Turkey Roulade with Sausage Stuffing
This delicious and juicy turkey roulade with sausage stuffing is a perfect holiday dinner for small gatherings–one breast serves 4 people.
If you’re looking for an alternative to roasting a huge turkey for the holidays, I highly recommend this turkey roulade with sausage stuffing from a recipe I found on Cooking for My Soul. The recipe takes a bit of time due to the brining process, but it’s so worth it because it turns out so juicy, flavorful, and delicious! I used one breast for this recipe (there were two breasts in the package) but I think the brine & stuffing amount is enough for both turkey breasts. Since I had leftover stuffing, I baked it in a small baking dish along with the roulade and it was delicious! This turkey roulade paired perfectly with creamy mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, apple cranberry sauce, and green beans.
How to Make a Turkey Roulade with Sausage Stuffing
Brine the turkey breast:
Mix one cup of water with Kosher salt, brown sugar, garlic, rosemary, and thyme in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes until dissolved. Remove from the heat and pour it into a large bowl.
Add the remaining 3 cups of cold water along with the ice cubes. Side Note: The brine should be cold, if it isn’t, place it into the refrigerator until cold.
Add the turkey breast to the cold brine. Weigh it down with a plate so it stays submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours but no longer than 15 hours so it won’t get too salty.
Make the stuffing:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Italian pork sausage and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking into crumbles, until browned and cooked. Remove from the skillet to a plate and set aside.
Add the butter to the same large skillet and once melted, add the onions, celery, and apples. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened about 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste, stirring often, for 1 minute.
Return the cooked sausage back to the skillet along with the bread cubes and parsley then stir to mix thoroughly. Add the broth and stir until mixed thoroughly and nice and moistened throughout. Side Note: Add additional broth as needed if the stuffing is dry.
Taste the stuffing and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste if needed. Set aside to cool completely.
Make the turkey roulade:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat an 8-inch baking dish very well with butter.
Cut about 5-6 long strands of kitchen twine and set aside until needed.
Pat the turkey with paper towels until VERY dry all over, especially the skin.
Butterfly the turkey breast:
Slice the turkey skin side up, lengthwise from the longer side, but don’t slice all the way through, stopping about 1-inch before reaching the other end with your knife. Open the turkey breast like a book. Cover the whole turkey with a large piece of plastic wrap.
Pound the turkey breast evenly with a kitchen mallet until ½-inch thick.
Spread the cooled stuffing evenly over the turkey breast leaving a ¼-inch border. Side Note: You will probably have excess stuffing so either make an additional turkey roulade or place the remaining stuffing in a small baking dish and bake alongside the turkey roulade.
Tightly roll the turkey breast from the shorter end, as tightly as possible. Tie and knot the rolled turkey breast evenly with the prepared kitchen twine as tightly as possible. Place the turkey roulade in the prepared baking dish.
Brush the turkey roulade evenly with melted butter very well. Season well with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
Place into the oven and bake for 65-75 minutes, turning the baking dish halfway through cooking, until a meat thermometer inserted in the center registers 165 degrees.
Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes before carefully removing the twine and slicing. Serve and enjoy.
Ingredients
Turkey:
- 1 turkey breast, skin on and boneless **My turkey breast package was 3 pounds and had two boneless breasts connected by the skin. I used 1 breast with its skin for this recipe but it works for using both.
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Brine:
- 4 cups water, divided
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
- 5-6 large cloves garlic, minced
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 large sprig of fresh rosemary
- 3 cups ice cubes
Sausage Stuffing:
- ½ lb ground pork Italian sausage **You can use spicy if you prefer!
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced finely
- 1 cup celery, diced finely
- 1 small honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored, and diced finely
- 4 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped finely
- ½ tsp fresh rosemary, chopped finely
- ½ tsp fresh sage leaves, chopped finely
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 6 oz boxed stuffing mix (classic or herbs), to taste
- 1 cup chicken broth, or more as needed **You can also use vegetable broth
Instructions
Brine the turkey breast:
- Mix one cup of water with Kosher salt, brown sugar, garlic, rosemary, and thyme in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes until dissolved. Remove from the heat and pour it into a large bowl.
- Add the remaining 3 cups of cold water along with the ice cubes. Side Note: The brine should be cold, if it isn't, place it into the refrigerator until cold.
- Add the turkey breast to the cold brine. Weigh it down with a plate so it stays submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours but no longer than 15 hours so it won't get too salty.
Make the stuffing:
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Italian pork sausage and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking into crumbles, until browned and cooked. Remove from the skillet to a plate and set aside.
- Add the butter to the same large skillet and once melted, add the onions, celery, and apples. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened about 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic, thyme, rosemary, sage, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste, stirring often, for 1 minute.
- Return the cooked sausage back to the skillet along with the bread cubes and parsley then stir to mix thoroughly. Add the broth and stir until mixed thoroughly and nice and moistened throughout. Side Note: Add additional broth as needed if the stuffing is dry.
- Taste the stuffing and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste if needed. Set aside to cool completely.
Make the turkey roulade:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat an 8-inch baking dish very well with butter.
- Cut about 5-6 long strands of kitchen twine and set aside until needed.
- Pat the turkey with paper towels until VERY dry all over, especially the skin.
Butterfly the turkey breast:
- Slice the turkey skin side up, lengthwise from the longer side, but don't slice all the way through, stopping about 1-inch before reaching the other end with your knife. Open the turkey breast like a book. Cover the whole turkey with a large piece of plastic wrap.
- Pound the turkey breast evenly with a kitchen mallet until ½-inch thick.
- Spread the cooled stuffing evenly over the turkey breast leaving a ¼-inch border. Side Note: You will probably have excess stuffing so either make an additional turkey roulade or place the remaining stuffing in a small baking dish and bake alongside the turkey roulade.
- Tightly roll the turkey breast from the shorter end, as tightly as possible. Tie and knot the rolled turkey breast evenly with the prepared kitchen twine as tightly as possible. Place the turkey roulade in the prepared baking dish.
- Brush the turkey roulade evenly with melted butter very well. Season well with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.
- Place into the oven and bake for 65-75 minutes, turning the baking dish halfway through cooking, until a meat thermometer inserted in the center registers 165 degrees.
- Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes before carefully removing the twine and slicing. Serve and enjoy.
That looks super tender and flavourful!
Love the idea of stuffing a boneless turkey breast instead of a large turkey. Perfect for small families.
I’m not a big fan of turkey *except turkey salad) but I’m sure I would love this. As Guy Fieri says, that stuffing would make a flip-flop taste good and I think the roulade is a clever idea.