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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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 🙂
What size turkey breast should use for this recipe?
Hi Susan, the recipe calls for 1 whole (2 halves) (5-6 pound) skin-on turkey breast.
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.