Rolled Turkey Breast with Sausage & Herb Stuffing
It’s turkey time, people. If you’re planning on roasting a traditional Thanksgiving bird, you can read my advice and watch a funny (and reassuring) video about cooking turkey here. But if you’re open to trying something a little different — or don’t want to bother with roasting a huge bird — I highly recommend this rolled turkey breast with sausage stuffing adapted from Food Network’s Patrick and Gina Neely. It’s so much more flavorful than your typical roast turkey and cooks in just 1-1/4 hours. What’s more, it can be made entirely ahead of time and is a cinch to carve.
To begin, make the stuffing. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until soft.
Add the garlic and sausage and continue to cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is cooked and slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the wine, rosemary and thyme and cook for two minutes more, using your wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg, stuffing cubes, chicken broth, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and sausage mixture.
Stir until all the bread is moistened.
Place the butterflied turkey breast skin-side up on a countertop or work surface and pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Flip the breast over so it’s skin-side-down, then spoon about half of the stuffing in an even 1/2-inch layer over the breast, leaving a 1-inch border all around. (You’ll cook the remaining stuffing separately.)
Starting at the long end, roll the turkey into a long cylinder. Tie the roll with kitchen string with about 1-1/2 inches between each knot, and then trim the strings.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place an oven-proof rack over top. Place the turkey seam-side down on the rack, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roll reads 155°F.
Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest, loosely tented with foil for 15 minutes. The turkey will rise in temperature as it rests to 165°F. Snip the kitchen twine. Transfer the roll to a cutting board and slice into 1/2-inch thick slices.
Arrange on a platter and serve with gravy.
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Rolled Turkey Breast with Sausage & Herb Stuffing
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 large stalks celery, finely diced
- 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 8 ounces mild Italian pork sausage, casings removed (or substitute chicken or turkey sausage)
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 9 cups store-bought seasoned or unseasoned stuffing cubes
- 1-3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 whole (2 halves) (5-6 pound) skin-on turkey breast, boned and butterflied (see note)
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Homemade gravy, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sausage and continue to cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is cooked and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, rosemary and thyme and cook for 2 minutes more, using your wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg, stuffing cubes, chicken broth, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and sausage mixture. Stir until all the bread is moistened.
- Place the butterflied turkey breast skin-side down on a countertop or work surface and cover with plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound the turkey breast to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Rub the meat with 1 tablespoon of the oil, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spoon about half of the stuffing in an even 1/2-inch layer over the breast, leaving a 1-inch border all around. (Place the extra stuffing in a buttered 8-inch baking dish, and bake during the last 40 minutes of the turkey's cooking time.)
- Starting at the long end, roll the turkey into a long cylinder (start at the end with less skin; this way the skin will end up mostly on the outside of the roll). Don't worry if the stuffing peeks out in some spots. Tie the roll with kitchen string with about 1-1/2 inches between each knot, and then trim the strings.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place an oven-proof rack over top. Spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray. Place the turkey seam-side down on the rack. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon oil and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roll reads 155°F. Remove the turkey from the oven and let rest, loosely tented with foil for 15 minutes. The turkey will rise in temperature as it rests to 165°F. Snip and discard the kitchen twine. Transfer the roll to a cutting board and slice into 1/2-inch thick slices and arrange on a platter. Serve with gravy.
- Note: Ask your butcher to bone and butterfly the turkey breast for you. If you'd like to do it yourself, watch this how-to video. If you're buying a boneless turkey breast, look for one that is about 4 pounds.
- Make Ahead: The recipe can be made 1 to 2 days ahead of time, covered, and stored in the refrigerator. Slice the turkey roll cold and reheat, covered, in a 300°F oven until warm, 40 to 45 minutes.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Serving size: Note that data includes a side of stuffing
- Calories: 1063
- Fat: 56 g
- Saturated fat: 15 g
- Carbohydrates: 53 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 82 g
- Sodium: 2100 mg
- Cholesterol: 253 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Reviews & Comments
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Jenn, as I mentioned in my review of your high-heat turkey recipe, I also tried this lovely dish over Thanksgiving this year, just to make sure I had enough turkey. I couldn’t believe how easy and beautiful it was! It cooked in exactly 1 hour and 15 min and I absolutely loved the look of it on the platter – so gorgeous and fancy! I thought the process of rolling it up might be a little daunting, but found it very straightforward. I did wrap the roll in one layer of cheesecloth to help keep the stuffing from creeping out after prep (I made it earlier that morning and chilled it until cook time). This may just beat out the big bird next year!
