Orange-Honey Glazed Turkey Breast

This Orange Honey Glazed Turkey Breast is juicy, moist, and ultra delicious! The turkey breast is brined, so it is extra moist and flavorful, and then brushed with a sweet orange honey glaze while it roasts in the oven. So so good!

I don’t have a big family, so an entire turkey is always too much food and a hassle for us. This year, I am making a super moist and juicy orange honey glazed turkey breast!

Not only is it more manageable and less stressful, but it also takes way less time to cook. A 6-7 pound bone-in turkey breast takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours to cook in the oven.

My favorite part about this orange honey glazed turkey breast is that it’s very moist and juicy. I brined it with a simple citrus brine overnight and, let me tell you…I’ll never look back! It was the juiciest roast turkey breast ever. I know brining a turkey is an extra step, but it’s totally worth it. It works every single time, I promise!

So let’s get started, shall we? I’ll show you everything you need to know to make the best and juiciest orange glazed turkey ever!

Why Brine the Turkey Breast

I tested this orange honey glazed turkey breast recipe twice, the first test without a brine and the second test with a brine. The results? Night and day different!

The first turkey breast (no brine) turned out super dry and bland…boo! The second turkey breast (brined) turned out incredibly moist and flavorful.

Brines are basically water with a high concentration of salt. Some people like to add aromatics, such as herbs or citrus, to the brine for flavor. When meat is submerged in brine for a period of time, the flavored water is absorbed into the meat, enhancing natural flavors and adding moisture.

Brines are a great option for lean cuts of meat that tend to dry out during the cooking process, especially turkey and pork.

For this orange glazed turkey breast recipe, I made a simple herb, garlic, orange, and lemon brine that added subtle notes of citrus and aromatic herbs to the turkey.

How to Make Moist Roast Turkey Breast

Here are the secrets to roasting a juicy, moist, and flavorful turkey breast:

• Brine it: As mentioned above, brining allows the meat to absorb liquid, compensating the amount of liquid lost when roasting.
• Don’t overcook it: Overcooking results in dry meat, especially with turkey. At an oven temperature of 350 degrees F, cook the turkey breast for about 15 minutes per pound. 
• Get a meat thermometer! This is a MUST for food safety reasons. It’s hard to judge the internal temperature of large cuts of meat, so inserting a thermometer will ensure that it’s never undercooked or overcooked. For turkey breast, the internal temperature should read 165 degrees F when fully and safely cooked.

One question I’ve been getting a lot is, does basting help keep the turkey moist? The answer is nope, not really. Basting only adds liquid on the surface and does nothing to keep it moist, so don’t even bother. In fact, basting requires that you open the oven multiple times, which results in uneven cooking from the loss of consistent heat.

Orange Honey Turkey Breast Ingredients

There are three parts to this honey roast turkey recipe: the brine, the turkey, and the orange honey glaze.

For the brine:

• Cold water and ice: You’ll need about 8 cups water and 4 cups ice. It needs to be cold so that the turkey stays cold.
• Kosher salt: About 1/2 cup…yes I know that seems like a lot!
• Brown sugar: This will help a bit with the browning of the skin later as the turkey roasts.
• Garlic: For flavor.
• Lemon and orange: Adds subtle tones of citrus flavors.
• Herbs: I used a few springs of rosemary and thyme.

For the turkey:

• A 6-7 lb bone-in turkey breast: Bone-in and skin-on.
• Unsalted butter: You’ll use it to make herbed butter and rub it all over the turkey.
• Minced garlic: For the herbed butter.
• Herbs: For the herbed butter. I used fresh rosemary and thyme.
• Salt and pepper: About 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper.
• Olive oil: You’ll drizzle some olive oil over the turkey to help it brown better.
• Chicken broth for pan: If using a roasting pan with a rack, you’ll want to add broth at the bottom so that the drippings don’t burn, refilling as necessary. If you’re not using a pan with a rack, you can skip this.

For the orange honey glaze:

• Honey
• Orange marmalade: Use sweet marmalade! I love Smucker’s brand of orange marmalade because it’s sweet. I’ve tried fancy orange marmalades before and they tend to be a bit bitter, so make sure you buy SWEET marmalade.
• Unsalted butter: To give richness to the glaze.
• Orange juice: Fresh or bottled is fine.
• Orange: Small diced, flesh only.

How to Make this Orange Honey Turkey Breast

Alright, now that you have an idea about the ingredients needed for this turkey recipe, let’s talk about how to make it!

The night before or 8 hours in advance: Brine the turkey

1. Make sure you have the tools you need: a large heavy pot, container, or brining bag that can fit the ~12 cups of brine and a 6-7 lb turkey breast. For roasting, you’ll need a large roasting pan, preferably with a rack.
2. Make the brine: To expedite the cooling process, bring only 2 cups of water and the rest of the bring ingredients to a boil. This will be your brine “concentrate,” which you will then add to cold or iced water. Why do you need to boil it? to dissolve the salt and sugar, and release the aromatic flavors of the remaining ingredients.
3. Let the brine cool down in the fridge: Make sure the bring is cold before submerging the turkey.
4. Submerge the turkey overnight or for 8 hours: Be careful not to leave it for more than 18 hours. Over-brining a turkey will make it too salty.

The day of: Roast!

1. Remove turkey from brine and pat dry: Moisture is the enemy of browning! Pat it dry to get that beautiful golden brown and crispy skin.
2. Make the herbed butter: Butter, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs.
3. Rub herbed butter all over the turkey and under the skin: Yes, under the skin too!
4. Make the orange honey glaze: Simply simmer all the ingredients in a saucepan for about 20 minutes until thickened.
5. Roast: At 350 degrees F for about 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours for a 6-7 lb turkey breast. Cooking time should be about 15 minutes per pound, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. During the last 30 minutes, brush the turkey with the orange honey glaze every 10 minutes.
6. Let it rest for 15 minutes before carving in order to allow the juices to redistribute.

I’m so exited about the holidays, and also feel a bit more relieved that I don’t need to roast a whole turkey. Thanksgiving can be stressful, but if possible,  you can really cut down the time spent in the kitchen by roasting a turkey breast instead of a whole turkey. This orange honey glazed turkey breast is a great option!

I’m in love with this recipe. I promise you will love it too!

If you’re still figuring out your Thanksgiving menu, here are some awesome ideas:

Thanksgiving mains:

• Cranberry Orange Glazed Ham
• Stuffed Acorn Squash with Wild Rice Pilaf
• Maple Glazed Spatchcock Turkey by Plays Well With Butter

Thanksgiving side dishes:

• Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts Salad
• Fluffy Mashed Potatoes or Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts Salad with Grapes
• Soft Honey Dinner Rolls
• Kale and Apple Salad

Thanksgiving desserts:

• Apple Pie with Precooked Apple Filling
• Cranberry Crumb Bars
• Perfect Brownies

Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for more Thanksgiving recipes this week. I’ve got so many yummy recipes to share with you all!

If you try my recipe, use #cookingformysoul on Instagram! Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook for the latest fun updates and recipes!