It’s still very possible to cook during the holidays with a budget in mind. I recently published my favorite Roasted Turkey Breast Recipe, but if you’re looking for something a bit more unique, this Cider Roasted Split Turkey Breast is a tried a true recipe that is just bursting with flavor. Your Thanksgiving guests will thank you!
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See this recipe in my Easy Thanksgiving Dinner for Beginners meal plan.
But what’s the “real” reason I made this Cider Roasted Turkey Breast? I hate cooking whole birds. It’s such an ordeal, it’s intimidating, and it just makes waaaaay too much food for my small household. So if any of those things are true for you, you’re going to love this super simple Cider Roasted Turkey Breast. It really couldn’t be more simple and the flavors are ✨magic✨.
What Type of Turkey Should I Use?
This recipe is written for a “split” turkey breast, which is just one side of a full turkey breast, and has the bones and skin still intact. Unfortunately using a boneless breast will require different cooking instructions, which I have not tested.
I have also successfully doubled this recipe, using one 4 lb. full turkey breast (both sides of the breast, bone-in, skin-on) and two turkey drumsticks, in order to feed about six people. If doubling the recipe, you’ll need to use a much larger baking dish and add about an additional 30 minutes of roasting time (use a meat thermometer to make sure).
No Cider, No Problem!
If you don’t like cider or just don’t want to buy any to use just 1/2 cup for a recipe (I get it), you can sub chicken broth in its place. I did a plain herb roasted version of this that way and it was still delish, just not cider flavored. Just keep in mind that any leftover cider that you buy can be used to make cider mimosas on Thanksgiving day. ;)
No Gravy??
You can totally make a gravy from the drippings if you prefer, but I found that the apples and onions kind of absorbed a lot of the fat and juices, leaving not a lot to work with for a gravy. Instead, I just spooned the drippings over the meat directly and was very happy. Whatever you do, don’t toss the drippings. They’re liquid gold.
How Much Will This Feed?
That’s the million-dollar question! Most guides online suggest buying one pound raw turkey per person for Thanksgiving, but after slicing up this beauty, it looked like far too much for just two people. I think this would serve more like four people once you have all your Thanksgiving sides, but that’s just my opinion. Therefore, I’m not going to put a number of servings on this one. I think that needs to be a personal call.
Cider Roasted Turkey Breast
Servings 3 to 4Ingredients
- 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
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place the butter, sage, rosemary, thyme, and salt in a small bowl and mix them together 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 and onion wedges in the bottom of a casserole dish, then place the seasoned turkey breast on top. Pour 1/2 cup apple cider into the bottom of the casserole dish.
- Transfer the casserole dish to the oven and roast the turkey for about 1.5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Begin to check the turkey after 1 hour. If the top begins to brown too much before the internal temperature reaches its mark, cover the turkey with foil as it bakes (I did not need to do this). Make sure to test the temperature in the thickest part of the breast, without touching bone.
- Let the turkey breast rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve the roasted apples and onions along with the sliced breast and spoon the drippings over top.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Cider Roasted Turkey Breast – Step by Step Photos
First, begin to preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a small bowl, mix together 4 Tbsp room temperature butter, 1 tsp dried sage, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1 tsp dried thyme, and 3/4 tsp salt.
This is what a “split” turkey breast looks like. It is one side of the whole breast. Pat it dry with a paper towel, then use your hands to separate the skin from the breast, leaving it intact around the edges. You just want to create a pocket to spread to spread the herb butter between.
Spread about 1/3 of the herb butter under the skin, on top of the breast meat. Spread the rest of the herb butter on top of the skin and all around the outside of the turkey breast.
Slice one large apple (I used a Fuji apple) and one yellow onion into wedges. Place the wedges in the bottom of a casserole dish. Place the seasoned turkey breast on top, then pour 1/2 cup apple cider in the bottom of the dish.
Roast the turkey breast in the preheated 350ºF oven for about 1.5 hours (depending on the size), or until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Begin checking the turkey at 1 hour. If the top begins to brown too much before the internal temperature reachest its mark, cover with foil. Make sure that you test the temperature in the thickest part of the turkey breast and do not let the thermometer hit bone. I use this instant read thermometer and love it. (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Let the turkey breast rest for at least ten minutes before slicing and serving.
Serve the Cider Roasted Turkey Breast with the roasted apples and onion and don’t forget to spoon the drippings over top for extra flavor!
I can’t seem to find a good size casserole dish at home for my turkey because it’s about 5lbs. Do you think a dutch oven would suffice? Or would it cook differently being deeper than a casserole dish?
I think that should work fine. :)
This might be a dumb question, and I see that you’ve maybe already answered it, bu there we go:
I made this turkey (my first time attempting any bird and hosting Thanksgiving) last year and it was fantastic! An absolute hit, even with non-turkey lovers, I was truly amazed.
