Rolled Turkey Breast with Sausage & Herb Stuffing
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A delicious (and make-ahead!) alternative to traditional holiday turkey.
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.
What You’ll Need To Make Rolled Turkey Breast with Sausage & Herb Stuffing
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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Rolled Turkey Breast with Sausage & Herb Stuffing
A delicious (and make-ahead!) alternative to traditional holiday turkey.
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 (includes a side of stuffing - 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 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!
Can’t wait to try this for Christmas lunch! Wasn’t easy to find turkey breast with skin on where I live..so I got the thighs instead. Do you think cooking time is more or less the same?
Yes, I suspect the timing will be about the same. Please LMK how the thighs turn out!
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.
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).