Not everyone has a crowd over for the holidays and for those of you who cook for two (or four depending on how you slice it!), this Brown Sugar Maple Glazed Turkey is perfect. Using just the breast here, I also give instructions for an entire bird if cooking for the family.
Dry brined for 12 hours with spices, roasted and basted with a brown sugar, maple, Sriracha sauce, this is a tasty alternative to the traditional bird. Although eating turkey doesn’t just have to be around the holidays either. I eat it quite often year round.
Dry brining is the same as the wet version, except there is no water involved. Keeps it simple and less of a clean up actually. By brining meat, you can decrease the amount of total moisture loss. That means a tender, moist turkey people.
When doing a entire turkey I often time will rub a compound butter under the skin to keep things extra moist and it adds so much flavor like in my Roasted Turkey with Compound Butter Rub.
After the turkey roasts for a while this incredible brown sugar maple glaze that has smokey paprika and Sriracha (completely optional) gets brushed on the turkey several times.
This sticky sweet and very aromatic sauce is perfect on this turkey.
So for those of you cooking for two, this is for you. Having another couple over, slice it thinner and add an extra side dish This will feed you. I have done a 2 pound breast for the two of us and gotten a 4 pound one before when we had another couple over.
Hope you try this instead of the traditional bird with gravy. If not for the big holiday, then anytime. I enjoy turkey often and when sized down to a large breast like this you are set.
Serve this along side my Bacon Wrapped Maple Glazed Carrots, or Balsamic Glazed Pearl Onions with Bacon. Enjoy!
Brown Sugar Maple Glazed Turkey for Two
Ingredients
- 4 lb turkey breast boneless
- 1 tbsp butter softened
Dry Brine:
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Sprig of fresh rosemary
Basting Sauce:
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp butter melted
- 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce (optional)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix together the salt, pepper, sugar, paprika and garlic powder. Sprinkle turkey all over with dry brine, patting to adhere. Arrange turkey breast on top of rosemary sprig in a container and chill uncovered for 12 hours.
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Shake off any excess dry brine from turkey breast and discard rosemary. Rub turkey all over with butter. Arrange turkey on top of a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet (or roasting pan for entire turkey).
- Lower oven heat to 350°F and roast turkey breast until golden brown all over, about 40 minutes. (See Note 1 below for entire turkey ingredients and instructions.)
- While turkey is roasting: In a microwave safe bowl add the brown sugar, maple syrup, soy sauce, butter, Sriracha sauce (optional) and paprika. Cook for 2 minutes on high.
- After roasting 40 minutes, start basting every 10 minutes (roasting for another 20 minutes and/or until breast temperature is 165°F in thickest part).
- When finished roasting, remove the turkey from the oven and cover loosely with foil. Allow turkey to rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- For a 12 pound turkey: 12 lb turkey
3 tbsp butter, softened
Dry Brine:
4 tbsp kosher salt
4 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tsp garlic powder
Sprig of fresh rosemary
Basting Sauce:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp smoked paprika Plan on 13 minutes of cooking time for every pound of turkey if roasting empty and 15 minute per pound if you’ve stuffed it. Preheat your oven to 450°F and then lower the temperature to 350°F when putting the turkey into the oven. The turkey is done when it registers a minimum of 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh. When finished roasting, remove the turkey from the oven and cover loosely with foil. Allow turkey to rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
First made this last Thanksgiving to compete with my 4 sons in a turkey contest they have every year. They conceded when they tried mine. Made 2 more this Easter since the last one was so good. I had them sliced up on a platter next to a platter of honeybaked ham. The turkey was gone while the ham was barely touched! I have a recipe here that I will hang on to for years to come. Thanks for sharing this Kevin!
So glad it’s a hit with the family Don! Thanks for coming back to let me know. 🙂
Made this turkey breast for our Easter supper, it was delicious! I used a bone-in whole breast and left the dry rub on for 20 hrs before finishing in the oven with the incredible glaze. The whole family agreed it was the best turkey we have ever had and will be the only way we make it going forward! Thank you so very much for sharing this delicious recipe!
Love reading comments like this! Thanks for taking the time to come back and let me know Kim!
The glazing after roasting looks perfectly delicious! Yammyyyy! 😍
– Natalie
Thanks Natalie, this is a great one!
Kevin, this recipe is absolutely delicious. Took a turn from the traditional turkey this year and decided to take a swing at your recipe for 12lber. Very moist and full of flavor! 5 stars for you
Excellent, thanks so much Destiny!
Lub your rub (dry brine)! Christmas Turkey was perfect. Thanks.
Oh I love to read comments like this! Thanks for coming back to let me know Marie. 🙂
Kevin, this looks wonderful!
Hey there Jeff! Thanks so much. Sorry I’ve been MIA myself from stopping by. This season has had me crazy busy. I’ll stop by this weekend to catch up on your latest. Cheers!
I love how this is just for two AND for a big 12 pound bird Kevin! So many people don’t have big crowds, so it’s great you scaled down the recipe for those folks. That dry brine and basting sauce sound fabulous!
Thanks Mary Ann. I love a big ol’ turkey, but sometimes just a breast is perfect. Great flavor, too! Have a fantastic holiday. 🙂
The presentation of this dish alone is espectacular, and the recipe is a real winner Kevin, this is something to be very proud of, great job 🙂
Thanks so much Albert, really appreciate it. Super easy, too! 😉
Hey Kevin! I usually wet brine my turkey but not this year, I just printed out this recipe! Dry brining is so much easier and uses less space in the frig. Thank you my friend!
Less fuss, clean up and all. Don’t go over 24 hours though dry brining though Dorothy. I taste tested 3 versions of this before posting and 8 hours was too little and 48 hours too salty! 😉
I love recipes like this, cooking for two! Whenever I see turkey pieces in the grocery, I always pick ’em up! I just love the smell of it roasting in the oven – makes for some nice memories 🙂 Nice twist on traditional turkey with that glaze. Love to try this one over the holidays 🙂
Sometimes a turkey for two is too much so I thought this would be perfect. Love it, too. Thanks Dawn!