This bacon-wrapped rolled turkey breast with stuffing is a perfect, budget-friendly solution for a small Christmas or Thanksgiving family feast.
When it comes to Christmas, I’m a traditional girl at heart – I’ve got to have a roast turkey with all the trimmings. I LOVE it.
As much as I’m a massive fan of a Brined turkey crown – I make one almost every Christmas – sometimes I just want something even easier.
After all, we’ve got more than enough on our plates this time of year, wouldn’t you agree?
Or maybe you have a small family and would rather not live on turkey sandwiches and curry for several days.
A rolled and stuffed turkey breast is the solution!
This rolled turkey breast with apricot and cranberry stuffing looks stunning but it’s so simple to make. This recipe will give you succulent, tender, juicy turkey breast meat filled with a delicious sausagemeat stuffing with a fruity twist.
You could use this recipe for sausagemeat, sage and cranberry stuffing instead if you like.
how to make a rolled turkey breast with stuffing
scroll to the bottom of the post to find a printable recipe card with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.
Step 1 – Lay slices of streaky bacon out on a large sheet of cling film, slightly overlapping the bacon slices.
Step 2 – Using a sharp knife, butterfly the turkey breast. This is not as complicated as it sounds, but you do need a very sharp knife. Simply slit the turkey right through the middle, but stop before you get to the end so it opens up like a book.
As you can tell, I’m the world’s worst butcher but I still managed (just!) There are a couple of great tutorials on YouTube if you want to see it being done. If you’re not too confident about it, you could also ask your local Butcher to do it for you.
Place a piece of cling film over the butterflied turkey and using a meat mallet or rolling pin, bash the turkey until it’s slightly smaller and flatter.
Step 3 – Make the stuffing by gently frying a finely chopped onion and one peeled, cored and finely chopped apple in butter until soft.
In a large bowl, combine sausagemeat, 1 egg, dried sage, a little ground cinnamon, breadcrumbs, dried apricots and cranberries, the cooked onion and apple and plenty of seasoning. Get your hands in the bowl and give the ingredients a good mix together.
Step 4 – Lay the stuffing over the turkey and start rolling! Try and keep the roll as tight as possible.
Using kitchen string, tie the turkey roll up to keep it secure.
Step 5 – Melt butter and maple syrup together in a small pan, pour over the turkey and season it all over with salt and pepper.
Step 6 – Cook for 1 hour at 200C/180Fan/400F/Gas Mark 6 or until a meat thermometer inserted in the middle of the turkey joint reads 165F/75C.
Step 7 – Rest the meat. Leave the turkey breast to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving – it slices like a dream, by the way!
can you make a rolled and stuffed turkey breast in advance?
Yes, you can make this recipe the day before you intend to serve it. Stuff the turkey breast with the sausagemeat, cover well and place it in the fridge. A great time saver!
You could also freeze the turkey at this stage if you wanted – just as long as none of the ingredients were previously frozen.
To prepare it for freezing, wrap the turkey in double layers of cling film and tin foil or a large ziplock freezer bag, seal it well to protect from freezer burn and freeze for up to two months.
Transfer it to the fridge and allow to defrost for up to 24 hours before cooking.
If you are preparing the turkey joint in advance and storing it in the fridge or freezer to cook later, please make sure the stuffing mixture is completely cold before you start assembling it.
serving suggestions
No festive meal is complete without the side dishes! You’ve got to have crispy roast potatoes, cranberry and orange sauce, roasted carrots and parsnips, Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts, Christmas red cabbage and stuffed pumpkin with mushroom rice and cranberries.
Turkey is also lovely with a creamy potato gratin, green bean casserole (my spin on an American classic) or cauliflower cheese.
More Turkey Recipes
Rolled Turkey Breast With Stuffing
Love Turkey at Christmas time but don't want to buy a whole bird? This bacon wrapped rolled turkey breast with apricot and cranberry stuffing is the perfect budget friendly solution for a small family.
Ingredients
- 700g Boneless Turkey Breast Joint
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 250g streaky bacon
- For the Stuffing:
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 small apple, peeled, cored and diced into small pieces
- 450g pork sausagemeat
- 100g Breadcrumbs
- 1 Large Egg
- 25g dried cranberries
- 25g dried apricots, chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- For the glaze:
- 25g Butter
- 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C/180Fan/400F/Gas Mark 6.
- Place the bacon rashers, slightly overlapping, on a large sheet of cling film or foil.
- Butterfly the turkey breast by making a slit with a sharp knife through the middle, stopping just before you reach the end so you can open it out like a book. Place the turkey breast on top of the bacon slices. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, bash the meat out until it is slightly thinner and around the same size as the bacon square. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge while you make the stuffing.
- Heat the olive oill and butter in a pan and add the onion, frying gently on a low to medium heat until softened. Add the cored and chopped apple and continue to fry gently until the apple is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool down slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sausagemeat, cooked and slightly cooled apple and onion, breadcrumbs, eggs dried cranberries, apricots, cinnamon, sage and salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands until all the ingredients are well combined.
- Place the stuffing on top of the turkey, leaving a small gap around the edges. Using the cling film or foil to help you, roll the turkey up to make a log shape. Try to keep the roll as tight as possible.
- Tie the turkey with kitchen string. Melt the butter and maple syrup together in a small pan. Pour over the turkey and season well with salt and fresly ground black pepper.
- Cook for 1 hour or until a meat thermometer reads 165F/70C.
- Rest the turkey for 20-30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Make In Advance - You can make this recipe the day before you intend to serve it. Stuff the turkey breast with the sausagemeat, cover well and place it in the fridge. A great time saver!
Freezing - You could also freeze the turkey at this stage if you wanted – just as long as none of the ingredients were previously frozen.
To prepare it for freezing, wrap the turkey in double layers of cling film and tin foil or place it in a thick, large ziplock freezer bag, seal and freeze for up to two months. Transfer it to the fridge and allow to defrost in the fridge the day before cooking. Make sure it has fully defrosted before cooking it.
Note: If you are preparing the turkey joint in advance and storing it in the fridge or freezer to cook later, please make sure the stuffing mixture is completely cold before you assemble it.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 742Total Fat: 37gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 246mgSodium: 1231mgCarbohydrates: 26gNet Carbohydrates: 0gFiber: 2gSugar: 12gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 73g