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Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breast with Sausage & Herb Stuffing
This stuffed turkey breast is a great alternative to traditional holiday turkey. Not only is it packed with flavor, but it also cooks in just 1-1/4 hours and can be made entirely ahead of time.
If you’re looking for an alternative to roasting a huge bird for the holidays, I highly recommend this rolled turkey breast with sausage stuffing adapted from Food Network’s Patrick and Gina Neely. It’s 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, makes an impressive presentation, 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 down on a countertop or work surface and pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness. 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.
Rolled Turkey Breast with Sausage & Herb Stuffing
This stuffed turkey breast is a great alternative to traditional holiday turkey. Not only is it packed with flavor, but it also cooks in just 1-1/4 hours and can be made entirely ahead of time.
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.
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I made this on Thanksgiving with friends. It was incredible. It turned out moist, full of flavor, and was fairly simple to put together. We all agreed it was so much better than doing a whole turkey. Make sure you get a turkey breast without bones. I highly recommend this recipe. Everything I have cooked from this website has turned out well.
Off the charts DELICIOUS! And, I don’t even like turkey all that much. I made this for Thanksgiving 2020. Even deboned the breast myself. It was my first time (at age 55) ever having cooked a Thanksgiving dinner (Thanks for nothing COVID!), and the fact that I could prep it the day before made it especially appealing. It was wonderfully moist, mouthwateringly delicious and received rave reviews from everyone. I will definitely make this one again and again. I’m not much of a cook, so if I can make this anyone can.
I made this for Thanksgiving 2020 and it was DELICIOUS!! This recipe is definitely a keeper. I made this with your Creamy Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes (for two years in a row). I love that the stuffing is incorporated in every bite. I made my stuffing without the sausage. What is neat is that if you don’t want to eat it all, you can freeze the slices on a cookie sheet and then put them in a freezer back for individual servings later. I did the same with scoops of the mashed potatoes to freeze, too. Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes!!
Recently made this over the holidays. At first it seemed a bit daunting, but Chef Jenn wrote the instructions in a very clear way and it was much easier than anticipated. Our whole family loved this. A tip- ask your butcher to provide a piece thats described here and have them butterfly it. We had to cut it ourselves and it became quite messy and uneven. The end result was still great! Thanks!
I made this, and it was fantastic! My problem was that my butcher got really busy just before Christms, so when I picked it up, the breast he gave me was 3.7 kg! I didn’t have the heart to tell him it was too big, so divided in half, and cooked two – froze one for future eating! I also ran out of skin (took the advice about wrapping in skin later), so used a little smoked ham. I would ask the butch for extra skin next time – I know they have from creating skinless options for others. Other than that – delicious! Would make again! Very moist and flavourful! I will let you know how the frozen re-heated tastes 🙂
We made this for New Year’s Day dinner and it turned out excellent. We scaled the recipe down, using a 1 1/2 lb boned half turkey breast. I forgot to ask the butcher to butterfly it but that was simple to do at home. We cut all the other ingredients down by two thirds except for still using one whole egg and a bit more broth in the stuffing. Even then there was a lot of extra stuffing.
The roast was cooked in about an hour. There is plenty left over and I think even the one third recipe would easily feed four. Served with mashed potatoes and gravy and Brussels sprouts. Altogether it was a lot easier to make than I expected. One thing about cooking times – I sautéed the onions, and then the sausage, about three times longer than the recipe calls for. This might have something to do with the meaning of “medium heat” (I set the electric burner to 5) or perhaps the cookware (non-stick frying pan.) I usually find sauté times a little short in recipes.
Hi Jenn,
Happy New year to you and to your family. Thank you so much for your reply and sharing this recipe. I couldn’t believe I made it I follow your instructions and even watch the Video how to bone in the turkey which I haven’t done it before. very delicious and very juicy and it came out so beautiful. I cooked 5 lb. turkey. I am very impressed and very proud my husband couldn’t believe I made it.
Thanks again
Rose 🌹
Hi Jenn,
I would like to make this on Jan.31 New Years Eve, can I prepare this two days ahead and cook on New Years Eve.
Thanks
Rose 🌹
Sure – see the bottom of the recipe for make-ahead instructions. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
My turkey roll is skinless. How do I cook my turkey roll to keep it from being dry?
Hi Kelly, It’s okay if it’s skinless – it won’t be dry. That said, if you wanted to wrap a few strips of bacon around it, that would be delicious too.