I have been on a hunt for split turkey breasts in my area and the SMALLEST thing I could find was an 8lb “turkey breast”. Do you think the same alterations apply to doubling the recipe and simply letting it cook longer as you did with your 4lb turkey breast? I do have a meat thermometer, but wanted to make sure I shouldn’t try to cleave the thing in half or anything.
Thanks for all that you do, and teaching me to cook for the past four years. :)
That’s what I would do, yes, just cook it longer. I would Google to see if there are recommended cooking times for turkey of that size and use that as my approximate guide. :)
This turned out so well for my first ever attempt at a practice Thanksgiving feast! Moist, kid-approved & smells fantastic! Thanks for making it seem manageable!
Super easy and super tasty approach to a holiday dinner (with leftovers) for one :) Definitely something I’ll make again!
Beth help! I can’t find a bone-in, skin-on turkey breast anywhere. I can get the legs and wings, but only boneless skinless breast (and then it’s too expensive). I really wanted to make this recipe for Christmas dinner, but I’m wondering if I should just attempt a smaller whole turkey instead? (I’m cooking for 6 adults and 3 toddlers)
Or should I do this recipe but with a split chicken, plus the turkey legs? It’s my first time hosting Christmas dinner and I’m really trying to keep it low-stress, which is why this recipe was so appealing.
You’ll do great Brandi! You could use a chicken, but we haven’t tried it that way either.
Hi Brandi! Yes they’re a bit hard to come by. However maybe call around to a few grocery stores and ask in the deli if they’ll cut one for you? However if you are cooking for 6 adults and 3 toddlers, I’d say you’d be safer to use a smaller turkey like a 10-12 lb. The guide is 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per person.
I made this recipe using a 5 lb chicken for Thanksgiving. I basically just doubled the recipe. It came our great! Thanks for the recipe! Will definitely make again!
That’s fantastic!
This was the star of our Thanksgiving dinner! The juiciest most flavorful turkey I have ever eaten.
We nestled the breast half on top of the stuffing nestled the apples and onion around it and it worked fine. The stuffing had a amazing flavor. Thanks for the recipe!
This makes us so happy to hear! Glad you enjoyed it!
Wanted to comment because I just made this for Thanksgiving and it came out perfect. I followed the recipe exactly except I substituted fresh herbs for dried (increased the amounts). I also doubled the recipe because I roasted two breasts. With no brining, the meat came out beautifully moist and flavorful. I also used this recipe to roast a meatless turkey loaf and it also came out fantastic. I will use this recipe again next year!
Oh that’s awesome Heather! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve been eyeing this recipe for a while and finally made it to tonight for a tiny Thanksgiving for two. It turned out moist and delicious and was so easy, even for a beginner! My partner said it was the best Thanksgiving turkey ever. Thanks Beth for the consistently awesome recipes over the years, hope you enjoyed a great holiday today.
Oh this is fantastic! Thank you Sharon for sharing.
So, I’m going to be doing Thanksgiving dinner for the first time by myself, for just myself and my husband. I was wondering if you could nest this on top of stuffing in addition to the onions and apples, or is it best to do that in a separate pan? Also, would a Dutch oven work for this recipe, or are the sides too high?
I actually did something like that years ago. You can find the recipe here: Turkey and Stuffing Casserole :)
This looks delish, Beth! Do you think this would work for a 5-lb whole chicken?
You can certainly use this butter herb mixture on a whole chicken, but I don’t know the exact roasting times or temperatures for whole chickens. A quick Google should give you that info, though, and then you’ll be good to go. :)
I found turkey thighs shopping today, how would it change the cooking time?
Wouldnit be possible to do this in a slow cooker or instant pot instead? If so what would you suggest for setting/time.
Yep, you can definitely use the same process with thighs. The thighs are probably smaller than the breast, so my guess is that the cooking time will be shorter, but you’ll really need to use a thermometer to know for sure. Since I haven’t done thighs myself, I don’t know the exact cooking time. While you can cook this in a slow cooker or Instant pot, those are both moist cooking methods, so it will turn out more soupy and there will be no browning or crisping of the skin. I definitely think that the oven gives the best results. :)
Hi, Beth! Where do you stand on using a dried “poultry seasoning” blend in place of the individual herbs? My mom always used it, so that’s what I’ve always used…. Also, some pieces of celery would be good roasted with the onions and apples!
I think dried poultry seasoning would work great! But I would try to get the kind that is whole dried herbs instead of a ground powder.
I made this tonight and it was delicious. My only comment was I found it difficult to spread the herbed butter on the Turkey so I melted it in the microwave for 15 seconds and then poured it on the Turkey and rubbed it in place as it solidified on the cold Turkey.
Will be making this again. It was perfect!
So I don’t have to “brine” at all? I bought a 3 lb turkey breast, as my husband requested a mini turkey dinner for his birthday this week.
I did not brine my turkey breast.