Turkey Roulade (Stuffed Turkey Breast)

This Turkey Roulade with Cranberry Stuffing and gravy is the perfect Thanksgiving or Holiday meal for a smaller gathering.

Turkey Roulade

This Stuffed Turkey Breast with Cranberry Stuffing also known as a Turkey Roulade is great when you don’t need to make a whole bird, such as for a smaller family Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving. I typically make this Dry Brine Turkey when I host a large Thanksgiving, but when I have friends over, or just want Thanksgiving any time, I love making this smaller turkey breast. Serve this dish with your favorite Thanksgiving sides like Green Bean Casserole, Spinach Gratin, or Scalloped Potato Gratin.

Can You Make Turkey Roulade Ahead?

You can prepare the stuffed turkey a day ahead and bake right before eating. Butterfly the turkey breast and then roll it up with stuffing. Then, I place the skin back on and tie it with string. The skin makes the turkey even juicier, but you can discard it after cooking if you prefer.

Ingredients

(see full recipe with measurements below)

Turkey Breast:

• A large boneless turkey breast half with skin
• kosher salt
• Several pieces of cooking twine
• A bit of salted butter, softened

Stuffing:

• Whole wheat French bread, cut into small cubes
• Butter
• Half a medium onion, minced
• One large stalk of celery, minced
• A few fresh sage leaves, minced
• Chopped parsley
• Turkey or poultry seasoning
• A pinch each of kosher salt and fresh pepper
• One large egg, beaten
• Chicken broth
• A handful of dried cranberries, chopped
• A piece of heavy-duty foil

Gravy:

• Turkey or chicken broth
• A couple of fresh sage leaves
• Turkey or poultry seasoning
• All-purpose flour
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

How To Make Turkey Roulade

For the Cranberry Stuffing:

1. Stale cubed bread works best for this recipe. You can prepare the bread cubes in advance and let them sit out to harden.
2. If using fresh bread, dry out the bread cubes in the oven. Place them on a baking sheet and bake until they are firm, stirring occasionally for even drying.
3. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery, parsley, sage, turkey or poultry seasoning, a small amount of salt, and pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are soft.
4. Remove the skillet from heat, let the mixture cool slightly, then transfer it to a large bowl. Combine with the dried bread cubes and cranberries. Stir in the broth and egg until well mixed.

For The Turkey Breast:

1. Carefully remove the skin from the turkey breast, keeping it intact for later use. Trim any excess fat and remove the tenderloin.
2. Butterfly the turkey breast on a cutting board. Then, cover it with plastic wrap and flatten it to an even thickness in a rectangular shape.
3. Season both sides of the turkey with salt. Spread the stuffing over the turkey, leaving a border around the edges.
4. Roll the turkey breast in a jelly roll style, placing the reserved skin on top.
5. Use cooking twine to tie the rolled turkey breast, trimming any excess twine. Apply a thin layer of butter on the top.
6. Preheat your oven. Place the turkey breast on a baking pan and cover it tightly with foil. Cook in the oven until the stuffing reaches a safe internal temperature.
7. After cooking, uncover the turkey and broil to brown the skin. Let it rest briefly before making the gravy.
8. For the gravy, combine all ingredients in a pot, including any drippings from the turkey. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Let it simmer until thickened, then remove the herbs.
9. To serve, remove the twine from the turkey breast and slice it. Serve with the gravy.

How to Butterfly the Turkey Breast for Roulade:

1. Use a sharp paring knife and your fingers to remove the skin from the breast, reserving the skin. Turn the turkey over so the side that had skin faces down and lay it flat on the cutting board.
2. Holding the blade of the knife parallel to the board about halfway down, slice into the thickest portion of the breast. Cut along the length of the breast but not all the way through.
3. Unfold so that the turkey opens like a book. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until the turkey is of uniform thickness (about 1/4 inch).

How do you keep a turkey breast from drying out?

Covering the baking dish with foil, makes the turkey breast extra juicy with lots of pan drippings to make gravy. The foil makes the turkey juicy while also creating pan drippings for the turkey gravy that would otherwise dry up. Once the turkey is cooked, I remove the foil and brown the skin under the broiler for a few minutes. The cranberry stuffing inside the turkey also keeps it from drying out.

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