Recipes Ingredients Meat & Poultry Pork Recipes Turkey Roulade 3.9 (14) Add your rating & review Our recipe is a showstopping centerpiece for a special dinner. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 16, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Marcus Nilsson Prep Time: 40 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 5 mins Servings: 10 Jump to recipe This turkey roulade makes a stunning main course. It's a delicious and elegant centerpiece for a special occasion or holiday dinner, especially if you're feeding a smaller crowd (it serves 10). Boneless turkey breast is pounded thin and rolled up with a stuffing made from rye bread, cranberries, chopped pistachios, and plenty of herbs. The finishing touch is a layer of bacon slices, which encases the roulade and keeps it moist while roasting. A turkey roulade is easier than roasting a whole turkey—and everyone gets stuffing in each bite of turkey. Follow our triple-tested recipe to learn how to prep the turkey breast so it is flat and even, and how to roll it up for roasting. 8 Ways to Cook a Turkey, From a Traditional Roast to Modern Roulade What Is a Turkey Roulade? A roulade is a food that is filled and rolled up. It can be sweet, like a jelly roll cake, or savory, like this turkey roulade. It can be made as one large roll to slice or individual rolls for each portion, as when made with chicken breasts. The Italian dish involtini is a type of roulade where thin slices of beef, veal, or eggplant are rolled around a filling. The name roulade comes from the French verb, rouler, which means to roll. Why It's Easier Than Roasting a Whole Turkey A turkey roulade is an easier dish than roasting a whole turkey for several reasons. It’s smaller, takes less time to roast, can be partially prepped ahead, and roasts more evenly. Getting the hang of butterflying, rolling, and tying the turkey breast is simple with our step-by-step directions—and gets easier the more you do it. What to Serve With Turkey Roulade Our bacon-wrapped turkey roulade is an elegant main dish. We suggest serving it with colorful vegetable side dishes such as: Lemon-Pepper Green Beans Sauteed Brussels Sprouts Baked Cauliflower Custards Braised Celery Scalloped Potatoes With Leeks Garlic-Thyme Mashed Potatoes Saffron Rice Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients ¼ loaf seeded rye bread, crust removed, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups packed) ½ boneless, skinless turkey breast (2 ½ to 3 pounds) Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 stalk celery, finely chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth ¼ cup chopped dried cranberries ¼ cup chopped pistachios 8 ounces very thinly sliced bacon Directions Preheat oven and bake bread until dry: Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake bread on a baking sheet until dry and edges are golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Prep and pound turkey to even thickness: Place turkey, skinned-side down, on a cutting board. Slice through thickest part of breast, creating a flap. Cover with plastic wrap. With a mallet, pound to an even thickness (about 3/4 inch). Remove plastic, season with salt and pepper. The turkey can be pounded flat, then stored in the refrigerator up to one day ahead. Cook onion, garlic, and herbs: Heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat until foamy. Add onion, celery, garlic, herbs, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Transfer to bowl with bread, then add cranberries and pistachios: Transfer to bowl with bread; add broth, cranberries, and pistachios. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Spread stuffing over turkey: Place turkey, skinned-side down, on a work surface. Season with salt and pepper. Spread stuffing over top, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Marcus Nilsson Roll up breast: Working from one short side, roll breast up tightly into a log, enclosing stuffing. Turn seam-side down. Marcus Nilsson Lay bacon slices over breast: Drape bacon slices over breast, overlapping slightly to cover completely. Marcus Nilsson Tie roulade with twine: With kitchen twine, tie at 4 even intervals; replace any stuffing that falls out. Marcus Nilsson Roast stuffed turkey breast: Roast until a thermometer inserted in thickest part reads 155°F (temperature will continue to rise during resting), about 1 hour, 10 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Slicing the Turkey RouladeLet the roulade rest before slicing and serving, so the juices have time to redistribute in the meat—this will make it easier to slice. Use a very sharp knife and slice the roulade into 1/2-inch slices, do not try to cut thinner slices because of the stuffing. Storage Any leftover turkey roulade should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Frequently Asked Questions Do you wash a turkey breast before cooking? According to the USDA, washing or rinsing raw turkey can put you at risk of foodborne illness. The only one time you should wash a raw turkey is if you wet brine it, then you should wash it after brining. Otherwise, do not wash a turkey before cooking. How do you butterfly a turkey breast for turkey roulade? To butterfly a turkey breast for a turkey roulade, start with a boneless, skinless turkey breast. Turn the breast over so the smooth side is facing down. Holding your knife parallel to the cutting board, slice into the thickest portion of the breast, keeping the knife about 1/2 inch above the cutting board. Cut along the length of the breast, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge so you don't cut all the way through. Open the turkey up. 6 More Roasted Turkey Breast Recipes to Try: Roasted and Rolled Turkey Breast With Herbs Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast Roast Turkey Breast and Gravy Tuscan-Roast Turkey Breast Spiced Rubbed Turkey Breast With Sweet Potatoes Stuffed Turkey Breast With Apricot Jam Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, December/January 2015 Rate It PRINT Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.