So glad everything turned out, Mary! ❤️
Similar to another review here, the hardest part for me was butterflying the turkey breast. I only just realized that I rolled it the wrong way – rolling “left to right” as it was pictured here. It resulted in a much thicker roast and inevitably some of the stuffing “breached” while roasting. But still, I didn’t overcook it and everything was tasty and tender.
I did struggle a little with the stuffing because my wife is gluten free and we usually just replace stuffing cubes with breadcrumbs we make ourselves from a nice gluten free bread we like. We usually have to tweak the measurements though, and this time it was all a little too moist, as the bread is not as dry as stuffing cubes. I either need to use more stale bread or halve the stock or white wine in the sausage mix, to keep stuffing a little drier and make the roast easier to carve. But it’s very tasty, relatively easy and a perfect option for our small family! Will be trying again for Christmas!
I made this yesterday with a 5lb boneless turkey breast that I had ordered from Whole Foods. I did not realize when I ordered the turkey that I had to specify I wanted it boned AND butterflied so my husband and I attempted to butterfly it after watching a few YouTube videos. We were not able to pound the meat down to 1/2″ so as a result, our roll was shorter in length and had a larger diameter than what is pictured here. We wrapped the part of the roll that didn’t have skin on it in bacon. It took about 2 hours to cook. Despite our butterfly issues, the turkey was delicious and so much easier to carve than a boned breast. Next year I will not make the same mistake and I will be sure to ask the butcher to butterfly the breast too.
Just made this for a small Thanksgiving family dinner. It was fantastic! The turkey was so tender. My turkey lovers and non turkey lovers alike loved it! SO much easier than making the whole turkey.
Delicious!! I made this for my family this year for Thanksgiving, but just used half a breast as it was a small crowd of us. It was much easier than I expected and sooo good. I took the advice of a previous reviewer and wrapped the entire thing in bacon. Also, since whole turkeys were much cheaper than the breast, we deboned one and used the neck and giblets as additional meat for the stuffing and gravy. My mother in law said it was a gourmet meal…thanks Jenn!
I would like to add some ground beef in addition to the sausage (I will be using a poultry sausage). Do you have any suggestions regarding this? Should the ground beef be cooked completely and the fat drained before adding to the rest of the ingredients?
Yes, I think that would work. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Jenn,
Could I eliminate the onions in the recipe? I really dislike them especially on or in meats.
Thank you.
Hi Jacqueline, the onion adds a lot of flavor to this, but I think you could get away with it (and perhaps you could add one more garlic clove to the mix). Enjoy!
I like sage and cornbread stuffing. Do you think replacing some, not all, the bread stuffing with cornbread and using breakfast sausage with sage instead of Italian sausage would work?
Sure (and you could replace all of the stuffing in the recipe with this if you’d prefer). Hope you enjoy!
Made it for an impromptu fancy family meal. Very easy to assemble, the salt and spices are on point. Served it with cranberry sauce, recipe from this site, and mashed potatoes. Definitely a keeper and easier to make than the whole bird.
I made this for Christmas dinner and it was a HUGE hit! I can’t get whole turkey breasts where I live, so I asked for the largest turkey cutlets the butcher had. I pounded them so I’d be able to fill and roll them and it worked perfectly. I even fit them into a casserole dish which was just big enough for all the “rolls” so they wouldn’t open. That way I didn’t have to tie them.
Since there was no skin on the cutlets, I put a few bacon slices over top for added flavour. My meat lovers raved! That stuffing is amazing!
I can’t wait to try this. Love all your recipes, and I am so excited about your cookbook. Just preordered 3, one for me of course, and one for my daughter and daughter in law. I don’t think the girls will mind an early birthday present. Hope you have a great new year. I have one question. If I have a rather large chunk of parmigiana reg. cheese left, can I grate it and place in the freezer? It is a little expensive, and I love it, but don’t want to waste it. Thanks.
Hi Laura, Thank you for your sweet note and support with the cookbook. I hope you and your girls enjoy it! ❤️ And yes it is fine to freeze grated Parm.
