This Thanksgiving Turkey Breast Roulade is a total showstopper! Golden brown, roasted turkey breast is rolled up around a sweet and savory chestnut and sausage cornbread filling and drizzled with a silky flavorful gravy. Gorgeous and delicious, this Turkey Roulade is the perfect main for the holidays!
Sound the alarm and gather the troops, because it is time for the center piece of your Thanksgiving table. The piece de resistance. The holy grail of turkey day. The actual turkey! Yay!
Oh, ohhh. And the gravy! Double Yay-Yay!!
I do still have more Thanksgiving NSN recipes for you, but I wanted to kind of skip forward to the main dish, because I know most of you preorder your turkey.
Or, you plan your entire meal around the gobble, gobble platter of yum.
So, I thought I would be oh so nice and share my go-to turkey recipe now, so you have plenty of time to prepare.
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About this Thanksgiving Turkey Breast Roulade with Stuffing
Juicy, tender turkey breast rolled up tight around sweet, savory, earthy and rich stuffing.
This holiday turkey breast roulade is gorgeously golden brown on the outside and mouthwateringly juicy on the inside with flavorful, moist, perfectly cooked swirls of stuffing.
Generously drizzled with a silky, smooth, rich gravy, this turkey situation is like two-in-one holiday gift from the culinary Gods! I mean, this roulade is basically the two very best parts of Thanksgiving, literally all rolled into one!
If you are a whole turkey traditionalist, you might look at this royal roulade and think: ‘Where is the rest?’, ‘Where are the thighs and dark meat??’ Where is the wish bone???’ ‘Where is the crispy skin?*’ ‘Where is the BIG BIRD?!?’
My response? Let’s do something different this year! And, I promise you won’t be disappointed!’
This stuffing filled turkey roulade is elegant and refined. Not to mention, healthier for you. Which is perfect, because now you don’t have to feel so guilty when you want to indulge in more sides and dessert. Score!
And, in case that didn’t sell you, this stuffing filled Thanksgiving turkey breast roulade is also a lot more time efficient, as it can be prepared in advance AND only takes less than 2 hours to roast! Can I get a high five?!
*If having crispy turkey skin is a non-negotiable holiday tradition, I have included that option in the notes section of the recipe below!
What is a turkey roulade?
A turkey roulade is a dish made up of rolled turkey and a filling. The filling, or inside rolled layer, can be anything from stuffing as seen here, to thinly shaved meats (like proscuitto), vegetables and grated cheese.
A roulade is traditionally found in various European cuisines, and the term orginates from the French word ‘rouler’, which means ‘to roll’.
To serve, roulades are sliced into rounds to reveal the gorgeous filling.
How to roll a turkey roulade?
While a roulade does look impressive, it really is quite easy to roll together!
I put together a step-by-step How To Roll a Thanksgiving Turkey Breast Roulade photo collage below for you to reference.
As well, here are some tips and tricks on how to roll a perfect turkey roulade:
- Make sure you butterfly the turkey breast and use a mallet to gently pound the turkey breast to an even (3/4-inch) thickness.
- When stuffing the turkey roulade, make sure to leave a 1-inch border on all sides and make sure to not mound the stuffing or the turkey will be very difficult to roll. If you have any leftover stuffing, place it in a buttered baking dish and bake it alongside the turkey during the last 45 minutes-1 hour of roasting.
- Make sure you roll the turkey starting at one end, jelly roll style.
- Be sure to tie the rolled turkey roulade firmly with kitchen twine every 2 inches to form a compact cylinder.
How to roll a turkey roulade step-by-step in photos:
What to serve with a Thanksgiving turkey breast?
What to serve with a turkey roulade will greatly depend on the filling and preparation of the roulade. However, you can serve any type of side with a roulade – from salads to carbohydrates.
If you were making an Italian roulade (Involtini), then fresh tomato sauce and pasta is a great choice.
