If you love this roasted turkey breast dinner, explore other sweet potato recipes on the site. If you want a whole-bird tutorial, there’s also a popular guide on how to smoke a turkey.
Many people hesitate to change how they prepare turkey for Thanksgiving, but this 1-dish roasted turkey breast with sweet potatoes is worth trying for any dinner. Once you try it, a turkey breast will likely become a regular item on your grocery list. Turkey often gets two complaints: uneven cooking and blandness. A whole bird can overcook the white meat while the dark meat finishes, leaving breasts dry.
Roasting a turkey breast by itself fixes the uneven cooking problem. Without drumsticks to manage, you can roast the breast to juicy perfection without overcomplicating the process. Solving blandness is just as straightforward: put fruit inside and spice outside.
I stuff the turkey breast with chopped apple and onion. As they roast, they gently flavor the meat from the inside. The outside gets a simple, flavorful rub—my preferred Cranberry Dry Rub and spice blend—though you can use your favorite rub. This method works equally well for a whole bird if you prefer one.
The beauty of this 1-dish dinner is that the main and side cook together. Tender roasted sweet potatoes and onions roast in the turkey, apple, and onion drippings, creating a comforting, delicious side with minimal effort. Serve with dinner rolls if you like.
This recipe is very simple to make. See the video for a quick walkthrough.
Cook’s Notes
The key to success is starting with a fresh turkey breast (never frozen) or a fully thawed previously frozen breast. You can use any dry rub you like; Cranberry Dry Rub is recommended, though a Cajun rub would also work well.
Cut sweet potatoes and onions into roughly equal pieces, about 1½ to 2 inches. Similar sizes help them become tender at the same time the turkey finishes. Use an instant-read thermometer to check doneness—this small tool prevents overcooking. Allow the turkey breast to rest at least 10 minutes after roasting before slicing; slicing too soon will dry the meat.
Leftover turkey can be repurposed into soups, pizzas, or chimichangas for easy weeknight meals.
Connect with Foodie with Family
facebook | pinterest | instagram | twitter
1-Dish Roasted Turkey Breast Dinner with Sweet Potatoes
Rebecca Lindamood
10 mins
2 hrs 30 mins
2 hrs 40 mins
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes — peeled and cut into 1½ to 2-inch cubes
- 2 large onions — peeled and cut into 1½ to 2-inch cubes
- 1 fresh or fully thawed frozen whole turkey breast (5 to 9 pounds)
- 3 tablespoons canola or olive oil
- 1 apple — cut into quarters
- Zest of one large orange
- 1 tablespoon Cranberry Dry Rub per pound of turkey breast
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Scatter the sweet potato and onion chunks across the bottom of a small roasting pan or a deep 9×13-inch baking pan. Nestle the turkey breast among the vegetables. Drizzle the oil over the turkey and stuff the apple quarters into the turkey’s cavity. Rub the orange zest over the turkey breast, then sprinkle the Cranberry Dry Rub and massage it into the skin.
- Roast for 30 minutes at 450°F, then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. Continue roasting, stirring the potatoes every 20 minutes or so, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 165°F—about 2 hours total. If the breast browns too quickly, tent it lightly with foil.
- Remove the pan when the turkey reaches 165°F. Loosely cover the breast with foil (do not crimp) and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate nutrition using your actual ingredients and preferred calculator.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @foodiewithfam on Instagram and use #foodiewithfamily so the author can see your photos.
Not Your Mama’s Canning Book: Modern Canned Goods and What to Make with Them is available through major retailers.
