Stuffed Turkey Breast with Sausage & Herbs
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Hello Jenn,
I prepared this 3 days ago and put in the freezer;
I am planning to serve tomorrow evening. My plan was to bake off ahead of time today or this evening however, I don’t think will be completely thawed in time. Can you please tell me the most efficient and safest way to defrost as quickly as possible so I may bake off ASAP?
Does it have to be completely thawed before baking and would that change the oven temp??
Many thanks, Kim
Hi Kim, I may be weighing in too late to help, but I think it would be fine to put the turkey breast in if it’s mostly thawed. I wouldn’t change the oven temp — it may take a little longer to cook through, so just make sure you leave enough time to get it to 155°F while in the oven.
Thank you Jenn, it turned out perfectly!, and with rave reviews too!!
Hello Jenn, I’ve made this recipe before with great success. I am planning a dinner party and would love to serve this but one of my guests cannot do any form of grains. How do you think this would work if I were to leave the bread part out of the dressing?? Many thanks, Kim
Hi Kim, This really relies on the stuffing, so unfortunately I don’t think this would be a great option. Sorry!
Making this now, the stuffing alone is to die for! I have made your regular sausage stuffing and I don’t remember it being THIS amazing!
Did I miss the instructions on cooking the leftover stuffing separately? What temperature? How long?
Hi Renee, Glad you like the stuffing! The baking instructions for the remaining are at the bottom of the 4th paragraph of the instructions: Place the extra stuffing in a buttered 8-inch baking dish, and bake during the last 40 minutes of the turkey’s cooking time. Hope that helps!
Photo shows turkey breast skin side up even tho the instructions say to place it skin side down. Would it be possible to remove the skin before pounding and putting it back on to enrobe the meat?
Hi Marilyn, Yes that will work. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn
I apologize if this has already been answered- I can’t seem to find my post from a few days ago.
My question is can this stuffing recipe be adapted for a butterflied pork roast? Also can I stuff the roast and freeze it before cooking the roast?
Thanks Jenn!
Hi Nicole, it should work nicely for a butterflied pork roast and it’s fine to assemble and freeze it. 🙂
Hi Jenn
As usual a fabulous recipe!
Would you be able to use your dressing as illustrated in a pork loin roast?
Thanks!
Nicole
Glad you liked it! Yes, this would also work with a pork loin. I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Hi Jenn
I froze the pork loin but did use your dressing in stuffed pork chops. It was fabulous! I served the chops with a sauce made with Dijon mustard, honey chicken broth and fresh rosemary.
Thank you again for all that you do!
Nicole
Me again, I forgot to say I made my own bread cubes using a very good quality sour dough crusty bread, leaving the crust on as well. I just cubed the bread several days in advance so the cubes were perfectly dry when it came time to make the dressing. Excellent flavour!
Thanks!
I will never eat turkey any other way again! My husband and I are not fans of a traditional turkey dinner so when I came across your recipe for a rolled stuffed turkey breast, I decided to give it a go and we LOVED this recipe! It’s a keeper! I was able to purchase an organic boneless turkey breast, just perfect for this dish. I added sliced leeks, several handfuls of baby spinach and chopped parsley to the stuffing but otherwise stayed true to the recipe. I did not have any issues pounding the turkey to an appropriate thickness. It was a therapeutic experience! I served this with your wonderful Cranberry Orange Sauce with a Creamy Celeriac Mash side dish. All wonderful flavours together.
Don’t be intimidated trying this recipe, it is truly worth the effort!
Thank you for such an excellent recipe!
Santa was wonderful this year as I received your recent cookbook – Weeknight – Weekend and I cannot wait to try more of your wonderful recipes!\Happy New Year everyone!
My husband and I made this stuffed turkey breast for Christmas dinner for our family. I have been making turkey for Thanksgiving and/or Christmas for over 50 years, and, although each meal was delicious, I have NEVER gotten rave reviews like I did this time. Even our not-so-fond-of-turkey son-in-law said it was good. Our teenage granddaughter proclaimed this is the only turkey she will eat in the future, and our daughters agreed that this was the best tasting turkey they ever had. I am convinced that the sausage stuffing was the game changer. I made the recipe exactly as was written with the exception of basting it a couple of times with a mix of butter and chicken broth . We could only get a three pound breast, but that only meant a bit more stuffing on the side. I assembled it the day before, and popped it in the oven 2 hours before serving time. It was cooked to perfection, juicy and oh-so-flavorful. By family demand, this will be our turkey recipe of choice in the future. Thank you for this incredible recipe.
Hello Jen, I have made this before and is the absolute best ever!! I put one together yesterday and have decided way bigger than my husband and I will need. Is it okay if I cut it in half and freeze, prior to baking??? Many thanks for all you do.
Sure, Kim, that should be fine. 🙂