Since this Thanksgiving roulade already features stuffing, I would steer clear of more dressing recipes. Instead, opt to serve your turkey breast with a different type of traditional (or non-traditional!) holiday side. I love this thanksgiving turkey with classics, such as potatoes, rolls and roasted vegetables. But you do you! Below are some ideas to help inspire:
5 side dish ideas to serve with turkey
- Bread: Buttery bread, like fluffy dinner rolls, are a must for sopping up turkey gravy!
- Rice: A nutty wild rice salad or even simple steamed brown rice works well.
- Potatoes: Everything from baked potatoes and rustic mashed potatoes to sweet potatoes and potatoes gratin.
- Casseroles: Hearty, cheesy casseroles, such as cheesy brussels sprouts and cauliflower casserole, are traditional pairing options.
- Vegetables: Throw your favorite veggies on a baking sheet, toss them with oil and seasonings and roast for an easy side dish option.
Make this your year to shine and be the hostess (or host) with the mostess! Think outside the traditional box and add this Thanksgiving Turkey Breast Roulade to your holiday menu!
Until next time, friends, cheers – to looking like a culinary rock star with an easy, yet elegant main that is guaranteed to please!
Cheyanne
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How to make an Easy Thanksgiving Turkey Breast Roulade recipe at home👇
This Turkey Breast Roulade utilizes THIS STUFFING. <— Click for the recipe
Thanksgiving Turkey Breast Roulade with Stuffing
Equipment
- Cheesecloth
- Kitchen Twine
Ingredients
- ½ Recipe of Roasted Chestnut and Sausage Cornbread Stuffing -Prepared & Unbaked (SEE NOTES)
- 1 (3 pound) Turkey Breast - boned and butterflied (SEE NOTES)
- 1 teaspoon salt - plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper - plus more to taste
- 1 ½ TBS Butter - melted
- 1 TBS Olive Oil
- Sachet:
- ¼ tsp Whole Black Peppercorns
- ¼ Yellow Onion – peeled and roughly chopped
- ½ Celery Rib (with leaves, preferably the inner part of Celery Stalk) – roughly chopped
- 1 large sprig Thyme
- 2 large sprig Parsley
- 1 Clove Garlic - smashed
Gravy: (yield 1 1/3 Cups of Gravy)
- 1 quart low sodium Chicken Stock
- ½ Cup White Wine
- 2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 TBS + 1 tsp Potato Starch
- 1 TBS Heavy Cream (can substitute half and half)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place a baking rack on a sheet pan or into a roasting pan.
- Pound out turkey: Lay the butterflied turkey breast between two large pieces of plastic wrap on clean work surface. Use a mallet (or rolling pin) to slightly pound turkey breast to an even ¾’’ thickness. Remove plastic wrap and discard.
- Add stuffing: Sprinkle turkey with salt and pepper. Spread the stuffing mixture, in a ½’’ thick layer, evenly over the turkey leaving a ¾-1’’ border on all sides. Be careful not to overstuff the turkey or you will have a difficult time rolling it up. Transfer any remaining stuffing to a buttered baking dish and follow baking instructions below, adding it to the oven alongside of the turkey in the last hour of cooking.
- Roll the turkey: Starting at the shortest end of the turkey breast, skin removed side down, roll the turkey up and over the stuffing, jelly-roll style. Use your fingers to tuck in any stuffing that escapes on the sides as you roll. Firmly tie up the turkey roulade with kitchen twine every 2’’ to form a compact cylinder.
- Season the roulade: Brush turkey with butter and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Brown the roulade: Heat oil in a large skillet, Dutch oven, or roasting pan (something large enough to hold the roulade) over medium high heat. Once hot, add turkey seam side down to pan. Sear roulade on all sides until golden brown, about 5-6 minutes total. Check the side you are searing every minute, depending on how hot your pan is. You want to brown it on all sides, not burn it.
