Creole-style cranberry turkey breast is what our family has been eating on Thanksgiving for years. It's perfectly cooked (no dried out turkey at this table!) and has all the classic Thanksgiving flavors such as cranberry and thyme. But, of course, I had to give it a bit of a southern flair by adding a Creole kick! It all comes together for an incredible Thanksgiving main dish that is impressive and surprises guests, but familiar and classic enough for a small family get-together.
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Why I prefer a Turkey Breast over a Whole Turkey
1. It's tender, juicy, and small enough to feed a small family. Hosting more people? Just make two!
2. There's no need for a complicated turkey carving process that can take up time and leave quite a mess. I keep things simple by utilizing a pre-carved turkey breast that you can find in most local grocery stores (especially around Thanksgiving season).
What to serve with Creole Style Turkey Breast
Creole Style Turkey Breast is definitely the star of the Thanksgiving show. But we all know that a Thanksgiving meal is only made complete with great side dishes and desserts! Here are some of my favorites that would be a delicious addition to your holiday table (check back for more holiday recipes coming soon!):
- Corn Casserole
- Creamed Spinach
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- No-Bake Banana Pudding
- Pumpkin Roll Recipe
- Smoked Spatchcock Turkey
- Olive Dip
- Pumpkin Sourdough Bread
What are the "must-haves" on your Thanksgiving table? Tell me in the comments below! Are you team gravy? Green bean casserole? Stuffing? I'm curious!
Why brine?
Is brining your Thanksgiving turkey necessary? Yes and no! While you don't need to brine your turkey, it does serve a couple of purposes. First, it gives you a chance to add more flavor. Turkey does not have a strong flavor on its own, so it's important to season it well. Brining adds another layer to that seasoning process. Second, it helps keep it juicy! When people claim that they do not like turkey, I find it's often because they think it's dry. Make them this juicy, properly cooked, Creole Style Cranberry Turkey Breast, and I'm sure they will change their tune!
Helpful Tools and Utensils
- Basting Brush - Used for coating turkey breast with Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Baking Dishes - I love my Staub Ceramic dishes. They are my Go-To!
- Strainer - for straining the cranberry sauce
Ingredient List
Brine
- Brown Sugar: to add a touch of sweetness
- Salt
- White Wine: whatever you have on hand works; it will complement the citrus.
- Orange Juice
- Ginger
- Listed Spices
Turkey
- Turkey Breast : The star of the dish
- Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp Creole Seasoning
- Thyme
Glaze
- Cranberries: Helps provide a tart and festive finish
- Ginger
- Orange Juice
- Orange Zest: I love zest to enhance citrus flavor.
- Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Thyme
Detailed Instructions for Cooking Turkey Breast
Making the Brine
Step 1 : Heat up 1 cup of water (about 150℉) and add in sugar and salt. Mix until dissolved.
Step 2 : Mix your remaining brining ingredients in a large mixing bowl with the sugar/salt water.
Step 3 : You don't want to set the turkey into the brine if it's too warm. I like to toss a few ice cubes into the mix to make sure it's cooled. Place the turkey into the brine for 24 hours in the fridge. Be sure to put a cover on the bowl.
Cooking the Turkey Breast
Step 4 : When you are ready to cook the next day, preheat the oven to 325℉.
Step 5 : Take the turkey out of the brine and pat it dry with paper towels. Now let's season the turkey breast! Coat the entire turkey breast with olive oil. It's best to rub the olive oil into make sure you coat the entire turkey breast. Then, coat with Creole seasoning and thyme.
Step 6 : Place seasoned turkey breast in a baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Cook for 90 minutes or until internal temp reaches 140℉.
Step 7 : While the turkey cooks, make the glaze. Keep in mind you'll glaze the turkey at 140℉, and then you'll complete the cooking process. The ideal cooking temperature when you should remove from the oven is when it reaches 160°F. Once it's removed from the oven, it will continue to cook.
Making the Glaze
Step 8 : Mix in all glaze ingredients in a pot on medium-high heat. Bring ingredients to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, strain the mixture (collecting the liquid glaze) and place it to the side.
Step 9 : When the turkey breasts reach 140℉, carefully remove it from the oven. Using a basting brush, coat the meat with half of the glaze and place it back in the oven uncovered until the turkey reaches 160℉.
Step 10 : Slice the turkey after it's rested for 5 minutes and top with more glaze. Serve and enjoy!