Made this for Thanksgiving and felt like such a professional! Recipe was so simple to follow and tasted perfect as is (as usual with Jenn’s recipes). Served it with the homemade gravy linked in the recipe and Jenn’s parmesan mashed potatoes. Would definitely make again!
We tried this recipe for Thanksgiving. I made it as written, except that I omitted the wine in the stuffing. Everyone thought it was good, but even with the resting period, it was difficult to slice. Also, the Italian sausage didn’t really add much flavor to the stuffing. However, the next day…wow, it was terrific! It sliced and reheated beautifully, and the turkey was tender. Delicious! We will make this for Christmas, but we’ll prepare it on Christmas Eve and reheat the next day. This is a great recipe!
Other reviews address de-boning, etc.
It makes a lovely presentation. For a smaller group or if the leftovers aren’t wanted, one option could be to devide the boned breast in two and freeze one half. It is a great deal of meat!
I added a cover of cheesecloth that I had brushed with olive oil, and removed about 30 minutes before it was estimated to be done. Do this if you are concerned about too much browning in your oven.
Check the temperature of the roast carefully and do not overcook. It gets dry quickly. With stuffing you need to be careful where your temperature probe is.
Tip: If your turkey breast is skinless, drape with overlapping strips of bacon and then proceed to tie off as noted.
Off topic …. but his method also works really well for pork tenderloins or any other roasted meat to keep them moist.
This is a fairly time consuming recipe but worth the effort. I had never deboned a turkey breast but used the same technique as when deboning a chicken breast. It was challenging to try to pound out the turkey breast to an even depth. Next time I would cut the breast into two pieces and roll them separately. I used challah bread for the stuffing. My husband loved it and I will definitely try it again. Makes a beautiful display on plate for company!
Phew! This recipe was a lot of work for me. I de-boned a turkey breast for the first time myself (thanks to the helpful video), butterflied it and was really worried that it was going to be too thick even after tenderizing it. Everything turned out really great and I got rave reviews from my family. The stuffing was absolutely delicious– I think I need to add more moisture to mine next time.
If I were to make this again, I would buy a de-boned/butterflied breast from the butcher just because it really was time consuming!
I made this for the two of us for Thanksgiving. We had lots of left overs and amazingly when reheated as you directed, the breast stays moist. I was a little concerned as this was the first year in many years that I did not brine. I live in New England and a friend in L A invited herself for next year when she saw the photo.
I am new to your site and everything I have tried has been superb!
Your rolled turkey breast sausage stuffing it says 9 cups of stuffing – how much is that – I have a 12oz bag
Please let me know
Thank you
Anne
Hi Anne, I believe a 12-oz bag is about 7-1/2 cups. You don’t need to go out and buy another bag; just use a bit less broth. Enjoy!
I asked Whoe Foods to butterfly my turkey. Most stores do not do it. I followed the recipe exactly as written except I used pork sausage. The turkey and stuffing was excellent. The turkey was so easy to serve.
Many compliments. A great recipe.
Jenn, can I roll and stuff the day before baking. If not can I debone breast, pound and then roll the day of baking? Would be nice if I could do it the day before.
Sure, Terry — either will be fine. You can even bake it a day ahead if you’d like (see reheating instructions at end of recipe). Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Jen,
Can I stuff and roll the turkey breast the night before, refrigerate, and then cook the next day? Thank you.
Hi Denise, Yes, that’s fine. You can even cook it a day if you’d like – it reheats beautifully.
I made two of these last year and will be making again for thxgiving this year. What am I thankful for this year? Your wonderful website and recipes. I love you Jenn!
Aww – so sweet! 😊
Getting brave this year and trying this. As much as the stuffing sounds great, I think I will use my family “french” hamburg, pork and mashed potato stuffing w/herbs. My question is, I am having a 20 lb turkey deboned for this, with white meat and thighs. How long should it be cooked? Should I buy a gravy supplement? And, in reading your comments about making a day ahead, doesn’t it dry it out at all/and or why is it better? With such a large bird should I cut it to do to separate rolls? Thanks in advance..I know this has to be a busy time for you and thank you for your prompt responses. Love your recipes and website!
Hi Linda, It’s hard to say without knowing exactly how much the breast weighs. Do you have any idea? If it’s larger than 5 pounds (w/o the bone), I would do two separate rolls. You can use this gravy recipe – there won’t be a ton of drippings but add what you can. Hope that helps!
