Easy Turkey Roulade Recipe (Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Turkey Roll)
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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.
Cook Time: 90 minutes | Prep Time: 45 minutes | Serves: 8+ people
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.”
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
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.
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:
- Gouda Mashed Potatoes
- Frozen Cranberry Salad
- Brown Bread Rolls
- Stovetop Apple Pie Filling
- Cherry Fluff
- Sweet Potato Casserole
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!
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.
Roasted Turkey Roulade
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
Nutrition
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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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.
I think 165 is too high of a temp to pull out if it going to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. I would think internal temperature would rise 10 degrees or more. Any thoughts?
I’m not saying you’re incorrect. We’ve always cooked turkey to 165 and then let it rest. There’s nothing to say it will rise 10 degrees. I would be comfortable removing at 160 because it could easily rise 5 degrees. There are some that say you’re fine pulling it at 155. You can check it at a 10 minute rest and see where it’s at. Ultimately you want it to come to 165. What it comes down to is what you’re comfortable with. I appreciate your comment, Dave and if you pull it at 155 or 160 please stop back and let us know what your experience is. ~ Julie
The step-by-step photos and video were so helpful! This turned out really incredibly delicious and I have never made a roulade before of any sort!
Thank you, Amy! So glad that you enjoyed it. We love it too!
Your directions were perfect! I made this over the weekend to rave reviews! Definitely a keeper
Thank you, Michele!
I had a small Friendsgiving gathering yesterday and I made this instead of the traditional bird. It was a giant hit! Everyone wanted the recipe! Thank you so much!
I love Friendsgiving! I’m glad everyone enjoyed it!
This is exactly how we make out turkey. Well, the stuffing is different. All the work on the front end, and when it’s done it’s so much easier.
That’s the great thing, Debi, you can use your favorite stuffing.
This is so perfect especially this year, on my menu since we’ll have a much smaller Thanksgiving. All the best rolled into one!
Thank you, Kathleen!
Yummmmmm this Roasted Turkey Roulade looks so delicious and I love how the center is filled with my favorite, stuffing!! I can’t wait to make this for Thanksgiving and I know it will be a hit! Also, thank you for the step-by-step video!
Thank you, Kathryn!
Now this is a total showstopper, and a great alternative to the big bird. The video is such a great help. Thank you for sharing! Definitely on my to do list.
This looks so good I may have to make this before Thanksgiving. 🙂 It’s a wow.
Thank you, Lea Ann!
A great looking dish and is really Thanksgiving flavors all in one. Love to cook this outside to get some wood flavors
Congrats on 35 years! Maybe that long, my wife and I will be able to collaborate together on such a challenging dish! Honestly, it looks amazing and impressive!
It really was a lot of fun. We enjoy doing things like this together. At times it may have even been funny.