Video of Recipe
Recipe
Creole Style Cranberry Turkey Breast
Equipment
Ingredients
Brine
- 8 Cups Water
- ¾ Cup Brown Sugar
- ⅓ Cup Salt
- ¾ Cup White Wine
- ¾ Cup Orange Juice
- 3 Tablespoons Ginger or 2 tablespoon ginger powder
- 1 Tablespoon Peppercorns
- 1 Tablespoon Thyme
- 2 Bay Leaves
Turkey
- 4-5 Lb Turkey Breast Raw, thawed
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Creole Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon Thyme
Glaze
- 12 Oz Cranberries
- 1 Tablespoon Ginger or 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- ¼ Cup Orange Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Orange Zest
- ¾ Cup Sugar
- 1 Cup Water
Instructions
Brine Instructions
- Heat up 1 cup of water (about 150℉) and add in sugar and salt. Mix until dissolved.
- Mix your remaining brining ingredients together in a large mixing bowl with the sugar/salt water.
- To make sure brine isn't too warm, add a couple ice cubes into brine. Place turkey in the brine for 24 hours in the fridge. Be sure to put a cover on bowl.
Cooking Instructions
- When ready to cook, preheat oven to 325℉.
- Take turkey out of brine and pat dry with paper towels. Coat the entire turkey breast with olive oil. Then, coat with creole seasoning and thyme.
- Place seasoned turkey breast in a baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Cook for 90 minutes or until internal temp reaches 140℉.
- While turkey cooks, make glaze. The ideal cooking temperature when you should remove from oven is when it reaches 160° because once its removed it will continue to cook.
Glaze Instructions
- Mix in all glaze ingredients in a pot on medium high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, strain the mixture (collecting the liquid glaze) and place to the side.
- When turkey breasts reaches 140℉, remove from the oven and coat with half of the glaze and place back in the oven uncovered until turkey reaches 160℉.
- Slice turkey after it's rested for 5 minutes and top with more glaze. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
If there are leftovers at our house, we love a turkey sandwich on toasted sourdough! You can also try our turkey enchilada casserole; they were delicious.
Yes, the bone-in will require a little longer cook time. Typically, it will need 12-15 minutes per pound.
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Pam dixon says
Absolutely grreat
CookitwithTim says
Thank you, Pam! What did you serve yours with?
Essa says
Can you advise how many pounds your breast was and approximately how long you roasted it for to get to 160 degrees?
I assume this was a boneless breast?
And just wondering if you prefer a wet brine to a dry brine?
CookitwithTim says
HI Essa,
In the recipe it says the weight and it even tells you how long to cook it and yes it even says boneless. I prefer a wet brine simply because I enjoy the juiciness that it seems to produce. I buy my boneless turkey breast now at ALDI. Hopefully there is one near your home. I have also seen them at Walmart and Kroger before as well. Happy Cooking and thanks so much for stopping by.
Kim says
Is the turkey breast an Aldi brand?
CookitwithTim says
Haha sure is! I always look at Aldi first. You shop there too?
Tamara says
Do you start with a fresh or frozen breast, or does it matter?
CookitwithTim says
Hi, Tamara - great question! You can buy frozen, but you will want to safely thaw it first. Let me know if you have any more questions. Good luck and let me know how it turns out!
Courtney Love says
Fresh cranberries are hard to come by could you sub it for sauce canned ? Just wanna give this a test run
CookitwithTim says
You can use canned but doesn't turn out near as good. Now is the time that cranberries will start coming in stock at Kroger, ALDI, and Sams Club. Be sure to check your local groceries as well as look in the frozen section.
Sylvia says
Thank you for the recipe. I'm surely going to make this for thanksgiving. May you and your family have a beautiful and blessed Thanksgiving also.
CookitwithTim says
Thank you, Syliva! The same to you and your family! What else will be on your Thanksgiving table? The holidays are coming up so soon! I'm excited to hear what everyone is planning.
Deedra says
Hi. I think I’m making it too late in the season for cranberries. Any suggestions if I’m unable to find cranberries? Also the turkey breast I have have bones. Will the recipe still work?
CookitwithTim says
I'm still finding cranberries around here. It may be easier to find frozen cranberries as well. Bone-In will definitely work also! I actually prefer a bone-in turkey.
Anu Ware says
I made this last year for Thanksgiving and it was THE BEST turkey I have ever made! My family raved about it and it was so easy! Chef Tim responded to my post last year when I thanked him on TT and he posted the recipe again this year and I had to thank him again! Trust me when I say that you will not regret this recipe. It is easy, flavorful and will be your go to moving forward! Thank you Chef Tim!
CookitwithTim says
Anu, this comment made my day - thank you! I'm so glad you loved it so much. Thank you for trusting my recipes so much that they made it to your Thanksgiving table! Such an honor. What did you serve along side it?
Stephanie says
Amazing flavors. Can’t wait to try it this weekend. What creole seasoning do you recommend?
CookitwithTim says
Hope you absolutely love this recipe the same as our family does. I Love Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning or Zatarans makes good ones as well.
