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    Home » Recipes » Chicken and Turkey

    By Carol Published: Nov 13, 2021 Modified: Nov 13, 2021 | This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.

    Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing

    Jump to Recipe
    5 from 2 votes
    2 hours 30 minutes

    Are you a Thanksgiving novice, have picky eaters or just doing a small-scale Thanksgiving? Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing is the way to go and it's as showstopping as a whole turkey! Best of all, you can get it prepped the night before and it cooks in a fraction of the time it takes to roast a whole turkey. Read on to get my tips for a "cheater" gravy, too!

    Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing on white platter garnished with fresh herbs.

    TABLE OF CONTENTS - Click the Icon to Find the Info You Need FAST!

    • Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
    • How to Make Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing:
      • Recipe Ingredients:
      • Ingredient Notes:
      • Step-by-Step Instructions:
    • In a Nutshell:
    • Chef Tips and Tricks:
    • Frequently Asked Questions:
    • Serve with:
    • More turkey recipes you'll love!
    • Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing
      • Equipment
      • Ingredients  1x2x3x
        • Turkey Brine
        • Stuffing
        • Turkey and Gravy
      • Instructions 
        • Turkey Brine
        • Make the Stuffing
        • Continue with the Turkey and Gravy
      • Nutrition

    Why This Recipe is a Keeper!

    For someone who cooks for a living, I have a lot of picky eaters at Thanksgiving and other holidays so I can't go too gourmet. With everyone in our family only wanting the white meat, we stopped doing whole turkeys years ago. Instead, I do this simple, easy Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing which they all love and it's a lot less trouble than a whole turkey.

    I was also a Thanksgiving dinner novice at one point in my life and remember calling my mother five or six times with questions. This is easy enough for a novice cook but it looks like you fussed and really stretched your culinary skills!

    Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing on white oval platter.

    How to Make Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing:

    Recipe Ingredients:

    Here’s everything you’ll need to make this recipe along with how to prep. See the turkey breast recipe card below for the exact quantities.

    Boneless turkey breast half with skin on white plastic cutting board.
    Ingredients for stuffing and gravy for Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing

    Ingredient Notes:

    • A Turkey Breast Half: Turkey breast halves are one side of the whole breast. They're available at grocery stores with full-service meat counters such as The Fresh Market and Whole Foods and their butchers will cut one for you. This recipe is easily doubled so if you have to buy a whole breast on the bone (with two halves), you can make two stuffed breasts or freeze one uncooked for Thanksgiving any time of year. I highly recommend brining the breast before roasting because it is white meat which can be very dry. Just make sure the turkey breast you're using hasn't been treated or injected with anything. Also, I like to roll and stuff a turkey breast with the skin so the meat retains as much moisture as possible.
    • Butter: I always use unsalted butter when cooking because you can add your desired amount of salt.
    • Stuffing Cubes: My picky eaters only want a certain national boxed brand for the traditional stuffing so I make it easy on myself and give it to them. I bump up the flavor and texture with onions and celery. (Shhhh..... 🙂 )
    • Chicken Broth: The best chicken broth/stock is the one you make yourself. If you don't want to go to the trouble, use a good low-sodium or unsalted brand. Here's an extensive taste-testing Epicurious did.

    Step-by-Step Instructions:

    • Gather and prep all the ingredients.
    • Brine the turkey breast half according to this Easy Turkey Brine Recipe.
    Butterflied turkey breast in brine in stainless steel bowl.
    • While the turkey breast is in the brine, make the traditional stuffing.
    • Heat some of the butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
    • Add the onions and celery and cook until softened.
    • Add chicken broth, bring to a boil then add stuffing mix. Cover and let stand until all the broth is absorbed.
    • MAKE AHEAD: Let cool and refrigerate until needed.
    • Measure out 2 cups of stuffing for filling the turkey breast and place the rest in an oiled or sprayed baking dish to serve alongside the roast turkey breast. Refrigerate both until needed.
    Cooked onions and celery in white enamel cast iron skillet.
    Onions, celery and broth in white enamel cast iron skillet.
    Finished stuffing in white enamel cast iron skillet.
    • Start the gravy. Pour 6 cups of chicken broth into a saucepan. Bring it to a boil then reduce heat to low and let it simmer and reduce to 4 cups while the turkey breast roasts.
    • Remove the breast from the brine and pat it dry.
    • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a roasting pan.
    • With just the tip of a boning knife, carefully and very lightly cut three shallow slits in the opened breast on each side just to get it to lie flatter and create more surface area.
    • Place a gallon-size zipper-top bag over the butterflied, opened turkey breast and gently pound it with a rolling pin or meat mallet to flatten it out some more.
    • Season with black pepper. If you brined the breast, you don't need to season it with salt.
    Uncooked flattened turkey breast on white plastic cutting board.
    • Stuff the breast. Place the reserved 2 cups of filling over the opened breast, leaving a 1-inch margin.
    Uncooked flattened turkey breast with stuffing spread on the inside.
    • Fold the right side of the breast over the filling then pull the left side over.
    • Neatly smooth the skin over the breast and secure with butcher's twine. You don't need to get fancy with what's called a "butcher's technique," you an do individual ties the way I did in my recipe for Braised Pork Loin Roast in Dijon Mustard Sauce. (See the ingredient shot.)
    Uncooked turkey breast with stuffing and right side folded over.
    Uncooked stuffed turkey breast on white plastic cutting board.
    • Place the turkey breast in the prepared roasting or baking pan and smear it with butter.
    Uncooked stuffed turkey breast in white roasting pan.
    Uncooked stuffed turkey breast in white roasting pan with butter smeared over the skin.
    • Roast it for approximately 90 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the filling reads 160 degrees to allow for "carryover cooking."
    • When there's approximately half-hour to go, place the stuffing in the baking dish in the oven so that bakes and heats through entirely (165 degrees).
    Traditional stuffing in oval baking dish on wood trivet.
    • And then.....
    • Tent the turkey breast with aluminum foil so that it "rests." Carryover cooking will take the turkey breast to the safe internal temperature of 165 degrees.
    Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing in white roasting pan.
    • Finish the gravy. Pour as much of the browned butter drippings into a saucepan that you can, avoiding the super dark bits.
    • Add a little more butter and then the flour. Cook the flour for 1-2 minutes then add the reduced chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened. Season with salt and black pepper.
    Square of butter added to turkey drippings in stainless steel saucepan.
    Whisk whisking butter and flour in stainless steel saucepan.
    Turkey gravy in stainless steel saucepan.
    • Untie, slice and serve! Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing will make everyone happy!
    • For a delicious stuffing alternative, stuff the roast turkey breast with my Sausage Stuffing with Fennel and Leeks.
    Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing on white oval platter.

    In a Nutshell:

    • Brine the turkey breast half.
    • Make the stuffing and divide it up (Some for breast, some baked).
    • Start the gravy.
    • Remove the turkey breast from the brine. Pat dry.
    • Pound and stuff the breast. Secure with twine. Butter it up.
    • Roast the turkey breast. Place the baking dish with the rest of the stuffing in the oven when there's 30 minutes or so to go.
    • Let the turkey breast rest and finish the gravy.
    • Done!
    Close-up photo of Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing garnished with fresh herbs.

    Chef Tips and Tricks:

    • To speed up the brining process, butterfly the turkey breast before immersing in the brine. Because the turkey breast is halved, this will cut your brining time in half.
    • After butterflying a turkey breast or chicken breast, I very lightly "score" the inside in a few places from top to bottom with the tip of a boning knife. This is going to help the breast lie flatter. On a turkey breast, I generally do three on each side while on a chicken breast, I would only do one or two (depending upon the size).
    • When pounding any type of protein, it's a good idea to cover it. I always use a gallon-size zipper-top bag because it's thicker than plastic wrap which can tear very easily. Covering it keeps your mallet clean so you don't get bits of protein in the crevices. Also, pounding chicken or turkey can spray tiny drops of moisture into the air or onto the counter. Even if you think your mallet didn't touch the chicken or turkey, it's a good idea to thoroughly wash it anyway to prevent any type of cross-contamination.
    Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing garnished with fresh herbs.

    Frequently Asked Questions:

    What is carryover cooking?

    Carryover cooking occurs when cooking larger cuts of meat and poultry. After removing the large cut of meat or poultry from the heat source, the temperature will actually continue to rise. Carryover cooking is why you want to take the turkey breast out at 160 degrees. The temperature will rise several more degrees to the safe internal temperature of 165 degrees.

    How far in advance can I brine, prep, fill and tie the turkey breast?

    You can do all of this 24 hours in advance, however, make sure the stuffing is thoroughly chilled before tying the breast. Filling a whole turkey should never be done ahead of time but roasting a whole stuffed turkey has fallen out of favor because of food safety concerns.

    What temperature should you roast stuffed turkey breast at?

    I like to go a little lower and slower on roasting a stuffed turkey breast which is 350 degrees. Anything lower and the skin will not brown. Anything higher, you risk having the stuffed turkey breast dry out.

    Serve with:

    • Roasted Beets with Shallots, Red Wine Glaze, Gorgonzola and Walnuts
    • Bourbon-Glazed Carrots with Honey
    • Skillet Charred Green Beans with Goat Cheese Chipotle Butter
    • Cheesy Green Bean Casserole (No Mushrooms)
    • Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
    • Sweet Potato Souffle
    • Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

    More turkey recipes you'll love!

    • Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Turkey Breast with Garlic Herb Sauce
    • Turkey Scallopini in Sherry Cream Sauce with Mushrooms and Artichokes
    • Pecan-Crusted Turkey Cutlets with Red Onion Marmalade
    • Moroccan Turkey Breast and Lentils (Slow Cooker Recipe)

    Get all my holiday recipes here! Holiday Ideas - From A Chef's Kitchen

    Join the FROM A CHEF'S KITCHEN MAILING LIST to get all the latest posts and more!

    Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing on white platter garnished with fresh herbs.

    Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing

    5 from 2 votes
    By: Carol | From A Chef's Kitchen
    Roast Turkey Breast with Traditional Stuffing is perfect if you're a Thanksgiving novice, have picky eaters or are doing a small-scale Thanksgiving. It's as showstopping as a whole turkey! Best of all, you can get it prepped the night before and it cooks in a fraction of the time it takes to roast a whole turkey.
    PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE TEXT INGREDIENTS TO PHONE SAVE RECIPE Saved!
    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 2 hrs
    Total Time 2 hrs 30 mins
    Course Chicken and Turkey
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 627 kcal

    Equipment

    • Wusthof Chef Knife
    • Cutting Board
    • Enameled Cast Iron Skillet
    • 8 x 8 Baking Dish
    • Wusthof Boning Knife
    • Meat Mallet
    • Butcher's Twine
    • 13 x 9 Baking Dish

    Ingredients
      

    Turkey Brine

    • Easy Turkey Brine Recipe

    Stuffing

    • Oil or cooking spray - for baking dish
    • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 1 medium onion - finely chopped
    • 2 stalks celery - finely chopped
    • 4 cups chicken broth - preferably low-sodium
    • 1 bag (12-ounce) herb-seasoned stuffing cubes - or 2 boxes (6-ounce each) stuffing mix
    • 1 large egg - beaten
    • Chopped fresh parsley - optional

    Turkey and Gravy

    • 6 cups chicken broth - or turkey broth, preferably low-sodium
    • Canola oil - for roasting pan
    • 1 (2 ½ to 3-pound) boneless turkey breast half - with the skin
    • Freshly ground black pepper
    • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter - softened, divided
    • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • Salt - if needed

    Instructions
     

    Turkey Brine

    • Brine the turkey per the linked recipe.

    Make the Stuffing

    • Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Heat the butter in a skillet or saute pan over medium heat.
    • Add the onion and celery and cook 5-6 minutes or until softened.
    • Add the chicken (or turkey) broth and bring to a boil.
    • Add the stuffing cubes or stuffing mix and stir. Turn the heat off, cover and let stand 5-10 minutes or until all the broth is absorbed. Let cool to room temperature.
    • Stir in the egg and add the parsley if using.
    • Remove 2 cups of the stuffing. Transfer the rest to the prepared baking dish and refrigerate until needed.

    Continue with the Turkey and Gravy

    • Pour the chicken (or turkey) broth into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer and reduce while the turkey roasts. (You want to reduce it by approximately ⅓ or to 4 cups). Turn the heat off when that is accomplished.)
    • Lightly oil a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or roasting pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    • Carefully butterfly the turkey breast, open it and lay it flat on a cutting board or another flat surface. With the tip of a boning knife, carefully and very lightly cut some shallow slits in the opened breast just to get it to lie flatter and create more surface area. Place a gallon-size zipper-top over the opened turkey breast and gently pound it with a meat mallet or rolling pin to flatten it out some more.
    • Season the flattened turkey breast with black pepper. Spread the reserved 2 cups of stuffing over the flattened breast, leaving a 1-inch border.
    • Turn the right side of the turkey breast over the filling then bring the left side over. Secure with butcher's twine, making sure the filling is securely inside and the skin is nicely flattened and secured over the top of the breast.
    • Place in the prepared roasting pan. Spread 4 tablespoons of the butter over the turkey breast. Roast for 1 hour. Baste with the buttery pan juices once during this time.
    • Place the baking dish of the remaining stuffing in the oven alongside the turkey. Baste with the buttery pan juices while the oven door is open. Continue roasting the turkey for another 20-30 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees IN THE CENTER OF THE STUFFING.
    • Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter and tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 10-15 minutes. (Carryover cooking while resting will take the breast to 165 degrees.) Check the stuffing so it doesn't get overly browned and cover with aluminum foil or another cover if needed.
    • Carefully pour any brown buttery drippings into a saucepan. (Avoid any that are overly browned.)
    • Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the saucepan and melt over medium heat.
    • Add the flour and cook 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly.
    • Pour in the reduced broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and cook until thickened. Season with salt and black pepper if needed.
    • Slice the turkey breast and serve the stuffing and gravy with the turkey breast.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 | Calories: 627kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 1626mg | Potassium: 398mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 696IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg

    These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

    Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment, star rating or post your photo on Instagram and tag @fromachefskitchen.

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    Comments

    1. Rhonda Butler says

      March 14, 2023 at 9:05 pm

      5 stars
      I made this tonight and it was a keeper!! I did pan-sear the chicken strips instead of baking them and added extra spices, but I followed everything else about the recipe. Hands down delicious!!!! I served with pan-seared okra.

      Reply
      • Carol says

        March 15, 2023 at 8:12 am

        Hi, Rhonda, Thanks so much and so happy you enjoyed! You evidently used chicken in place of turkey then which certainly works. Thanks again!

        Reply

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