Weekend Gourmet Flashback: Small-Group Thanksgiving...Featuring Pomegranate-Honey Glazed Air Fryer Turkey Breast #thanksgiving2021 #smallgroupcelebration #turkeybreast #airfryer #pomegranate #honey

 

Thanksgiving is THIS WEEK! Can you believe it? For smaller groups...or any other post-Thanksgiving Day celebrations you have planned, why not roast a whole turkey breast instead of making an entire bird? Today, I'm re-sharing one of my most popular recipes of 2020: Pomegranate-Honey Glazed Air Fryer Turkey Breast. It's a fun, modern take on classic roasted turkey that features a sweetly savory exterior...and a perfectly cooked interior. Everyone who tastes this turkey raves...then asks for the recipe!

Cooking with an air fryer saves time in the kitchen, because it cooks food faster than a traditional oven. It also frees oven space to cook other Thanksgiving menu items! The end result here is a turkey breast that's tangy and mildly spicy outside, while remaining juicy and tender inside. That's can be difficult to achieve with white meat turkey! Before being roasted, the turkey breast is liberally seasoned with a quick homemade spice rub. After an initial 15-minute roast, the fruity pomegranate-honey glaze is brushed on the turkey breast in two additions as it continues roasting. The finished turkey breast is served on a platter, sprinkled with jewel-like pomegranate arils. It's paired with simply roasted baby potatoes. This recipe is proof that good things come in small packages. It also makes a beautiful centerpiece to your holiday table! 

Pomegranate-Honey Glazed

Air Fryer Turkey Breast

adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients (serves 4-6 people):

• Bone-in turkey breast, 3-4 pounds
• Pomegranate arils (seeds), for garnish

For the spice rub:

• 1 TBS poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp. white pepper
• 1 tsp. dried parsley 
• 1/2 tsp. paprika

For the glaze:

• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 TBS red wine vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. white pepper

For serving: baby potatoes OR diced sweet potatoes that are tossed with 1-2 TBS olive oil, salt, and pepper. The prepped potatoes are then roasted in the air fryer at 400℉ for 15-20 minutes.

Directions:

Step 1: Make the spice rub by adding the poultry seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper, parsley, and paprika in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Rinse the thawed turkey breast and pat dry with paper towels. Evenly apply the rub to the turkey breast, pressing firmly to ensure an even coating. Heat air fryer to 400℉. Place the turkey breast in the air fryer skin side down, and cook for 20 minutes.

Step 2: While the turkey breast cooks, make the glaze. Add the pomegranate juice, honey, red wine vinegar, garlic clove, and salt & pepper to a non-stick saucepan over Medium-High heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to Medium. Cook until the mixture reduces to 1/2 cup of thickened syrupy glaze. After the initial 20-minute roast, remove the turkey breast from the air fryer and liberally brush with half of the pomegranate glaze.

Step 3: Roast the glazed turkey breast an additional 20 minutes, then repeat the glazing step above. Bake for a third 20-minute interval, then test for doneness. Place a meat thermometer inside the deepest part of the turkey breast; it's done when the internal temperature reaches 160℉. If the temperature is low, continue to roast the turkey in 5-minute intervals. Recheck until you meet the temperature requirement.

Step 4: Let the roasted turkey breast rest on a platter for approximately 15 minutes before slicing -- this gives the juices a chance to redistribute. If your potatoes are prepped while the turkey is roasting, this is a perfect pocket of time to roast them in the air fryer. To serve, place the cooked turkey breast on a serving platter, surrounded by the roasted potatoes. Just before serving, sprinkle the entire platter with pomegranate arils.

This turkey is delicious, and it comes out of the air fryer perfectly cooked! The outside is lightly spicy from the rub...and tangy-sweet from the caramelized glaze. The best part is that the turkey meat inside is juicy and flavorful. If you're not typically a lover of white meat because it's dry and flavorless? This recipe will definitely change your mind! The roasted potatoes are a perfect pairing for this turkey...and the pomegranate seeds provide a really nice pop of color and flavor to the finished dish.