- Roast: Transfer the turkey roulade, seam side down, to the rack insert. **Keep the pan you seared the turkey in, you will use the brown bits stuck to the bottom to make your gravy**. Roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the center reads 160 degrees (be sure to test internal temperature in a few places. My turkey roulade took 1 hour, 25 minutes to reach 160 degrees F).
- Rest: Remove the turkey from the oven and tent with aluminum foil. Allow the turkey to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before carving into ½- ¾’’ thick slices.
- While Turkey is roasting, prepare the gravy: Make a sachet by laying a large piece of cheese cloth on a clean work surface. Place all sachet ingredients in the middle of the cloth, bring up the sides and tie the top with kitchen twine to form a small bag. (See picture included in blog above). Add chicken stock and sachet to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook until stock is reduced to 2 cups, about 25-30 minutes. Set aside.
- Place the pan you seared your turkey in over medium heat, add wine and vinegar. Cook until reduced by ½, scraping up brown bits left in the pan.
- Add the reduced stock and bring to a simmer. In a small mixing bowl combine potato starch with 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons of water to form a slurry. Whisk slurry mixture into stock. Continue simmering the gravy, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes, or until mixture has thickened to desired consistency. Season generously with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Turn heat down to low and stir in heavy cream. Keep gravy covered, over low heat and stir occasionally until ready to use.
- When ready to serve, remove the gravy from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve Roulade with gravy and extra stuffing on the side if using.
Notes
- Turkey Breast can be skinless or with skin still on depending on your preference. If you want the traditional crispy skin on the outside of your roulade carefully remove the skin before starting with step 1 and set it aside. Continue as instructed stuffing and rolling the roulade. BEFORE trussing the roulade take the turkey skin and wrap it around the roulade, encasing it. Then proceed with trussing the turkey roulade.
- For the stuffing filling, make sure you prepare the stuffing recipe, but do NOT bake it! Meaning - follow the recipe for the stuffing from step 1 THROUGH step 6 (stop when you hit the "bake" step). The stuffing can be prepared up to 2 days in advance.
- This roulade only uses 1/2 of the recipe of stuffing. You can cut the ingredient measurements in half, or you can prepare the full recipe and serve the other half as a side dish! To Use Extra Stuffing as a Side Dish: Butter a baking dish or shallow gratin dish. Transfer extra stuffing to prepared baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake alongside turkey for 40 minutes. Uncover, brush with 1 tablespoon of melted butter and continue to bake until top is golden brown, about an additional 30-40 minutes.
- The turkey roulade can be prepared in advance through step 4. Simply wrap the roulade in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator overnight. Before brushing with butter, browning and roasting, allow the roulade to sit on the counter, at room temperature, for 30 minutes.
Nutrition
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This looks delicious! So, is my understanding of the siding recipe correct? I’m just supposed to gather all the ingredients for the stuffing, and wrap them in the turkey breas? Or am I supposed to follow the stuffing recipe to a certain point?
Can’t wait to try it out!
Hi Joe,
Happy Holidays!
I went ahead and updated the recipe to hopefully be a little clearer about the stuffing. This roulade uses prepared and unbaked stuffing mixture. So, if you are looking at the chestnut stuffing recipe, you will want to follow recipe instructions 1 through 6. Stop once the stuffing is fully mixed together, right before baking. You can prepare (mix together) the stuffing recipe up to 2 days in advance. Let me know if you have any other questions! I’m always here to help! Cheers!! 🙂
Did I miss it, or is there no gravy recipe for this amazing sounding recipe? If there is none, can you tell me where I can find it?
Thanks
Hi Tracy,
You must have overlooked the gravy. It is included in the recipe – please see step number 9… It’s in bold. Cheers!
A roaring success! I just made this today for some friends since I was making a Thanksgiving dinner (late) in Italy, where a whole bird is hard to find, and storing it in smaller fridges and roasting it in even smaller ovens are near impossible. It came out of the oven and my friends were blown away, and they ate almost the whole thing! I will definitely remember this recipe and roulade tutorial for another time.
