Stuffed Turkey Breast with Sausage & Herbs
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Looking for a smaller, more flavorful turkey option for the holidays? This stuffed turkey breast is juicy, packed with flavor, and cooks in just over an hour. It’s also make-ahead friendly and easy to carve—perfect for a stress-free holiday meal!
Whether you’re cooking for a smaller crowd for the holidays or looking for an alternative to traditional turkey, this stuffed turkey breast is the answer. Adapted from Patrick and Gina Neely, it is much more flavorful and juicy than your typical roast turkey and cooks in just 1¼ hours. What’s more, it can be made entirely ahead of time and is a cinch to carve. The hardest part of the recipe is pounding the turkey breast thin, so I suggest asking your butcher to do it for you. This recipe has become part of my family’s Thanksgiving tradition—everyone prefers it to traditional roast turkey, even the dark-meat lovers. Sometimes I even make it in addition to roasting a large bird to guarantee we have plenty of leftovers.
“I have been making turkey for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas for over 50 years…I have NEVER gotten rave reviews like I did this time.”
What You’ll Need To Make Stuffed Turkey Breast
- Butter: Adds richness and helps soften the vegetables for the stuffing base.
- Onion, Celery, and Garlic: Create a savory, aromatic foundation for the stuffing, adding layers of flavor and a slight crunch.
- Mild Italian Pork Sausage: Infuses the stuffing with savory, slightly spiced richness; chicken or turkey sausage can be used for a lighter option.
- White Wine: Deglazes the pan, adding acidity and depth to the stuffing.
- Fresh Rosemary and Thyme: Add earthy, aromatic flavors that complement the turkey and stuffing.
- Egg: Acts as a binder to hold the stuffing together.
- Stuffing Cubes: Serve as the foundation for the stuffing, absorbing the flavors from the sausage and vegetables. Store-bought is perfectly fine.
- Chicken Broth: Moistens the stuffing, ensuring it stays flavorful and tender during roasting.
- Parsley: Adds freshness and color to balance the richness of the stuffing.
- Turkey Breast: The recipe calls for a 5 to 6-pound whole bone-in turkey breast. Ask your butcher to bone and butterfly it for you, or, even better, see if they’ll pound it to 1/2-inch thickness to save you a step. If you prefer using a boneless breast, aim for one around 4 pounds to account for the missing bone weight.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Used to coat the turkey breast, helping it achieve a crispy, golden exterior.
- Homemade Gravy: The perfect finishing touch for serving, turkey gravy adds moisture and flavor to the dish.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
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.
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. 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.
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 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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Stuffed Turkey Breast with Sausage & Herbs
Looking for a smaller, more flavorful turkey option for the holidays? This stuffed turkey breast is juicy, packed with flavor, and cooks in just over an hour. It’s also make-ahead friendly and easy to carve—perfect for a stress-free holiday meal!
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)
- ½ 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
- 1¾ cup low sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 whole (2 halves) (5 to 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, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ 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 ½-inch thickness — this takes some time and muscle so be patient. Rub the meat with 1 tablespoon of the oil, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Spoon about half of the stuffing in an even ½-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 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 ½ 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 ½-inch thick slices and arrange on a platter. Serve with gravy.
- Note: Ask your butcher to bone and butterfly the turkey breast for you (you can also ask if they will pound it to a ½-inch thickness to save you a step later). If you're buying a boneless turkey breast, look for one that is about 4 pounds.
- Make Ahead: The recipe can be prepared and cooked 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)
- 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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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.
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).