Make a juicy turkey breast with sauce in one pot. This easy recipe features a sweet and sour sauce made with ketchup, vinegar, and spices, perfect for dinner.
This recipe for turkey breast with sauce makes a simple dish that's easy to prepare and tastes amazing. The turkey breast is simmered whole until tender, then sliced thickly to let the sauce soak into the meat for great flavor.
Serve it over rice, noodles, cornbread, or even mashed potatoes for a comforting and satisfying meal that’s perfect any day of the week and also wonderful as a simpler holiday dinner.
Check out more turkey recipes, like Boneless Brined Turkey Breast, Air Fryer Turkey Burgers, or Fall-off-the Bone Turkey Wings.
Ingredients: 9 + oil + spices
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 10 minutes
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Recipe ingredients
Boneless turkey breast, a large piece of more or less 2.5 lbs (1.2 kg). The skin is optional; I often remove it or buy a skinless piece of breast.
Ingredients for the sauce: Ketchup, vinegar, and granulated sugar for the sweet and sour flavor, mustard powder, soy sauce, allspice, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. You will also need a little bit of cornstarch to thicken the gravy.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to cook turkey breast with sauce?
Step #1: Sear the seasoned turkey breast skin side down until golden. Flip it.
Step #2: Add chopped onions and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Step #3: Add chicken stock and simmer, covered, for about 35 minutes. Remove the meat from the pot.
Step #4: Add the sauce ingredients, except cornstarch, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step #5: Thicken the sweet and sour sauce with cornstarch slurry.
Step #6: Thickly slice the turkey breast and simmer the pieces in the sauce for about 10 minutes.
Tips
A Dutch oven is perfect for cooking turkey breast with sauce because it holds heat well and cooks evenly. It’s great for simmering the turkey slowly, keeping the meat tender and juicy. The heavy lid helps trap moisture so the sauce doesn’t dry out. Check out this Dutch Oven Turkey Breast Recipe, too.
Adjust the sauce to taste: If you like a sweeter sauce, add a bit more sugar; for extra tang, increase the vinegar. If you like sweet and sour flavors, check out the Hong Kong Style Sweet and Sour Chicken, too.
Use a meat thermometer (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab). To avoid overcooking, check the internal temperature of the turkey. It should reach 165°F (75°C).
Storage
Make ahead: You can cook the turkey breast with sauce one day in advance. Let the food cool and refrigerate the covered pot. Reheat it gently on the stovetop before serving. Reheat it on low heat to prevent the meat from overcooking.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months, defrost them in the fridge, and reheat them well before serving.
What to serve with it?
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📖 Recipe
Turkey Breast with Sauce
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
Turkey breast:
- 2½ lbs boneless turkey breast 1.2 kg, Note 1
- fine sea salt and ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 medium onions finely chopped
- 1¾ cup chicken stock 400 ml
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup ketchup 75 g
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
Turkey breast:
- Sear turkey breast: Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and season it well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in the pot and sear the meat skin side down for 3-4 minutes until golden.2½ lbs boneless turkey breast / 1.2 kg + fine sea salt and ground black pepper + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Add onions: Flip the breast and add the finely chopped onions. Cook for 3-5 minutes.2 medium onions
- Simmer turkey breast: Pour in the stock, cover the pot, and simmer on low heat for about 35 minutes; the internal temperature should be about 125°F/ 52°C; the meat should not be completely cooked through yet. Remove the meat from the pot and keep it warm while you prepare the sauce.1¾ cup chicken stock / 400 ml
Sauce:
- Simmer sauce: Leave the pot on the stovetop and add all sauce ingredients except cornstarch to the gravy. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes.2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar + 4 tablespoons granulated sugar + ½ teaspoon mustard powder + 1 tablespoon soy sauce + ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes + ½ teaspoon allspice + ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper + ⅓ cup ketchup
- Thicken the sauce: In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1-2 tablespoons of cold water to form a thick, pourable paste. Stir the mixture into the sauce and let it bubble a few times.1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Simmer turkey slices: Slice the turkey breast into thick pieces and add them to the sauce. Cover and simmer gently on low heat for about 10 minutes until the meat is fully cooked.
Notes
- Turkey: You can keep the skin on or remove it. If the turkey breast weighs a bit more or less than that, it is ok.
- Internal temperature: The best way to check it is with an instant-read thermometer (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
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