Thanks so much Jenn..I haven’t weighed it yet, but it was a 20 lb bird before deboning, so it must be at least 16lbs? I will therefore do 2 rolls. Hopefully its not too big for this! Wish me luck!
Hi Jenn,
Debating high heat roast bird method versus this rolled deboned breast… it’s difficult to imagine that sufficient drippings are produced with the stuffed breast to make a gravy. Would you just use some melted butter and stock for the drippings?
Yes, definitely. I vote for the stuffed breast!
What brand of sausage provides the best result? Thx.
Hi Patty, I like the sausage sold at Whole Foods but have also had great results with regular supermarket brands like Premio or Johnsonville.
I am halving this recipe because its just my husband and I. Would I reduce the cooking time in half?
Hi Penelope, The cooking time is likely to be a bit less; the best way to know when it’s done is to use an instant read thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the roll- when it reads 155°F, it’s done. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Do you have any advice on cooking temp/time if I wanted to cook this sous vide and then broil to crisp the skin? I love my immersion circulator but I’m never quite sure what temp/time to cook someyhing unless stated in a recipe.
Thanks!
Hi Alex, I’m not familiar at all with sous vide cooking, so I can’t share much wisdom with you — I’m sorry!
Could you please tell me how thick to slice the cooked turkey roll in order to make it in advance for reheating on Thanksgiving? Thank you!
Hi Linda, If you’re making it in advance and reheating, refrigerate it whole and when you’re ready to reheat it, slice it into 1/2-inch thick slices. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
An excellent recipe! What tweaks would need to be made to make this a chicken recipe. Would love to make this during the winter when turkey breast isn’t as readily available in my area.
Thanks! Lisa
Hi Lisa, I think it’d work but you’ll have to pound the chicken really thin and you’ll still have very small rolls. And the cooking time will be much less (I’m guessing 20-25 min).
Hi Jenn –
What brand/type of bread stuffing do you use? It appears to be in a cello wrapper whose packaging I am not familiar. Might you share please.
Thank you!
Hi Cindy, It’s Whole Foods’ brand.
Thank you!
When I returned from my butcher who deboned and butterflied my turkey breast, I discovered he removed the skin. Should I make adjustments to the roasting method to ensure the breast doesn’t dry out? Temp change? Foil tent? Other ideas?
As the skin only covers part of the breast, I think it should be fine with no changes. Just keep an eye on it – if the top looks like it’s drying out, just tent it with foil. Enjoy!
OR, as I did with a skinless Turkey Breast cover with strips of bacon, This adds flavour and prevents the breast from drying out.
Hi again, Jenn –
I’m probably overthinking the turkey breast. I’ve ordered a 6# boneless that my butcher will butterfly. He believed this would equal to an 8# bone-in. Should I reduce the wgt to #5 boneless instead? I don’t want the roll to be so large that it doesn’t cook properly or won’t fit on the wire rack. I could certainly cut it in two but am more concerned about how this will cook. What would you do?
Hi Cindi, If you’re getting the breast boneless (and you’re planning to serve 8 like the recipe specifies), you could change the order to 4 pounds. If you plan to serve more than 8 people, I’d recommend getting 2 smaller breasts.
Perfect. Now I feel more confident! I thought a 6# boneless may be too large.
Thank you!
Have your tried putting the roll in one of those oven bags? Any tips?
Hi Heidi, I haven’t tried it but really don’t think it’s necessary. It comes out juicy every time. 🙂
How do I safely store leftover rolled stuffed turkey breast? Can’t seem to find an answer on line.
Hi Harriet, It will keep in the fridge, covered, for 2 to 3 days.
Hi Jenn,
I ordered a 6# boneless, butterflied, skin on turkey breast from my butcher. I believe that will equate to about an 8# bone-in. I may have a few extra guests not known until Thanksgiving Day. What, if anything, needs to be modified or should be concerned about with your recipe as noted? Thank you again!
Hi Cindi, You don’t need to, but you could increase the stuffing by 1.5 if you want to have some extra on the side. I always like to have more food just in case! Cook time might be slightly longer but not much. Hope that helps!
Hello Jenn,
I’ve just ordered the turkey breast and am very excited to try this recipe at Thanksgiving. I’ll also do the make-ahead gravy and have a question: Will there be drippings from the breast that I can add to my gravy?
