Roasted Turkey Breast with Cranberry Bacon Stuffing

5 from 2 votes

Roasted Turkey Breast with Cranberry Bacon Stuffing

This Roasted Turkey Breast with Cranberry Bacon Stuffing is an easy holiday recipe! Juicy turkey and easy homemade stuffing with cranberries, bacon & herbs!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Christmas, Holiday, Thanksgiving

Keyword Roasted Turkey Breast with Cranberry Bacon Stuffing

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 25

Total Time 55

Servings people

Calories 523kcal

Author Chrissie (thebusybaker.ca)

Ingredients

For the stuffing:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 pound bacon, cut into small pieces (about 300 grams)
1 1/4 cup dried cranberries, soaked in 1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon parsley
salt and pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup red or white wine
2 cups fine breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cup chicken stock

Other ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless turkey breasts (approximately 3/4 to 1 kilogram each)

For the garlic herb butter:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

For the gravy:

all the pan drippings
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 to 1 1/2 cups water

For serving:

fresh herbs for garnish (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the stuffing:

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.
Add the onions and garlic and saute until soft.
Add the bacon and saute until the bacon is cooked completely.
Drain the cranberries and add them to the pan, along with the the thyme, rosemary, parsley, and salt and pepper and stir to combine until the mixture is fragrant.
Add the wine and allow the wine to cook off for about 5-7 minutes, stirring every few minutes or so.
Turn the heat to low and add the breadcrumbs, stirring to combine and adding the chicken stock a little at a time until the mixture appears slightly dry, but sticky enough to form.
Set the stuffing mixture aside to cool slightly while you prepare the turkey.

For the turkey:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
On a large cutting board surface covered with parchment paper, butterfly the turkey breasts (see the video at the top of this post for a tutorial). Cover them with more parchment paper and pound them out to an even thickness using the smooth end of a meat tenderizer. Each turkey breast should be about one-inch thick.
Divide the stuffing mixture between the two turkey breasts and place mounds of the stuffing in a line along the middle of each of the breasts.
Roll them up carefully, bringing each end of the turkey breast into the middle over the stuffing.
Place each of the stuffed turkey breasts seam-side down and use butcher's twine to tie around each of the stuffed turkey breasts in 4 places and cut off the excess twine with a pair of kitchen shears.
Place the turkey breasts seam-side down on a greased rimmed baking sheet.
In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, salt and pepper, and parsley and spread it over the top and sides of each of the turkey breasts before adding them to the oven.
Roast the turkey breasts at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25-35 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The roasting times will be different for each oven and depending on the size of your turkey breast, so watch the turkey carefully after 20 minutes. For best results, and to ensure juicy turkey, use an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey breast instead of relying on roasting times.
When the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, remove it from the oven and gently move the stuffed turkey breasts to a large cutting board surface. Cover them loosely with aluminum foil, letting them rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before slicing.

For the gravy:

While the turkey is resting, prepare the gravy by adding all the pan juices (and all the little caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan) to a small saucepan along with the flour.
Place the saucepan over medium low heat and whisk the pan juices together with the flour until it forms a paste.
Add the water very slowly, about 3-4 tablespoons at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. For a thick gravy, add about 3/4 cup of water. For a thinner gravy, add up to 1 1/2 cups of water.

For serving:

Remove the twine from the turkey breasts using kitchen shears.
Slice the turkey breast after it has rested into slices about 3/4 inch thick.
Serve on a platter with the gravy and a sprinkling of fresh herbs, if desired.

Video

Nutrition