thawed
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 cup chicken broth, plus extra as needed
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Why This Recipe Works
To start, we sautéed fresh herbs and aromatics right in the roasting pan before placing an herb butter—rubbed turkey breast on top. For the stuffing, we sprinkled bread cubes around the breast so they could toast in the oven and absorb the turkey’s juices. Starting at a high temperature allowed the turkey’s juices to render for a supercrisp skin; we later lowered the heat to allow the bird to cook through gently. Mere minutes in the microwave were all we needed to make a tangy-sweet cranberry sauce to serve on the side.
Before You Begin
If using a self-basting turkey breast (such as a frozen Butterball) or kosher turkey, do not brine in step 1, but season with salt after rubbing with butter in step 2.
Instructions
- Dissolve ½ cup salt in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge turkey in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 3 to 6 hours; remove from brine and pat dry with paper towels.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Mash 3 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon sage, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Using fingers, gently separate skin from meat. Spread half of butter mixture under skin directly onto meat. Spread remaining butter mixture evenly over skin.
- Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in 16 by 12-inch roasting pan over medium heat (over 2 burners, if possible). Add onion, celery, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon sage and remaining 1 tablespoon thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Off heat, place turkey, skin side up, on top of vegetables and arrange bread around turkey. Roast turkey for 30 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue to roast turkey until breast registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour.
- While turkey roasts, combine cranberries, sugar, water, and ¼ teaspoon salt in bowl and microwave, stirring occasionally, until cranberries are broken down and juicy, about 10 minutes. Coarsely mash cranberries with fork; set aside for serving.
- Remove pan from oven. Transfer turkey to carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest 15 minutes. Stir broth and parsley into stuffing left in pan, cover with foil, and let stand 10 minutes; add extra broth if stuffing is dry. Carve turkey and serve with stuffing and cranberry sauce.
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