My only comments are that the turkey meat came out a bit dry (especially on top), and the strings were difficult to remove before serving. Do you have any suggestions? I did my best to watch the oven temperature and even covered the roulade with foil for a part of the cook time… :/
But again, overall it was a huge hit and delicious!
Hi Ian,
I’m so glad it was a roaring success!
Unfortunately, turkey breast can come out a bit dry if you overcook it (always remember to temp your turkey breast because no two ovens are alike – different ovens run at different temperatures). I normally dry brine my turkey breasts first. If yours came out dry, I would highly suggest doing that in the future as it’s super quick and easy to do!
As for the strings, they should be very easy to snip off using kitchen shears, and then you just gently pull the twine off the turkey.
Let me know if you have any additional questions or need more clarification on anything!! I am always here to help!
Cheers! 🙂
This was a great recipe. We may make this every Thanksgiving from now on.
Hi. This recipe sounds wonderful and we’re going to make it for Thanksgiving. Do we use one long piece of kitchen twine or individual, shorter pieces to make the knots. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Sue,
I used individual pieces of twine. If you go back through the post, you will see I have photos of rolling the roulade and tying it for visual aid! Let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving!
I am planning on feeding 7 adults, one child. Would you recommend making 2 roulades?
Hi Rachel,
Honestly, it depends how big of an appetite your guests have. If you are feeding 7 people with smaller appetites and you are making a bunch of sides, you should be able to get away with 1 roulade. Unfortunately, without knowing your guests personally, I can’t really answer that question. I suggest you follow your gut instinct! Sorry I couldn’t be more of a help with that question. If you have any other questions, please do let me know! Cheers and happy holidays! 🙂
Thank you. I think I will make two so we can have left overs 🙂 I have been looking on YouTube at videos of making Roulades. Do I need to pan sear prior to roasting? There seems to be many cooking options. Appreciate your time! Looking forward to trying this recipe
Hi again Rachel!
I do sear this roulade prior to roasting (step 6 in the recipe). I highly recommend searing the turkey first to develop that gorgeous golden brown color! The searing only takes about 6 minutes total, so I do recommend going ahead and doing that before roasting (you won’t regret it). 🙂
I’m always here to help, so do feel free to ask more questions should you have them! Cheers!
Okay, this is a winner and I am officially a fan of making a roulade! This turned out perfect. Moist turkey breast with delicious stuffing in every bite. For a holiday or special meal it is really a pretty dish too. Once you slice it and see the spiral inside… it’s a wow kind of dish. We really enjoyed this Turkey and Stuffing Roulade and I will definitely be making this for my guests at Christmas. Yay! If you want to see a picture of it I’m up on Instagram and put the hashtag of #nospoonnecessary and #ChefCheyanne to give you props for the recipe and technique. My husband really loved dinner tonight!
Hi Trish!
I love your idea to use the split ziplock to roll up the roulade! And, as a crispy skin fan, I adore that you kept the skin for encasing the roulade! I’m so thrilled you enjoyed this recipe as much as we do! Thank you so very much for coming back and letting me know how everything went over! I am on instagram and can’t wait to see your beautiful photo! If you could tag me @nospoonnecessary, I will be sent a notification and definitely won’t miss seeing it. Thank you again for stopping by and for the kind words! Comments like yours are the reason I blog! Cheers! 🙂
Making this today. I have a 4 person Christmas dinner this year and the thought of a whole turkey for just the 4 of us was too much food. This should fit the bill perfectly. As I’ve never done a roulade before I am trying it out now for just me and my better half. I found it easier than I thought to roll it up. I just thought of it as a sushi roll and used a gallon sized ziplock I split so it was a flat sheet of heavy duty plastic as a rolling guide. It rolled right up nice and tight. I also used your tip of wrapping it with it’s skin so we still have that yummy crispy skin with it. I loved your process and your description of how to do this and it truly worked well. I admire anyone who’s gone through culinary school and as a new reader to your blog, kudos to you! I’ll add to my comment and add a rating after it’s done cooking later tonight – before we fall into a turkey coma. Just wanted to say hi and thanks for the recipe!
