This one is a little out of my comfort zone with price because it’s so good that I had to share it with you guys. Depending on your area of the country, you may very well be able to make the same recipe for half the price.
I purchased all the ingredients from Whole Foods this time, so you might be able to do the same thing. The Cider Roasted Turkey Breast I cooked for this meal was well worth every penny I spent on it, even if I did not get it right the first time, but I whole-heartedly believe that it was worth it.
I was wondering what was the “true” reason I made this Cider Roasted Turkey Breast. If you are like me, you hate cooking whole birds.
It’s such an ordeal, it’s intimidating, and I just don’t think it makes enough food for our small household.
If any of these things are true for you, then you will love this super simple Cider Roasted Turkey Breast recipe. It really couldn’t be easier or better and its flavors are just as delicious.
Trust Apronese, here’s a simple and delicious turkey breast recipe for you.
How Should I Choose a Turkey?
As written in the recipe, this is a recipe for “split” turkey breasts, which are basically two breasts split in half horizontally, giving them a round, flat appearance, and still has the skin and bones attached to them.
However, if you decide to use a boneless turkey breast, then you will need different cooking instructions, which I have not yet tried.
For my test, I successfully doubled this recipe and used one four pound turkey breast (bone-in, skin-on), and two turkey drumsticks, to feed about six people.
The recipe will double, but if you double the recipe, you will need to use a larger baking dish, and you will have to roast the meat for about 30 minutes longer. If you use a meat thermometer, you will be able to tell whether it has cooked properly.
No Cider, No Problem!
There is a solution if you don’t like cider or do not want to buy any to use just 1/2 cup for a recipe if you don’t like cider (I completely understand), you can replace it with chicken broth.
It was delicious even though it wasn’t cider flavored, but I did make a plain herb roasted version of the dish. You should keep in mind that any leftover cider that you buy on Thanksgiving day can be used to make cider mimosas.
No Gravy?
Although you can use the drippings to make gravy if you prefer, I found that the apple and onion absorbed a great deal of the fat and juice, so there wasn’t much left to use for a gravy.
In my experience, I was much happier with just spooning the drippings over the meat directly rather than tossing them out. The drippings are like liquid gold. Do not discard them.
How Much Will This Feed?
In most online guides, it is recommended that one pound of raw turkey be purchased for every person at Thanksgiving, but after cutting up this beauty, I realized that it looked way too much to serve just two people at Thanksgiving. In my opinion, this will serve four to six people once you have all of your Thanksgiving sides, but that is just my opinion.
Therefore, I will not mention the number of servings on this recipe, I believe that it is best to make that decision for yourself.
Cider Roasted Turkey Breast
The easy herb-infused Cider Roasted Turkey Breast recipe is the perfect answer for smaller Thanksgiving gatherings or for starters who are just learning what they are doing to prepare a turkey dish.
Author: Beth
Servings: 3 to 4
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb. Split turkey breast (bone-in, skin on) ($14.98)
- 4 Tbsp butter, room temperature ($0.38)
- 1 tsp dried sage ($0.10)
- 1 tsp dried rosemary ($0.10)
- 1 tsp dried thyme ($0.10)
- 3/4 tsp salt ($0.03)
- 1 large apple* ($1.22)
- 1 onion ($0.32)
- 1/2 cup apple cider ($0.25)
Instructions
- It is important to put the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit before cooking the chicken. Place the butter, sage, rosemary, thyme, and salt into a small bowl and mix them well until they form a paste.
- Pat the split turkey breast dry with a paper towel, then use your hand to separate the skin from the breast meat, leaving it intact on the sides, and creating a pocket to fill with the herb butter. Spread about 1/3 of the butter herb mixture under the skin. Spread the remaining herb butter on top of the skin and all over the exterior of the turkey breast.
- Slice the apple and onion into wedges. Sprinkle the apple wedges and onion wedges into the bottom of a casserole dish, followed by the seasoned turkey breast. Pour 1/2 cup of apple cider into the bottom of the casserole dish. Mix together the apple wedges and onion wedges, and serve.
- The turkey should be baked in the casserole dish for about 1.5 hours, or until its internal temperature reaches 165oF, at which point it should be taken out of the oven. Check your turkey after one hour. The turkey should be checked to see if the top begins to brown too much before the internal temperature reaches the desired temperature. Cover it with foil while it cooks (I did not need to do this). Be sure to check the temperature at the thickest part of the breast without touching the bone.
- The turkey breast should rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting into slices and serving. On the table, serve the roasted apples, onions and drippings on top of the turkey breast, along with the slices and the drippings.
There is no one size fits all method of cooking turkey breasts, so an instant read meat thermometer will be essential in order to determine how long it needs to cook.
*In my case, I used a Fuji apple, but you can use any sweet or sweet-tart variety that you prefer. Avoid super tart varieties like Granny Smiths, which are way too tart.
Nutritional
Serving: 1 Serving ・ Calories: 798.87 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 20.6 g ・ Protein: 83.3 g ・ Fat: 43.07 g ・ Sodium: 990.57 mg ・ Fiber: 3.13 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
How to Make Cider Roasted Turkey Breast – Step by Step Photos
I suggest you begin by heating the oven to 350°F for at least 15 minutes. In a small bowl, combine four tablespoons of room temperature butter, one teaspoon dried sage, one teaspoon dried rosemary, one teaspoon dried thyme, and about 3/4 teaspoons of salt.
As you can see from this picture, a “split” turkey breast is basically just a piece of the whole breast. It is a portion of the entire breast, so pat it dry with a paper towel and then gently separate the skin from the breast, leaving it intact along the edges of the breast.
You just want to make sure that you create a pocket between the breast and the herb butter so that it can spread evenly.
The herb butter is spread about a third of the way under the skin of the turkey breast, on top of the turkey meat, then spread the remainder of the herb butter over the top of the skin and around the exterior of the turkey breast.
There are so many ways to make this dish: Slice one large apple (I used an apple from Fuji) and cut one yellow onion into wedges and place them in the bottom of a casserole dish, then place the seasoned turkey breast on top and pour 1/2 cup of apple cider on top.
If you want to get the turkey breasts to 165oF inside, you should roast them at 350°F for about 1.5 hours (depending on the size) or until they reach the desired internal temperature.
Check the turkey every hour for doneness. I have found that the top can brown too much if the internal temperature has not reached its mark. Cover the turkey breast with foil if it begins to brown too much before it reaches the internal temperature.
The temperature should be tested in the thickest part of the turkey breast without touching bone. I use this instant read thermometer and love it very much.
In order to serve a well-done turkey breast, it should rest for at least ten minutes before being sliced and served.
If you serve the Cider Roasted Turkey Breast with the roasted apples and onions, don’t forget to spoon over the drippings to accentuate the flavor of the roasted turkey.
Remember to share interesting things and experiences that you make and enjoy this dish in the comments for Apronese and everyone to refer.