Many thanks!
Hi Josseline, There will be some (and I always add them) but not a ton as the breast is quite lean.
Could I make this without the skin?
Sure, Christine, that will work. Enjoy!
Jenn, traveling and making dinner at my brother’s Thanksgiving. I am going to showcase your rolled stuffed turkey. Would it make sense to order the turkey breast, boned and butterflied beforehand and freeze it? Then defrost the day before? Or I can order locally and pickup when I arrive the day before. Might I make the stuffing the night before and proceed with the recipe the following day? What else of your Thanksgiving classics can be made to travel? Any suggestions to make this fabulous is appreciated.
Thank you, thank you! Cindi
Hi Cindi, You can either order the boned and butterflied turkey breast at home and freeze it, or wait till you you arrive at your brother’s. Yes, the stuffing can be made the night beforehand and refrigerated. And if it makes life easier, the whole dish can be made 1 to 2 days ahead of time, covered, and stored in the refrigerator. Slice the turkey roll cold and reheat, covered, in a 300°F oven until warm, 40 to 45 minutes. Some other make-ahead options you can consider: Sweet Potato Pecan Crisp, Brussels Sprouts Gratin, Sausage and Herb Stuffing (although you’ll have the stuffing in the turkey breast), and roasted carrots. There are some others– you can find some other Thanksgiving classics here. Hope that helps!
Jenn – As always, thank you! This makes traveling and cooking so much easier!
I made this tonight as a test run. It turned out amazing! Thanks for the recipe. Do you think I could freeze the half we didn’t eat tonight and then thaw and reheat according to your directions to use it for a second meal?
Sure, Amy. Glad you enjoyed it!
When rolling the breast does the skin that Is inside the roll cook or is it fatty?
Hi Carol, when the breast is rolled up, you’ll have a little of the skin incorporated, but not much (it doesn’t stretch like the actual meat when you pound it, so it covers a small surface area). It cooks just fine and won’t feel fatty. Enjoy!
Has anyone had any experience with cooking ahead of time and reheating later? I am wanting to do this (in order to fit in a sail with the family pre dinner!) but worried about drying the turkey out. Am planning on brining the turkey breast before hand. Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks.
Hi Brenda, the recipe can be made 1 to 2 days ahead of time, covered, and stored in the refrigerator. Slice the turkey roll cold and reheat, covered, in a 300°F oven until warm, 40 to 45 minutes. Hope everyone enjoys!
What kind of white wine do you recommend?
Hi Dorah, Any dry white — such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, etc. — that’s inexpensive but still good enough to drink will work well. Enjoy!
I’ve had to start a new Pinterest page just for tried-and-true Once Upon a chef recipes. There are so many and I can always count on them to come through! One of my favorites is the turkey roll. Jen makes it so easy and it’s truly a showstopper. Quite a nice change from a big turkey, especially when it’s just two or four of us.
This was so easy and delicious for Christmas Eve-everyone loved it and it saved me from making a big turkey. Came out very moist and delicious–Thank You!
thank you,
thumbs up 🙂 🙂 it came out fabulous. wishing you a Joyous New Year
Hello,
I’m interested in making this for Christmas along with a 9lb roast and baked ziti. We have a crowd coming 🙂
(1) I was wondering if you have a video on how to step by step instructions?
(2) Can you make this ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator for a day or 2?
(3) Also, I would like to know if I you can roast this a day or 2 earlier and just heat it up for Christmas at what temperature?
(4) Last question…how long and what temperature should i cook a 9.69lb?
Oh I omit the wine from the receipt…that’s for the cook:)
Sorry I don’t have a video for this one – just step-by-step photos. But you can definitely prepare and roast it ahead of time and reheat on Christmas (reheating instructions are at the bottom of the recipe). The cook time shouldn’t change too much for a larger breast since it’s rolled, but I would definitely recommend using a meat thermometer like this one. Hope that helps!
What if the chef cannot find a butcher willing to do same ?
Hi Tracy, I’ve included a link in the recipe to a video on deboning a turkey breast. Hope that helps!
Hi, I love your recipes. For this recipe is there a substitute that can be used in place of wine? Thank you!
Hi Laura, It’s fine to just leave it out. Enjoy!
