Dutch Oven Turkey Breast with Creamy Apple Gravy (Tandoori-Spiced or Traditional!)
Make this easy roasted turkey breast for a smaller gathering this holiday season, and enjoy the juiciest bird you'll ever eat!
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or 9x13 baking dish or large pot
Ingredients
Dutch Oven Turkey Breast
- 4-6 lb Whole Turkey Breast bone in, skin on
- 1 C Brining Mix
- 4 C Water
- 2 tablespoon Butter softened to room temperature
- 2-4 tablespoon Tandoori Spice Mix depending on spice preference, recipe below. If you prefer a more traditional Thanksgiving turkey flavor, use about 3 tablespoons Poultry Seasoning + ½ tablespoon Smoked Paprika + ½ tablespoon Kosher Salt.
- 1 large Yellow Onion about 2 cups, medium dice
- 2-3 stalks Celery Ribs about 1 cup, medium dice
- 3-4 Apples 3 medium or 4 small, quartered and sliced
- 1 C White Wine or chicken broth
- ½ C Full-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt don't use non-fat; it'll curdle. Sour cream also works. If dairy is a no-no, full-fat vegan yogurt or coconut cream should work.
- 1 tablespoon Heavy Cream or Unsalted Butter
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 3-4 Scallions sliced thinly, both whites and greens
- 1 bunch Cilantro roughly chopped
- ⅓ C Toasted Slivered or Sliced Almonds optional, for serving
- Basmati Rice for serving
Homemade Tandoori Spice Mix
- 2 tablespoon Hot Smoked Paprika or regular smoked paprika if you're spice averse
- 2 tablespoon Ground Coriander
- 2 tablespoon Ground Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Ground Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Ground Turmeric
- 1 tablespoon Ground Cardamom
- 1 tablespoon Ground Cayenne
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
- 1 ½ tablespoon Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Dissolve brining mix in 1 C hot water, then add 3 C cold water to chill it down quickly. Submerge turkey breast in brining liquid, then refrigerate (covered) for 12-36 hours.
- Remove turkey from brine, then pat dry with paper towels. Loosen skin from turkey breast by working your fingers between the meat and skin. Preheat oven to 350F.
- Add diced onions and celery to the bottom of the dutch oven. Top with sliced apples. Pour on the wine or broth. Place dried turkey on top, breast side up.
- Mix butter with about 2 tablespoons tandoori spice mix.
- Sprinkle up to 2 tablespoons tandoori spice mix all over turkey breast and rub in. Rub compound butter under skin and on top of skin. Sprinkle with a final bit of spice mix. Place in Dutch oven.**If you don't have a Dutch oven, use a 9x13 and foil or a large pot with a lid.
- Roast for about 30 minutes at 350F uncovered, then remove from the oven. Baste with any juices/melted butter and use a pastry brush to spread out the spice mix. Rotate the breast to the other side then return to the oven uncovered.Roast until breast reaches at least 160F, basting, brushing, and rotating every 15-20 minutes. This took another 1:15 for my 6 lb turkey.
- Remove the turkey from the Dutch oven to a cutting board, then tent loosely with foil. Rest turkey for 10-15 minutes. Be sure that meat registers 165F for food safety. Slice thinly on the bias.
- While the meat rests, place the Dutch oven on the stovetop. Bring the juices to a simmer and taste, seasoning with a touch of salt as needed. Turn off the burner and whisk in the Greek yogurt.
- Add the cream and butter, whisking to combine. Season again, to taste.
- Serve the turkey and gravy over basmati rice, sprinkling with green onions and cilantro as garnish. If it's too spicy, add another dollop of Greek yogurt to cool it down. Enjoy!
Notes
If brining liquid takes up too much space, do a dry brine instead. Just make sure you do SOME kind of brine for a minimum of 12 hours to ensure the juiciest results.
If you make your own tandoori spice mix, you’ll have lots left over for later use. I love roasting chickpeas with it and using it as a rub for whole chickens. Feel free to halve the mixture if you don't want leftovers!!
Adjust the heat level to your liking when it comes to the tandoori spice mix. 2 tablespoons = mild spice, 3 tablespoons = medium spice, 4 tablespoons = spicy.
To re-crisp the turkey skin after resting and slicing, a kitchen torch is awesome.
The meat on the bottom side of the Dutch oven heats faster than the rest, which is why you want to rotate the whole turkey breast back and forth so frequently. I used to do it only every 30 mins, but half the breast would always end up being overcooked. If you are making a split turkey breast, you won’t have to deal with this.
Waste not, want not. After getting all the good stuff off the bone, use the leftover carcass to make turkey stock. And don’t forget to save your onion skins and celery butts to toss in there, too! Don’t you just love a good freebie? 😉
Bonus freebie alert! You can also save your apple cores to make a spiced apple simple syrup that’s lovely for sweetening drinks or drizzling over breakfast or dessert. Swap out the apple juice for water and simmer the apple cores as you’re making the syrup. Strain them out after the syrup has cooled to room temp, then store and use as directed.
Storage Instructions
- Any leftovers can be transferred to an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. I suggest keeping the gravy and the turkey separate until you’re ready to serve.
- The sliced turkey can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Place it in a zip-top freezer bag, remove as much air as possible, then freeze.
- Alternatively, the turkey makes an excellent replacement for chicken in this easy Chicken Divan recipe.
- To reheat, allow the meat to defrost overnight in the fridge if frozen. Then, either microwave or warm the turkey in a toaster oven until it hits 165F. Heat the gravy separately until warm, stirring as needed to heat evenly. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 560kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 62gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 179mgSodium: 3500mgPotassium: 385mgFiber: 6gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1934IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!