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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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.