Combine two of your favorite Thanksgiving dishes into one with this Stuffed Turkey Breast recipe. Stuffing and turkey are a match made in heaven!
What's In This Article
Turkey Roll
This is actually a stuffing stuffed turkey breast, but that is a mouth full, so stuffed turkey breast it is!
I don’t know about you and your family, but we make turkey more than just for Thanksgiving. But with a family of four, I don’t always need to make an entire turkey. That’s when recipes like this stuffed breast come in handy.
Are you having a low-key Thanksgiving? Or just tired of roasting a whole turkey? This rolled turkey breast is a great alternative to making a whole bird.
It is fabulous not just at Thanksgiving, but any day of the year! Make this turkey breast recipe year round to fulfill your Thanksgiving cravings. Turkey and stuffing, all in one.
Stuffed Turkey Breast Ingredients
- Turkey breast – You don’t want to use a bone-in turkey breast for this recipe. Boneless, skinless turkey breasts usually come with a pack of 2, so cut them apart and freeze one or make both, but double the stuffing and butter topping.
- Stuffing – You want this to already be prepared and cooked. If you’re looking for a way to use up leftover stuffing from Thanksgiving, this would be a great way to do it.
- Butter – Softened (not melted) butter will make it easier to work with. Use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt. If all you have is salted, omit the sea salt later in the recipe.
- Seasonings – The seasonings for this delicious stuffed turkey breast are very simple. I use garlic powder, paprika, fine sea salt and ground black pepper. You could also use some fresh herbs, but the stuffing should already have plenty of fresh herb flavor.
- Turkey gravy – To finish off this turkey roulade, I like to top mine with gravy. You can either buy some from the grocery store or make your own.
How to Make Stuffed Turkey Breast
- Prepare oven and boneless turkey breast. To start, you will want to preheat the oven. While the oven is preheating, butterfly the breast so that it is thinner. The even thickness will ensure it cooks a little quicker and more even.
- Tenderize. Then on a cutting board, cover the turkey breast with a piece of plastic wrap and tenderize until it is about 1/4 inch thick using the flat side of your meat mallet. You want it to be thin enough to roll, but not so thin that it starts falling apart.
- Stuffing and roll. Next, spread the cooked stuffing over the entire length of the breast and pack down tightly. From the long end, roll the turkey up into a tight roll.
- Tie up. Wrap kitchen twine or kitchen string around the roll together in several areas so that it stays together. This makes sure the stuffing stays inside the stuffed turkey breast.
- Seasoning. In a small bowl, mix together the seasoning: garlic powder, paprika, sea salt and pepper. If you want a really Thanksgiving-y turkey flavor use my Turkey Seasoning instead.
- Add to turkey. Slather the stuffed turkey breast with the softened butter, then sprinkle with the seasoning mixture.
- Bake. Put it into the oven. Every so often, baste with butter and the pan drippings from the bottom of the pan. Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure the turkey is cooked all the way through.
Serving
After the internal temperature of the turkey breast registers at 165 degrees, remove from the oven and allow it to rest for a few minutes. Don’t skip the resting period. Then you can slice, serve and enjoy!
Now, although I am a huge proponent of homemade stuffing, for this recipe, I usually just grab the store bought box. It is easy and takes about 10 minutes to make.
To make the store bought stuffing have a little more flavor and character, I substitute chicken broth or vegetable broth for water and add 1-2 tablespoons cooked, crumbled bacon. Both are optional.
You can also make a nice turkey gravy from the drippings or buy premade gravy. You can certainly eat it without gravy, too. It is moist and flavorful on its own.
If it’s the holiday season and you can find fresh cranberries, you can accompany the boneless breast with more classics like cranberry sauce and sweet potato casserole.
With that said, if you are a “crispy stuffing” person, this stuffed turkey breast might not be your favorite recipe. Since the stuffing is inside the turkey, it stays a little moist and never gets the crunchy bits so many people like.
Not to say this isn’t a delicious recipe, I just don’t want you to be disappointed. With that said, I am a “crispy stuffing person” and I actually loved it, so give it a whirl and try it for yourself!
Storage & Freezing
This recipe is best eaten fresh, so I don’t recommend making it ahead of time. You can, however, prep the turkey rolls, tie them and then place them in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Leftovers can be heated in the microwave or oven.
Stuffed turkey breast can be frozen after being cooked. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost at room temperature before heating in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes.
Chicken
This recipe would be delightful with chicken, but a turkey breast is WAY larger than a chicken breast.
If you do use chicken, you’ll likely need to make each one on a smaller scale, probably 2 tablespoons of stuffing per breast, and make about 4 breasts. You can use poultry seasoning or the spice blend listed.
Cooking time will also reduce greatly, probably about 40 minutes, but use a meat thermometer to check the doneness at 165 degrees.
Turkey Recipes for Thanksgiving
- Herb Mayonnaise Roast Turkey Breast
- Orange Thyme Turkey
- Juicy Roast Turkey
- Roast Turkey in an Electric Roasting Pan
- Thanksgiving Turkey Burgers
- Orange Sage Turkey Breast with Sherry Cream Sauce
Stuffed Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 1 large turkey breast *
- 1/2 cup cooked stuffing/dressing
- 2 tablespoons butter , softened
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Turkey gravy , if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Butterfly turkey breast so it is thinner.
- On a cutting board, cover turkey breast with plastic wrap and tenderize until about ¼ inch thick. It needs to be thin enough to roll, but thick enough to not be totally pulverized.
- Spread cooked stuffing on the entire area, patting down tight.
- From the long end, roll turkey breast up tight.
- Using cooking twine, tie in several areas so it stays together.
- Slather top with softened butter, then season with garlic powder, paprika, fine sea salt and ground black pepper.
- Bake for 60-75 minutes, basting every 15-20 minutes with butter and browned bits. The actual cooking time with vary based on the thickness of your turkey roll.
- Bake until the center registers at 165 degrees.
- Remove and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve with gravy, if desired.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!
Do you think I could make this a week or two ahead and freeze?
Sure!
What type of pan are you using to fit the stuffed breast on for baking? 13×9, cookie sheet or roaster? Thanks!
Hi Ryan, I used a 13×9, but you can also use a rimmed baking sheet. I would avoid a flat cookie sheet and a roasting pan is probably too large.
This was really amazing! Everyone at my house was impressed!
I made this yesterday and it turned out great. I followed the recipe to the T and am so glad I did. I have a habit of changing or adlibbing and it always comes out wrong. So I finally learned my lesson with that! I will be saving this to make again!
What a great recipe!! If someone is not having a big Thanksgiving meal, this is a perfect way to not having to cook a big turkey but still enjoy turkey!!
I love that the stuffing is right there in it, rather than on the side.
This is such a brilliant idea, and the seasoned butter on the outside makes it so amazing!