I’ve made this twice now & it’s a family favorite for a smaller group. Great for our small 2020 Christmas Eve dinner. I cooked two – 2 lb breasts which was plenty for 6 adults & lots of leftovers. (one would have been sufficient). I really like that it can be made ahead of time. Thanks Jenn for another great recipe. We’re having your spinach quiche for Christmas brunch – another family favorite ❤️
Hi jenn i plan to make this for Christmas tho I have a few questions! I’ve ordered a 13lb turkey boned and rolled but asked my butcher to butterfly the breast for me. just roll the dark meat. So I’m wondering will this recipe work for my butterflied breast? Also do u have any recipes to then go with my dark meat lol? My mouth can taste this already! I am so excited to try this!
Hi Lynne, I’m not really familiar with what a boned and rolled turkey is, but this will definitely work for your butterflied breast. And I don’t have any recipes for cooking the dark meat separately – I’m sorry! Hope you enjoy and happy holidays!
I did make this recipe and i am making it again for Christmas. It is melt in your mouth delicious and was a huge hit with the family. It was so good, im adding it to the recipe book of my favorite recipes that each Grand child is getting for christmas. Full credit for this one to you! Thank you so much.
Hi! Two questions: 1. I’ve never seen stuffing cubes before in my grocery stores. Is this an American thing? Anything I can substitute? 2. If I want to make this for only four of us. Can I use just one half breast and halve the other ingredients? Thanks!
Hi Naomi, Yes stuffing cubes are a very American thing! You can make your own by cutting a fresh loaf of bread into small cubes and letting it dry out overnight on the countertop (alternatively, you can dry the cubes in a 300°F/150°C oven for 20 to 25 minutes). And it’s perfectly fine to use a half breast and halve the other ingredients. Hope that helps!
Thank you!! Now that you say that, I’ve seen this in our stores. I was imagining something different! Just bread cubes – unseasoned, right? Thanks so much!
Yep 🙂
Amazing! Made this for Thanksgiving along with mashed cauliflower, roasted carrots with thyme, cranberry sauce and homeade gravy. Family raved and declared it as the best Thanksgiving dinner to date. Thanks Jenn!!!! Btw….duck fat in the gravy worked extremely well! Also, bourbon pecan pie is to live for 😄
Jenn does not disappoint! I followed this recipe to the letter and it turned out FANTASTIC! Don’t think I’ll be going back to the bird…
This was delicious. I brined my turkey breast and made my stuffing. It was so moist. My husband said who wants dark meat when the breast tastes like this. It was the first time I cut the turkey off the bone and it wasn’t hard at all. Perfect for us this Thanksgiving it was just he and I. We still have leftovers and just like you said, it doesn’t take long.
This was perfection! It had all the boxes checked – gorgeous, impressive looking, absolutely delicious and easy to make! I’m so glad I tried it. The dish got raves from my husband and son! Thank you for this. It really helped make our Thanksgiving (just us three – and delivering some to my mom at her home) so very special.
Excelente Recipe!!!!
In your instructions for prepping the turkey breast, you say to pound it skin side down then flip it over and fill with stuffing skin side down. I assume you pound it skin side up?
Hi Alan, That was a typo in the step-by-step tutorial – thank you for catching it! Pound with the skin side down and then add the stuffing on top of the skinless side. Hope that clarifies!
Hi Jenn, Will this create enough drippings for gravy? Thanks! Mary
Hi Mary, It really doesn’t make a lot. I use mostly chicken broth for my gravy when making this recipe.
can the breast be brined before?
Sure, Christina, but it’s really not necessary. The meat gets really tender after being pounded, and the stuffing lends plenty of flavor. If you do brine it, omit the salt on the turkey.
Once again we’ll be having a Thanksgiving dinner courtesy of your wonderful recipes! Even in this restricted environment, we’re looking forward to enjoying of some of your delicious creations, although there will sadly be fewer of us. I’m about to make this turkey roll recipe — may I substitute Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix bread crumbs for the bread cubes? I happen to have that on hand. I’m thinking that the herb seasoning in the mix will only add to the wonderful flavors of your recipe. If so, would about 7 cups of the bread crumb mixture equal the 9 cups of bread cubes? Thank you, Jenn!
Sure, Toni — and I think that sounds about right. The good news is that the recipe is very forgiving so it doesn’t need to be exact. Happy Thanksgiving!
Can the turkey roll be prepared the day before, stored in the fridge and baked Thanksgiving morning?