This sounds wonderful, and I plan to try it this Thanksgiving. I purchased 2 seasoned butterball turkey breasts, one is savory herb and one cajun, because I have family members who like things spicy! : ) I do have a couple questions though….I generally brine my turkey. Do you think that’s necessary? Also, since turkey breasts can be dry, I was wondering about using a roasting bag to bake them. Have you ever used a roasting bag for the roulade? Thanks in advance for your response!
Hi Angela,
I’m a fan of spicy things as well, so using a Cajun turkey breast sounds wonderful! You can absolutely brine your turkey breasts and use a roasting bag if you would like! Both of those things will simply ensure a more juicy, moist turkey, so go for it! 🙂 Let me know if you have any other questions! Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you have a beautiful Thanksgiving!
Sorry I’m clearly not seeing it- but could you send me the link to the stuffing recipe?
Hi Kate,
I have two stuffing recipes, but the specific stuffing I use for this roulade is this stuffing – https://www.nospoonnecessary.com/chestnut-sausage-cornbread-stuffing/
The other stuffing, in case you are interested, is this croissant stuffing – https://www.nospoonnecessary.com/croissant-caramelized-onion-sausage-pecan-stuffing/
Please let me know if you have any other questions, Kate!! Cheers and thank you so much for stopping by!
What a beautiful and classy recipe! I always want to leave on vacation for Thanksgiving because the food is so bland and boring. But this recipe totally makes up for it. I”m not sure I could easily do that rolling but it looks gorgeous the way you did it. I’ve made rouladen before (the German type, http://oldworldtaste.com/germanrouladen/) but this is such a new variation.
I just wanted to THANK YOU for this amazing recipe!! I usually work a 1/2 day on holidays and your recipe took the stress out of my day!! And allowed me to still create a traditional Turkey for our Thanksgiving Holiday! Side note: I usually hate stuffing like your boy…and this one hit the mark for me…I usually dont touch it! SO thankful for you…wonderful…food…creator…!
~Elaina, Poulsbo WA
Hi Elaina,
Thank you SO much for coming back and letting me know how it went! I am thrilled you and your family enjoyed the turkey.. AND the stuffing!! It is people like you who keep me blogging. Thank you for making my day with your kind comment!! Wishing you a wonderful holiday weekend! Cheers! 🙂
Hi, I am doing a roulade for the first time this Christmas. I have looked at numerous ideas and methods and have a question. On one site they said you can assemble your roulade the night before and refrigerate. I know that with a stuffed turkey that is an absolute no no! Is it safe with the roulade?
Thanks! Loved all your info.
Hi Paige,
I don’t know what roulade you are making, so it kind of hard to answer your question. But, I would NOT assemble the roulade in advance and let it sit overnight. Best of luck and thank you for stopping by!
The last step of the instructions you write:
The turkey roulade can be prepared in advance through step 4. Simply wrap the roulade in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator overnight. Before brushing with butter, browning and roasting, allow the roulade to sit on the counter, at room temperature, for 30 minutes.
So do you think it is ok to stuff the roulade and store in fridge overnight? Or do you think there’s a potential for bacteria to ruin a beautiful roulade?
Hi Cici,
Since this recipe doesn’t deal with the whole bird (no dark meat or bones), the stuffing cooks through in exactly the same time it takes the turkey breast to reach doneness. So to answer your question, it should be fine to stuff the roulade in advance. However, if this makes you nervous, you can absolutely just prepare the stuffing and butterfly/season the turkey in advance, then roll them together the day of. I hope this answers your question! Please let me know if you have any other questions! Cheers and thank you so much for stopping by!
