Recipes » Easy Turkey Roulade Recipe (Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Turkey Roll)

Easy Turkey Roulade Recipe (Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Turkey Roll)

Name: Roasted Turkey Roulade
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 155 min
Ingredients: ¾ cup dried cranberries; ½ cup Brandy (Calvados or Apple Juice); 4 tbsp butter (unsalted); 2 onions ((medium) chopped); 3 stalks celery (1/2-inch-diced ); 1 lb pork sausage ( ground); 1 tbsp fresh rosemary (chopped); 1 tbsp fresh sage (chopped); ¼ cup pine nuts (toasted); 12 oz cubed stuffing mix; 2 cups chicken stock (* or turkey stock); 1 extra-large egg (beaten); Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 5 lb Turkey Breast (- whole turkey breast, boned and butterflied (5 pounds) - Have your butcher do this.); 3 tbsp butter (unsalted, melted)

ByJulie Menghini Published onNovember 2, 2020October 29, 2025 Modified onOctober 29, 2025

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This easy turkey roulade recipe is the perfect blend of sweet and savory flavors that will wow your guests! This 12-ingredient make-ahead turkey roll feeds 6-8 people and cooks in just 90 minutes – much faster than a whole turkey.

JUMP TO RECIPE

Cook Time: 90 minutes | Prep Time: 45 minutes | Serves: 8+ people

Top down view of a slice of turkey roulade swirled with dressing on a white plate. The whole turkey roll it the first slices removed is in the background.

We love that making this turkey roll recipe takes care of the turkey and stuffing without any tedious carving. It’s impressive to look at and maybe looks a little intimidating to make, but it isn’t difficult at all! We’ll show you exactly how to do it.

What is a Turkey Roulade?

A roulade is a cooking technique where ingredients are rolled together. This recipe consists of homemade stuffing rolled into a boneless turkey breast. You might also hear it called a “boneless turkey roll” or “stuffed turkey roll.”

Front view of a sliced turkey roulade on a white platter garnished with sage and rosemary.

Turkey Roulade vs Whole Turkey

Here’s why turkey roulade beats cooking a whole turkey every time:

Faster cooking: No bones means it cooks in 90 minutes instead of 4+ hours
Easier serving: No carving skills needed – just slice and serve
Perfect portions: Great for smaller gatherings of 6-8 people
More oven space: Frees up your oven for side dishes
Built-in stuffing: Turkey and dressing in every slice
Easier storage: Freezes and stores much better than whole turkey

How Long to Cook Turkey Roulade

Temperature: 375°F Time: About 90 minutes (15-18 minutes per pound) Internal temp: 165°F in the thickest part

Since there are no bones, your meat thermometer will give you an accurate reading every time. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing to keep all the juices inside.

Ingredient Tips and Notes

Top down photo of the ingredients used in a turkey roulade recipe including ground pork, onions, dried cranberries, butter, celery, bread cubes, pine nuts, egg, turkey stock, brandy, fresh rosemary and sage.

Turkey breast – Make sure it’s boneless and butterflied. Ask your butcher to do this, or see our tips below on how to do it yourself.

Onions – Yellow onions work great, but use whatever you have on hand.

Butter – We use unsalted butter. If you only have salted, just use less salt in your seasoning.

Bread cubes – Pre-seasoned cubes save time, but you can use homemade bread cubes too. Day-old bread works best.

Pine nuts – These add a nice crunch, but you can swap them for chopped walnuts or pecans. You can even leave them out if you prefer. We roast them for flavor but that’s optional.

Stock – Turkey stock is ideal, but chicken stock works just fine. Store-bought or homemade both work great.

Dried cranberries – Regular cranberries (Craisins) are perfect. You could also use dried cherries for a different flavor.

Brandy – This adds depth to the stuffing, but apple juice or even extra stock works as a substitute.

Fresh herbs – Sage and rosemary are classic with turkey. Fresh thyme would also be delicious if you have it.

How to Butterfly a Turkey Breast

The turkey breast has two sides of meat separated by the breast bone. When you remove that bone, you can flatten the breast into one piece.

Butterflied Turkey Breast laying skin side down.

Important tip: Make sure you buy an actual turkey breast, not just pieces of turkey breast meat. The real thing will have skin connecting both sides, which is what holds your roll together.

If your turkey breast is under 3 pounds, you’ll have a smaller roll and lots of extra stuffing. Our turkey breast was 5 pounds – perfect for feeding 6-8 people.

Make-Ahead Turkey Roulade Tips

This recipe is perfect for busy hosts because you can prep it ahead:

Day before: Make your stuffing and butterfly your turkey. Store both in the fridge separately.

Morning of: Stuff and roll your turkey up to 4 hours before cooking. Keep it covered in the fridge.

After cooking: Cool completely, then slice and freeze individual portions wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the Stuffing

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Melt butter in a large pan and cook onions and celery until soft (about 8 minutes).
Add herbs, cranberries, and pine nuts. Cook 2 more minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in bread cubes.
Mix stock, brandy, and beaten egg in a bowl.
Pour liquid over bread mixture and stir until just moistened.

Stuff and Roll the Turkey

Spread 1/2″ thick
Roll tightly

Lay the turkey skin-side down on a clean surface.
Spread stuffing in a 1/2-inch layer, leaving 1/2-inch borders.
Roll tightly from one end to the other.
Tie with kitchen twine every 2 inches.

Pro tip: A second pair of hands makes this much easier!

