Don’t want to wrestle with a giant bird this holiday? This cornbread stuffed Turkey Roulade recipe is just as impressive as that whole roasted turkey and much more flavorful. A little heat from the jalapeños hidden in the stuffing and glazed with a sweet and tangy cranberry barbecue sauce, your old Thanksgiving turkey recipe may just get the boot.

Turkey roulade sliced on a white plate with rosemary and cranberries.


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Stuffed Turkey Roulade

Perfect for a smaller crowd, a Stuffed Turkey Roulade is a great option to making a huge roast turkey. While I do LOVE the traditional Thanksgiving Turkey every year, sometimes it’s just a bit much. So, I’ve taken it upon myself to come up with some creative ways to have a turkey dinner without wrestling with a 20 pound bird.

I’ve always been impressed with roulades. They just look so fancy and like they take a ton of effort but they’re super easy. And if you’re stressed because of your crazy family or work or your spouse…you can take out your frustrations on the turkey.

What is Turkey Roulade?

A roulade is a dish made of a filled meat or pastry (think cake roll), and can be sweet or savory. The term “roulade” means to roll so it’s only fitting that you stuff it full of something like a spicy sausage cornbread.

This turkey roulade is a great prep ahead option even though it doesn’t really take that long to prepare and the cornbread stuff is fantastic all on it’s own.

It’s made by butterflying a boneless turkey breast and then stuffing it with any type of stuffing. In this case, our Stuffed Turkey Breast is made with a spicy cornbread stuffing that’s loaded up with cooked sausage.

Turkey Roulade sliced on a white platter with rosemary and cranberries.

How To Make Stuffed Turkey Breast Roulade

The full printable recipe card is available below.

If you haven’t bought kitchen twine yet, you will need it to tie up the turkey breast roulade so it doesn’t unroll while it’s cooking. We love this handy kitchen twine with dispenser and use it all year long.

  1. Make the Cranberry Barbecue Sauce….you’ll have plenty leftover to serve with your stuffed turkey breast. Serve some with dinner for those that like to douse their food in condiments.
  2. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil.
  3. Stir in the brown sugar, tomato paste, molasses, dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar and cayenne cooking until thickened. Add the cranberries and continue to cook until they begin to pop. Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer.
  4. Transfer to a blender and puree. Set aside.
  5. Make the stuffing by browning the sausage, onions, garlic and jalapeños. Combine with crumbled corn bread. 
  6. Butterfly the turkey breast by cutting down the center and flattening out on a sheet of plastic wrap.
  7. Pound the turkey breast with a mallet until it’s about 1/2 an inch thick.
  8. Spread the stuffing in an even layer over the top of the turkey breast and roll up the turkey jelly-roll style over the stuffing.
  9. Tie with twine approximately two inches apart.
  10. Place the turkey seam side down in a baking dish and brush with barbecue sauce.
  11. Roast the stuffed turkey breast and then transfer to a cutting board to rest covered with foil.
  12. Slice and serve.
slices of turkey roulade stuffed with cornbread arranged on a platter with cranberry bbq sauce.

What To Serve With It

While this Turkey Roulade recipe is almost like a one pot dinner, we love serving it alongside these easy Green Beans and my favorite Candied Yams!

You could also go more traditional and serve it with the old standby Green Bean Casserole and a big ole pile of sweet potato casserole.

Don’t forget the mashed potatoes and gravy! You may stray from tradition with a boneless turkey breast but you’ll still need those family favorites.

overhead shot of green beans almondine on a white rectangular platter.

More Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes

If your looking for a more traditional thanksgiving dinner you can always make this easy Roasted Turkey.…it’s fragrant with citrus and rich with butter but it’s the best turkey recipe around.

We also love this Sage Pesto Roasted Turkey or you can just roast up some turkey legs then call it a day.

This Turkey Roulade is great the next day for leftovers, you can disassemble and make your annual turkey sandwich or just serve as is. Easy, peasy. Now that’s something to be thankful for.

Or you can use your leftovers to top a slice of hearty bread like we did with this open faced Turkey Sandwich.

Roast Turkey for the holiday on a white platter with herbs and cranberries.

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Sliced Turkey Roulade on a white plate with jalapeños.
Turkey Roulade sliced on a white platter with rosemary and cranberries.

Get the Recipe: Stuffed Turkey Breast Roulade Recipe

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
This Stuffed Turkey Roulade recipe is perfect for more intimate gatherings. Made with a spicy jalapeno and sausage cornbread stuffing, it's just bursting with flavor.
4.72 from 7 votes
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Ingredients

For the cornbread stuffing:

  • 8 ounces sweet italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 vidalia onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
  • 2 1/2 cups crumbled cornbread, from 2-3 large cornbread muffins or a loaf of cornbread

For the barbecue sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 vidalia onion, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste, a pinch of each
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, I used Maille
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen and thawed cranberries
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 3-4 pound boneless, skinless turkey breast

Equipment

  • kitchen twine
  • meat tenderizer
  • roasting pan

Instructions 

  • In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat and then transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat and return the pan to the heat.
  • Add the onions and sauté until softened. Add the garlic and jalapeño cooking until the jalapeño starts to soften. Return the sausage to the pan and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Crumble the cornbread in a large bowl and add the sausage mixture to the bowl. Toss to coat. Set aside.
  • In a medium sauce pan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until golden brown stirring occasionally.
  • Stir in the sugar, tomato paste, mustard and cayenne cooking until thickened. Add the vinegar and cranberries and allow to cook until the berries start to pop.
  • Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook until thickened, approximately 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree. Set aside.
  • Place the turkey breast on a cutting board lined with a sheet of plastic wrap and cut the breast down the center but not all the way through.
  • Butterfly the breast by opening up like a book and placing another sheet of plastic wrap on top. Pound the breast with a mallet until 1/2 inch thick.
  • Spread the stuffing over the top of the cut side of the turkey breast and press down lightly. Roll the turkey breast up jelly roll style from the shorter side of the turkey breast.
  • Secure the turkey by tying with kitchen twine at 2 inch intervals and then place the turkey in a shallow baking dish seam side down.
  • Coat the entire surface of the turkey with the barbecue sauce and roast in a 400 degree oven for 50-60 minutes or until the breast reaches 160 degrees.
  • Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and allow to rest, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Slice the turkey and serve immediately with the remaining sauce.

Notes

Turkey roulade can be assembled up to 8 hours in advance. 
Alternatively, you can make the stuffing and cranberry bbq sauce up to 2 days in advance. Store separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Serving: 2g, Calories: 582kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 54g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 187mg, Sodium: 919mg, Potassium: 1135mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 423IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 136mg, Iron: 3mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Southern