Where do you find a turkey breast? I couldn’t find one at my grocery store…
Hi Jessica! Most grocery stores should carry turkey breasts… if you can’t find one, I’m assuming they sold out. You could try a more specialty store, like Fresh Market, if you have one near you. Sorry I can’t be more help!! Good luck!! 🙂
I called around to my local stores, asked for the meat department, and then asked for a 3 lb boneless Turkey breast. They were able to hold it for me. It came frozen, wrapped with a sting wrap, and somewhat deconstructed. So thawing it out properly was the key.
So smart to call around and reserve the turkey breast!! And yes, properly thawing always helps. 😉 Cheers to you and your successful Thanksgiving!
Should I cover the breast when putting it in the oven?
Hi Courtney, I think you are asking if you should cover the roulade with aluminum foil while baking.. and the answer is no you do not, unless your oven runs hot. If you are worried, I would start to check the turkey towards the end of roasting, and if it is browned to your liking, go ahead and cover it (gently) with foil until it is finished roasting. I hope that answers your question!! If not, please let me know. Cheers!
For the stuffing, do you only go through step 6 of that recipe before spreading it on the turkey? I’m not sure if I bake it as part of that recipe first!
Thanks,
Adrian
Hi Adrian,
I think you are asking if the stuffing is ‘raw’ before being rolled into the turkey.. and the answer is yes. The stuffing is raw when you roll it into the turkey. So the turkey and stuffing bake together. You can take the remaining raw stuffing, transfer it to a baking dish and bake it along side the turkey. Let me know if I didn’t answer your question! I’m here to help! 😉 Cheers!
Perfect – thank you!
question about the temperature probe. should i put it in the middle of the roulade (all the way to the middle of the stuffing) or just past the turkey meat? if i put all the way in the middle and wait for that to reach 160 wont the turkey meat be way over cooked?
Hi Mike, great question!! You want to temp the turkey, not the stuffing. So you would need to make sure the probe is inserted into the turkey breast itself. I insert the probe lengthwise into the side of the turkey.. so, parallel to the inside stuffing. Let me know if that doesn’t make sense!! 😉 Cheers!
so, if the butterflied turkey breast is a 1/2 inch thick u r landing in the middle of that? seems youd want to be on the inside edge of where the stuffing meets the breast. im making the stuffing fresh so it will be hot, so i dont have to worry about the middle being warm. will try this tomorrow thanks for the recipe
Hi Mike, You are exactly right. You do want to temp on the edge of the breast. When you roll the roulade, you should be able to see exactly where the turkey breast is, so you just want to make sure you are temping into that, and not the stuffing. Hope you love the roulade as much as we do!! Let me know if you have any other question!
If I am making 2 breasts or even 3 how does baking time differ???
Hi Michelle,
The roasting times shouldn’t be any different, however make sure you select two (or three) turkey breasts that are the same weight, this will ensure the times are about the same. I would rotate the roasting pans during cooking and I would definitely make sure you use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkeys. Let me know if you have any other questions!! Thank you for stopping by! 🙂
Hi, I’m thinking of making this for Thanksgiving this year. I was wondering, with the roasting pan for searing the roulade, are you expected to have two of them? One pan for searing and one for actually putting into the oven? Or do you just put the rack insert into the oven (in which case all the drippings would drip directly into the oven so I’m guessing not). Please let me know!
Hi Calley,
If your roasting pan is okay for using on the stove, you can absolutely sear the turkey in that. Then remove the turkey and place the rack in the pan, then add the turkey to the rack. Otherwise, simply use a large skillet for searing the turkey and then transfer it to the rack inserted in a roasting pan. I hope that helps!! Feel free to leave me another comment if you have any more questions! I hope you and your family love this roulade as much as we do! Cheers!
3 pounds before or after it’s deboned?
Great question, Jae! After. Most grocers sell a boneless turkey breast for a reasonable price. Thank you so much for the question and stopping by! Let me know if i can clarify anything else! Cheers! 🙂