Cook the Turkey Roll

Baste with melted butter
Season with salt and pepper

Place seam-side down on a baking rack over a baking sheet.
Brush with melted butter and season with salt and pepper.
Bake at 375°F for 90 minutes or until internal temp reaches 165°F.
Baste with butter again 20 minutes before it’s done.
Rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing.

Turkey Roulade Serving Size

This recipe feeds 6-8 people generously. Each person gets about 6-8 oz of turkey with built-in stuffing. You’ll also have extra stuffing to bake separately in a buttered dish. With all of the side dishes we have on Thanksgiving, this recipe can easily serve 10.

If you’re feeding more people, just use a larger turkey breast (6-7 pounds) and make 1.5 times the stuffing recipe.

How to Store Leftover Turkey Roulade

Refrigerator: Wrap slices individually and store for up to 4 days. Great for sandwiches!

Freezer: Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then place in freezer bags. Keeps for 3 months.

Reheating: Thaw overnight in fridge, then reheat covered at 325°F for 15-20 minutes.

What to Serve with Turkey Roulade

Since your turkey and stuffing are all in one, you don’t need many sides. Sometimes we’ll make some homemade gravy for even more decadence:

How to Make Homemade Turkey Stock

If you buy a whole turkey and remove the breast yourself, save those bones! Here’s how to make stock:

Put bones, neck, and giblets in a large pot.
Cover with water and add chopped onion, celery, and carrots.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 hours.
Strain out the bones and vegetables.
Don’t skim the fat – it adds flavor to your stuffing!

Top angled view of a turkey roulade tied and baked to a golden brown on a white platter and garnished with fresh sage and rosemary.

More Easy Turkey Recipes

Once you try this technique, you’ll want to make more roulades! Try our:

And if you love turkey recipes, check out:

You can find all of our Turkey Recipes here.

I hope you love this delicious recipe as much as we do! Drop me a comment below and give it a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help other home cooks decide if this recipe is right for them too.

angled photo of a slice of turkey roulade stuffed with a swirl of stuffing on a white plate next to a rosemary garnish.

Roasted Turkey Roulade

Author: Hostess At Heart

Learn how to make an easy turkey roulade stuffed with homemade dressing. This make-ahead turkey roll recipe is perfect for small Thanksgiving dinners and feeds 6-8 people. Includes step-by-step photos and a video!

5 from 9 votes

Print Recipe Save this Pin Recipe

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 1 30

Resting 20

Total Time 2 35

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword: Roasted Turkey, Roasted Turkey Roulade, Thanksgiving, Turkey Roll

Servings:

Equipment

Ingredients

¾ cup dried cranberries
½ cup Brandy Calvados or Apple Juice
4 tbsp butter unsalted
2 onions (medium) chopped
3 stalks celery 1/2-inch-diced
1 lb pork sausage ground
1 tbsp fresh rosemary chopped
1 tbsp fresh sage chopped
¼ cup pine nuts toasted
12 oz cubed stuffing mix
2 cups chicken stock * or turkey stock
1 extra-large egg beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 lb Turkey Breast – whole turkey breast, boned and butterflied (5 pounds) – Have your butcher do this.
3 tbsp butter unsalted, melted

Instructions

Stuffing

Optional – Add the pinenuts to a small pan and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Watch very carefully because they will brown very quickly. Remove them from the pan once toasted so they stop browning.
Put the dried cranberries in a small saucepan with the Brandy and 1/2 cup water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat to simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Put the stuffing mix and turkey or chicken stock in a large bowl.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage, crumbling it into small bits, and saute until cooked and browned. Add the cranberries with the liquid, rosemary, sage, and pine nuts, and cook for 2 more minutes.
Add the sausage mixture, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the stuffing mix and stir well.
Preheat the oven or grill to 325 °F.

Assemble

Lay the butterflied turkey breast skin side down on a cutting board. Sprinkle the meat with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Spread the stuffing in a 1/2-inch-thick layer over the meat, leaving a half-inch border on all sides. Don't mound the stuffing or the turkey will be more difficult to roll.
Cut several long pieces of kitchen twine. Starting at 1 end, roll the turkey like a jelly roll and tuck in any stuffing that tries to escape on the sides. Don't use over-firm pressure or you will lose your stuffing. Tie the roast firmly with kitchen twine every 2 inches to make a compact cylinder. This is easier with an extra person to tie while one holds the roll together.
Place the stuffed turkey breast seam side down on a rack placed in a sheet pan. Brush with the melted butter, sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, and roast for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 °F in the center. (I test in a few places after 1 1/4 hours.)
Remove the turkey roll from the oven and cover the turkey with aluminum foil. Allow it to rest at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. Carve 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve warm.

Video

Notes

Recipe adapted from Ina Garten, Food Network.

Roasting the pinenuts is optional. It adds flavor but you can use them as is.

*You can make your own homemade turkey stock by covering turkey bones with water and simmering on the stovetop for 2 hours. We season our stock with salt and pepper. You can optionally add fresh onion, carrots, celery, and herbs for additional flavor.

For grilling, place a rack in a cast iron dutch oven and grill uncovered.

Nutrition

Serving: 12gCalories: 569kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 52gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 162mgSodium: 1159mgPotassium: 741mgFiber: 2gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 348IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 74mgIron: 3mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

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An image with 2 photos for Pinterest. Top photo shows a tableview of a turkey breast stuffed roll. The bottom photo shows a slice of the turkey roulade. Hostess At Heart

This recipe was originally posted in 2015 and has been updated to improve the reader experience. We’ve added a video and detailed images. No changes were made to the recipe.