Sure, just make sure everything is cold when you assemble and refrigerate it right away. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn! I really appreciate your recent e-mail related to Thanksgiving and how it will be very different this year. It inspired me to make an all Jenn menu this year for our small gathering and I’m so excited! 🙂 For the main entree I’ll be preparing the rolled stuffed turkey gravy. As this recipe doesn’t produce pan drippings I thought I’d substitute a bit of Epic brand duck fat I purchased recently. Any thoughts on that? I know duck fat can be rich so I was thinking maybe a couple of tablespoons…..
Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and thanks for all you do for us home cooks!
I think a few tablespoons of duck fat sounds wonderful, Candice. So glad you enjoy the recipes and happy Thanksgiving!
Jenn, I’ve been eying this recipe for a couple of years and with the immediate family only, this is the year (along with your make ahead mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts gratin, cranberry sauce and peanut butter tart or pumpkin cheesecake). How many days in advance can I get the turkey boned and butterflied from the store? I figure that’s something I’ll have to buy just before Thanksgiving and cannot do ahead. A little concerned about supply and the butcher doing this for me if I wait til just before but safety if I get it early. Thank you!
Hi Janet, I usually order it for pick up on the Tuesday or Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
Thank you that’s really helpful! I can’t wait to have a Thanksgiving with your recipes. My family knows when it’s yours it’s going to be good!
Jenn, just to thank you for your recipes and responses, and let you know that this was fabulous for Thanksgiving. I had a 6 lb turkey once boneless but the butcher at Fresh Market butterflied it very nicely. I made it with all your dishes–gravy, make-ahead mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts gratin, cranberry sauce and southern biscuits. Everything was delicious! The hardest part is figuring out how to make it all hot at once. I wanted to make your choc cream pie or peanut butter tart both of which I’ve made before but had not planned ahead and they require refrigerating. (We had the Karo syrup recipe pecan pie instead) Thankful to you for sharing your talent and bringing it to the home cook!
So glad it was a good meal! 🙂
Hi Jen….I’m planning on making two of these…do I need to adjust the cooking time to accomodate? Thank you!
Hi Vikki, It really depends on how big they are, but two will generally take a bit longer to cook. I suggest using a instant-read or leave-in thermometer to take out the guesswork.
Hi Jen,
Going to try this rolled turkey breast with sausage and herb this year. Question: can I use a spicy chicken sausage instead of the mild Italian pork sausage?
Hoping to get a jump start this weekend.
Sure, Ellen – that should work. Hope you enjoy!
It was terrific.
Can I freeze leftovers?
Sure (and glad you liked it)!
This recipe was the best! Very moist and flavorful and very easy to make. Never making a turkey again.
Does this go also with your turkey gravy and cranberry sauce receipes? Thank you! Moni
Sure – enjoy! 🙂
Can I double the stuffing recipe and cook part of it in a separate pan?
Sure – enjoy!
Hi Jen! I’m addicted to your recipes – thank you so much for your wonderful recipes! I’m planning on making the rolled turkey breast and I’m wondering if I can use a larger breast – say 6-8 pounds boneless. Do you think the recipe would turn out as good?
Hi Marci, It might be difficult to pound out such a large breast, but it should work. Hope you enjoy!
I’m so excited to make this recipe this Thanksgiving… Will this produce any pan drippings for gravy? If not do you have a suggestion for gravy to make ahead that doesn’t need the drippings? Thank you Jen!
Hi Vikki, This really doesn’t produce pan drippings. You can use this recipe but use all chicken broth. Hope that helps!
Jenn thank you so much for the suggestion! After reading all the wonderful reviews I’m excited to make this gravy. I always make your recipes feeling confident that the finished dish will be delicious.
Hi, I made this rolled turkey recipe a couple years ago. It was the best turkey breast I’ve ever made! My teenage grandchildren, who say they don’t like turkey, raved about it. However, I found pounding the breast thin enough virtually impossible. so it was difficult to roll and the result was a mass of delicious turkey with dressing oozing everywhere!
Hi, again Jenn!
I’m making this wonderful recipe again this year but would like to make the stuffing without the sausage as I will bake the excess as one of our vegetarian offerings (for my daughter). Can you suggest how I should modify the rest of the recipe if I were to omit the sausage component?
Many thanks and have a great Thanksgiving!
Mary
Honestly, the sausage adds so much flavor, that I wouldn’t recommend preparing this without it — sorry!
This has been my turkey recipe since I discovered it last year Christmas. It was so good and everyone loved it. Can’t wait to make it for thanksgiving . I did not change anything on the recipe.
Hi Jen! This looks delicious. I don’t have an oven right now. Can I cook this on a gas grill? If so, what temp would you cook it on? Covered or uncovered?
Hi Amy, I wouldn’t recommend it — sorry!