L-O-V-E-D it. I made this for Thanksgiving, for myself & a few girlfriends. OMG. So good. The gravy was spectacular, too. We had the butcher debone and butterfly the turkey breast. Jen, can they also pound it flat??? We could not get it to 1/2 inch or so. And we have a good meat mallet. Ours was thick!
Hi Karen, So glad you and your girlfriends enjoyed it! I don’t see why you couldn’t ask the butcher to pound it — but I guess it depends on the butcher 🙂
I made this with 4 lb butterflied ( thank you butcher!) pork loin, and kept the stuffing the same. I rubbed it with salt pepper sage and oil. I was not sure how long to cook it, but started checking with instant read thermometer at one hour and it was almost done! It only took an hour and 15, then rest time. Came out very nice. Thanks for another great recipe
Just made this over the weekend, and it was absolutely perfect. The sausage in the stuffing lends so much flavor to each bite that it didn’t even need gravy. It was a total hit with both kids and adults, and I’ll definitely be making it again.
A few tips, in case they’re helpful.
1. I was nervous about it drying out if I baked the whole thing ahead of time, but it also seemed a little complicated to do everything the day of, so I did a halfway make-ahead. I made the stuffing and assembled the turkey roll, tied it up, and then refrigerated it overnight. This allowed for the only remaining step to be to rub the olive oil and salt and pepper on the roll and stick it in the oven.
2. For the breast, I asked the meat counter to butterfly an already deboned turkey breast, and mine ended up being only 2-something lbs when I got it home (Jenn’s details say to aim for 4 lbs if buying a boneless breast). I was cooking for a small group, so the only thing I should have altered was the amount of stuffing. I could have reduced that by about half. Bake time was still perfect, even with the smaller breast, at 1 hr.
3. I don’t have a rack for my baking pan, so I just used parchment and had no trouble. It produced very little grease.
4. To save oven space, I created a little aluminum foil “wall” on the opposite side of the cookie sheet and placed the stuffing in patties on the same pan about halfway through. It was perfect, too.
Thank you for this recipe, Jenn!
Had a fun adventure making this for our Thanksgiving feast this year!!! The link to the Test Kitchen video for de-boning the breast gave me the confidence to “go for it”!
Both beautiful and delicious – would not change a thing.
Excellent recipe Jen! I made it on Thanksgiving and it was fabulous. The cooking instructions were spot on and turkey was very moist. The only issues I had was with tying it up. Mine was not as pretty as yours and bondage gone bad.
I would like to make this without pork. Would turkey sausage be ok instead? if I left out the meat entirely how would hat be?
Definitely, Lisa – feel free to use any type of sausage. I wouldn’t leave out the meat entirely as the flavor and fat from the sausage does wonders for the turkey.
OMG! I made this for Thanksgiving last week. It was so good. Really is impressive on the platter and so delicious. Made me look like a super star Chef.
Thanks
This recipe was a bit tricky to make as I couldn’t get a nice deboned turkey breast from my market. After trimming and pounding, and (messy) rolling, the final product was TERRIFIC. Made this the day before thanksgiving along with other sides and the instant meal was a big success. The roll was moist and delicious .
Made this for our Thanksgiving and I will never again make a turkey any other way. this was delish-ish. everyone loved it.
This was delicious. made two. one exactly like the recipe and one with my stuffing: sage sausage, cornbread cubes (Pepperidge farm) and dried cranberries. loved both. Also made Jenn’s potatoes au gratin – wow were those awesome. Love this site so much.
This was absolutely the best this Thanksgiving and so were your cranberries. I can’t believe I loved the stuffing without poultry seasoning. The fresh herbs were wonderful. Thanks so much!
Fabulous recipe! This is going to become a year-round favorite, judging from my family’s raves. A couple things: Take care not to roll turkey skin into the roll; use it for the outside only. I also think this could be made with pounded chicken breasts. You would have to carefully manipulate the pieces/stuffing, but when turkey breasts are harder to find…. Jenn, your recipes are jewels!
Jenn, We had this for Thanksgiving yesterday and everyone agreed that we will NEVER go back to a traditional bird! I prepared and cooked it a day ahead like you suggested then just reheated right before dinner. For the first time in 20 years of cooking Thanksgiving dinner, I was not stressed out all day worrying about my turkey! And it was just so tender and delicious. My family can’t thank you enough for sharing this fabulous recipe!