Sheri Cross says
Tim, thank you for this recipe with the great step-by-step instructions with pucs! I am so looking forward to making this.
A must have on the table at our family Thanksgiving gatherings is bourbon yams - a recipe a dear friend gave me 25 years ago and fresh green bean casserole
CookitwithTim says
So glad you will be making this soon. Be sure to come back and give me a star rating once you make it.
Sheri Cross says
Tim, thank you for this recipe with the great step-by-step instructions with pics! I am so looking forward to making this.
A must have on the table at our family Thanksgiving gatherings is bourbon yams - a recipe a dear friend gave me 25 years ago and fresh green bean casserole
Norma P says
Where can I buy this creole seasoning? I live in Miami, Florida. Thanks!
CookitwithTim says
You can order from Amazon here - https://amzn.to/3ZTpQLJ
These are my favorite creole seasonings! Let me know if you have trouble finding it still.
Rebecca Wilson says
Tim, I looked everywhere in the recipe whether this was a bone-in or boneless turkey breast. I should have known considering the picture you posted with the recipe. I unfortunately got bone-in bc as I couldn’t find out otherwise. Well, it may require a longer cooking time, but am sure it will be delicious regardless. In the brine now and looking forward to trying it tomorrow. Thank you.
CookitwithTim says
How did it turn out? Bone In works just great too!
Vickie Fitzgerald says
Vickie
Teri says
Hi Chef Tim! After years of cooking a full blown turkey dinner, it's just hubby and I now. This sounds like the perfect solution! I will definitely be trying this out this year! Thank you for all your recipes!
CookitwithTim says
YAY. Sure hope you love this recipe just as much as we do.
Vickie Fitzgerald says
Is there anything I can use to replace the White Wine ?
CookitwithTim says
I would recommend White Grape Juice. But 1/2 the portion :). You can also cooking wine unless you're trying to stay away from a wine flavor completely.
Heidi says
If I don't want the creole seasoning but just more of a traditional tasting turkey, would I omit the creole and just use salt, pepper? Do everything else the same? (or can you suggest some seasonings?)
CookitwithTim says
If it's the spicy part you don't like in the creole, try mixing equal parts of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, and dried thyme.
Sherri Brown says
We can’t wait to try this recipe Thanksgiving!! We will leave another review once we have made it. Thank you for such yummy and easy recipes.
CookitwithTim says
Excited to hear how it turns out Sherri! I know you'll be pairing it something amazing!
Lisa says
Do you use dried ground thyme, dried thyme, leaves, or fresh thyme?
And we are not wine drinkers so what kind of white wine would you recommend for the brine?
CookitwithTim says
HI Lisa,
Thanks so much. Fresh herbs are always better however, you can and I have used dried herbs many times for this recipe. Chardonnay works great for this recipe as well.
Gina says
Are there any modifications if I use a bone in turkey breast? This looks delicious and I can’t wait to make it!
CookitwithTim says
Nope! I'd cook it just the same! That's going to be so good too! Bone-in adds an extra tenderness if you ask me.
Robin Lambert says
Might seem like a small thing (not to me, I assure you), but thanks so much for not having pop-ups screwing up my viewing pleasure. Sounds like a great recipe which I will try eventually. I use Tony C.’s seasoning on almost all of my meat dishes! Your responses to comments is excellent and informative.
CookitwithTim says
Glad you're enjoying no pop ups, although it is how we fund our sites and are able to bring you more material. I hope you'll still enjoy the website and recipes if pop-ups ever come along :). Glad you love Tony's too! It's one of the best!
Connie says
Amazing.
This year will be the 3rd time I’ll be making it.
My whole family loves it.
CookitwithTim says
Love hearing that it's a family favorite! It's our go-to style of Turkey as well!
Steve says
Could I smoke the turkey this way and it still come out juicy?
CookitwithTim says
Yes you sure can! Just make sure it's cooked to suggested temp in recipe :). Trying that out for this Thanksgiving?
Alexandra says
Hi Tim, thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
Just to clarify- are you removing the breast from the oven once it reaches 140 or once it reaches 160? I know it will continue to cook but wanted to ask.
CookitwithTim says
Hey Alexandra! You remove it at 140degrees and coat it with the cranberry sauce and then place back in the oven uncovered until it reaches 160. Hope you love it! Leave a star rating after you try it. Would love the feedback!
Alexandra says
Now I see the glaze instructions! Ha, I can’t believe I missed that section while scrolling. Thank you for the clarification! I will surely be back with a star rating, Happy Thanksgiving!