Happy Thanksgiving Jenn! There are only 6 of us this year and keeping it simple stupid (KISS). Skipping the whole turkey and doing the boneless stuffed rolled turkey breast. I’m hosting my parents and few friends and guests are bringing add’l sides & dessert but I’m also doing roasted butternut squash. All of my cooking is going on Thursday. Can I do roasted butternut earlier 400F and finish it when turkey is in? Advise. Cranberry orange is already made. 5+
Hi Jen, I think that would work fine. And you should feel free to cook the stuffed turkey breast ahead of time — it reheats very well. Happy Thanksgiving!
Making Thursday!
4 people ( two teens) if I want leftovers do you think I should make TWO 4 – 6 lb breasts?
Also, could I add the additional stuffing under the breasts for cooking (get any turkey drippings and kill two birds…. 🙂
thanks
Hi Joanne, This recipe serves 8 so I think you’ll have leftovers with just one large whole breast (try to get one close to 6 lbs), especially if you’re making other sides to go along with it. And you can definitely cook the stuffing under the bird — I’ve done it this way and it’s wonderful; just be sure to generously grease the pan with butter so that it doesn’t stick. Hope everyone enjoys it…please let me know how it turns out!
Hi Jen,
I hope this doesn’t sound too odd, but would it be possible to brown the skin before rolling?
Hi Kathleen, You could but it’s really not necessary. Once the breast is butterflied, pounded, stuffed and rolled, the skin somehow ends up mostly on the outside of the roll. You can always crisp it under the broiler before serving if you like.
Can I substitute cooked rice for the breadcrumbs or do you have another suggestion for gluten free stuffing?
Have you considered gluten-free breadcrumbs? They’re pretty widely available now.
Is there really 1064 calories and 59 grams of fat per serving?
Actually there are 56 grams of fat (not 59), but keep in mind that the nutritional data includes a side of stuffing.
Hi, is only half the stuffing used to stuff the turkey? If so, do you bake and serve the other half?
Yes, Donna – you’ll find directions in the actual recipe (but I’ve updated the photo instructions with that info as well).
You say only half the stuffing spread onto the turkey breast and rolled up, what do you do with the other half? Cook it separately?
Hi Melanie, Yes – see the actual recipe for instructions.
Yes, sorry LOL!!
Hi Jen,
This looks delicious and a nice change from a regular roasted turkey. Can it be prepped a day in advance and cooked on Thanksgiving or would the stuffing get too mushy?
Yes, Patrice – that will work fine. You can also cook it the day before, slice it cold, then reheat. I actually think it’s better that way!
How would you suggest reheating?
Hi Josh, Slice the turkey roll cold and reheat, covered, in a 300°F oven until warm, 40 to 45 minutes.
Can this be made, cooked and then frozen?
Hi Donna, I haven’t tried it myself but I think it would work.
Jenn,
We currently live in Poland, where commercially prepared bread stuffing is not available in stores. Any suggestions on how to make our own version at home? Thanks so much!
Jan
Hi Janis, You can easily make your own — just cut some bread (French or Italian-style loaves would work well) into 1/2-inch cubes and spread onto two rimmed baking sheets. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 300°F (150°C), or until dry and lightly toasted.
Is this two halves of a whole boned turkey breast butterflied and stuffed separately, or a boned whole turkey breast pounded and stuffed as one piece? If the latter, won’t part of the skin end up inside the roll and will this be ok? I ask this because many recipes for butterflied boned turkey breast seem to show a single half breast being cut horizontally almost through. You have not mentioned this, and the linked video does not show the breast halves being separated, or any cutting into the breast.
Hi Tony, It’s a whole turkey breast (with two halves) — boned, butterflied, and stuffed as one piece. So once the breast lobes are removed from the bone, you would butterfly each lobe and then pound the whole thing out. The skin doesn’t really end up being rolled inside because there’s only a small overlap of the ends when the breast is rolled. All that said, you could easily make two rolls with two separate breast halves; just keep in mind that the cook time will be shorter. Does that make sense?
Looks delicious, I only have skinless turkey breast could I use that?
Yes, Christina, that will work. Please lmk how it turns out!
Has anyone tried it without the sausage?
Hi Nia, You could make it with any stuffing, but I do think the sausage adds a lot of flavor (and fat, which helps keep the turkey moist).