Tim says
Hi there. I was hoping I could triple check the cooking times here. I see the recipe lists the entire cooking time at 1 hour and 30 minutes. In the steps, it says, "Cook for 90 minutes or until internal temp reaches 140℉".... and then you glaze it and put it back in the over until it reaches 160. The way it reads, it makes it sound like it will take 90 minutes to reach 140, and then some amount of time to reach 160.
Would you be able to clarify? Is it ~90 minutes to reach 160? or ~90 minutes to reach 140 and then more time to 160?
CookitwithTim says
Depending upon your oven it should be a total cook time of 90 minutes.
Bethany says
I didn’t see that it needed to be boneless. Will this work if I got one that is not boneless?
CookitwithTim says
It will be even better with the Bone-In! As long as it's cooked to temp you'll be golden!
T says
This was fantastic! Perfectly moist.
This was so good! The flavor was delicious. It was a hit with everyone.
CookitwithTim says
Thanks so much for the feedback! Glad your loved ones loved it as much as we do!! Always a win!
Donis R says
I tried this recipe for Thanksgiving since a turkey breast is perfect for our small family and was blown away. The meat was tender, moist and so flavorful. This superstar will be on our table again!
CookitwithTim says
Thanks so much for the feedback Donis! Love that your family loved it! Happy Holidays 🙂
Lisa Shadir says
Great recipe - moist and flavourful. Great step by step instructions
CookitwithTim says
So glad you loved it, Lisa! Thanks for the review! Hope you try at more of the recipes on the site 🙂
Rachael B Cooking says
This was the best most juiciest turkey I’ve had in my life. This was a total hit at home and with my coworkers def making this again.
CookitwithTim says
I love hearing that! Glad it's a hit with your loved ones and friends! Happy Cooking this season Rachael!
Darci says
This looks so delicious!!! My husband and I don't tolerate hot spice very well. How hot is the creole seasoning, can I halve the amount or use something else?
CookitwithTim says
I think it'd be best to make your own creole seasoning so you can gauge the spice. Use equal parts of paprika, salt, white pepper, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and thyme. You'd normally use equal part of the cayenne too, but maybe start with a 1/4 and then add cayenne pepper to your liking.
Amanda Torraco says
Made this last night!! The store was out of turkey breast so we got some huge turkey legs and went to to town! The glaze was soooo flavorful and the creole seasoning gave them the perfect spice! The bring wa also incredible. Flavor all the way through!! Great recipe!!!
CookitwithTim says
Thanks so much for the feedback! Glad it was such a hit at your family table as well! Way to switch it up with turkey legs, I bet that was even more tender!!
Kim says
Hi, I’m going to try to brine two turkey breasts(bone in). When would I need to take them out to be thawed to brine them to have on Thanksgiving day. I may do one breast with the Tony’s and the other more traditional. Would that be rubbing butter and herbs on it then baking it the same way as the other? Sorry for so many questions!
CookitwithTim says
Hi Kim, I would put turkeys in fridge on Sunday to thaw because they need to go in the brine on Wednesday morning for best results. I would reccomend brining both the turkeys and then you have a good idea to do one with Tony's and the other with herbs. They will be delicious. Happy Thanksgiving!
Izzy says
soooo good and deliciously juicy! I made this recipe for my college friendsgiving and it was a huge hit! I used a bone in turkey breast and but just adjusted the cooking time accordingly.
CookitwithTim says
Yay! We love to hear this!! Happy Thanksgiving!
Lorissa Seal says
Love this recipe! Makes a delicious and very juicy turkey breast! The cranberry glaze is awesome! Something I do is place my turkey breast in a disposable pan and put it in the smoker on 275 for 30 minutes (I use apple wood chips to smoke). Then after 30 minutes put it in the oven to finish cooking. That little bit of smoking time adds a wonderful flavor, but not to much smoke
CookitwithTim says
Great idea!I might have to try that sometime!
Ashanti Parker says
This turkey is amazing and so juicy! I’ve been making this for 3 years now every Thanksgiving and it has been a hit! The cranberry glaze is also amazing!!
CookitwithTim says
I love to hear this is a recipe you come back to every year! It's one we always bring to the table too! Glad you've been enjoying it and thanks for the feedback, Ashanti!
Shannon Bowden says
Made this yesterday for Thanksgiving and it was AMAZING! My family is still talking about how good it was. we all agree it's the best Thanksgiving turkey we've ever made! it was juicy, flavorful, and actually easy to make! I will definitely be making this again!
Marsha Hancock says
I tried this recipe for thanksgiving and it was awesome. It will be included at all future holiday events! And I saw you smoking it … that’ll be awesome. My husband smoked a separate turkey. No separate turkey anymore!
CookitwithTim says
It's great both ways! We feed a lot of family for Thanksgiving so we often smoke a couple and bake a couple! Love that your family enjoyed it Marsha!