The Ultimate Barefoot Contessa Turkey Roulade Recipe You’ll Love

Turkey roulade is a show-stopper that’s easier to prepare than it looks.

The rolled presentation is elegant, revealing a swirl of herbs and stuffing inside every slice.

Moist and flavorful, the turkey stays tender even as it roasts to a golden finish.

It makes a beautiful centerpiece for holidays or special occasions.

The flavors are familiar, yet elevated with thoughtful seasoning and careful preparation.

This dish proves that turkey doesn’t need to be boring.

Fall for Turkey Roulade

• Burst with Seasonal Flavor: Packed with festive ingredients like figs, cranberries, and rosemary, this turkey roulade delivers a delightful holiday taste explosion that transforms an ordinary meal into a special celebration.
• Master Elegant Technique: Rolling and tying the turkey creates a stunning presentation that looks professionally prepared, making home cooks feel like culinary experts without requiring advanced cooking skills.
• Customize with Flexible Preparation: Make the stuffing ahead of time and refrigerate overnight, allowing busy hosts to manage their cooking schedule with ease and reduce last-minute kitchen stress.
• Deliver Rich Texture Combinations: The recipe blends multiple textures – crispy sausage, soft dried fruits, crunchy pine nuts, and tender turkey – creating an exciting mouthfeel in every single bite.

Must-Have Ingredients for Turkey Roulade

• Turkey Breast: Lean meat that serves as the primary protein and base for the roulade, best when fresh and without excess fat.

• Figs, Cranberries: Sweet and tangy dried fruits that add rich flavor and moisture to the stuffing.
• Calvados, Water: Liquid components that help soften and plump the dried fruits during cooking.
• Sausage: Adds depth of flavor and richness to the stuffing mixture.
• Pine Nuts: Provides a subtle crunch and nutty flavor to the stuffing.
• Rosemary: Aromatic herb that brings earthy and fragrant notes to the dish.

• Butter: Adds richness and helps with browning the roulade.
• Onions, Celery: Classic aromatics that form the flavor base of the stuffing.
• Stuffing Mix: Provides structure and helps bind the stuffing ingredients.
• Chicken Stock: Moistens and adds savory depth to the stuffing.
• Egg: Acts as a binder to hold the stuffing together.
• Salt, Black Pepper: Essential seasonings that enhance the overall flavor of the dish.
• Kitchen Twine: Used to secure the roulade and maintain its shape during roasting.

Easy Steps for Turkey Roulade

Step 1: Prepare Fruity Soaking Liquid

Combine figs, cranberries, Calvados, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 minutes and set aside to cool and infuse flavors.

Step 2: Sauté Aromatic Vegetables

• Butter
• Onions
• Celery

Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add chopped onions and celery, cooking for 5 minutes until softened and translucent.

Step 3: Brown the Sausage

Add sausage to the vegetable mixture, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 10 minutes until meat is completely browned and develops a rich color.

Step 4: Create Flavor Base

Stir in the soaked fruit mixture (including liquid), fresh rosemary, and toasted pine nuts. Cook for 2 minutes, scraping up delicious browned bits from the pan bottom.

Step 5: Mix Complete Stuffing

• Sausage mixture
• Stuffing mix
• Chicken stock
• Egg
• Salt
• Black pepper

Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. Combine all ingredients thoroughly, ensuring even distribution of seasonings and moisture.

Step 6: Prepare Turkey Breast

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Place turkey breast skin-side down on a clean cutting board. Season generously with salt and black pepper.

Step 7: Stuff and Roll Turkey

Spread stuffing evenly across turkey breast, leaving a small border around edges. Roll tightly from one end to another, carefully tucking in any escaping stuffing. Optional: Bake extra stuffing in a buttered dish during the last 45 minutes of cooking.

Step 8: Secure and Prepare for Roasting

Tie the rolled turkey with kitchen twine at 2-inch intervals. Place seam-side down on a roasting rack. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with additional salt and pepper.

Step 9: Roast to Perfection

Roast in preheated oven for 1¾ to 2 hours. Check internal temperature reaches 150°F (65°C) at the center. Remove from oven and tent loosely with aluminum foil.

Step 10: Rest and Serve

Allow turkey roulade to rest for 15 minutes. Slice into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Serve warm alongside extra stuffing for a delightful meal.

Top Hints for Turkey Roulade

• Butterfly with Precision: Create a perfectly even surface by carefully slicing the turkey breast horizontally, opening it like a book to guarantee uniform thickness for ideal stuffing coverage.
• Herb Magic Matters: Chop fresh sage and rosemary just before adding to the stuffing, releasing their most vibrant oils and intensifying the overall flavor profile of the roulade.
• Butter Grating Trick: Use a cold cheese grater to sprinkle butter over the stuffing, creating tiny, even butter pieces that melt slowly and keep the meat incredibly juicy during roasting.
• Twine Technique Wins: Wrap the kitchen twine around the roulade at 1-inch intervals, ensuring a tight, compact roll that maintains its shape and promotes even cooking throughout.
• Resting Rewards Flavor: Let the cooked roulade sit for 15-20 minutes after removing from the oven, allowing internal juices to redistribute and guaranteeing tender, succulent meat when sliced.

Keep Turkey Roulade Fresh

• Vacuum Seal: Lock in freshness by vacuum sealing the turkey roulade slices. Removes air completely, preventing freezer burn and preserving delicate flavors for up to 4 months. Professional chefs swear by this method for maintaining peak taste and texture.
• Individual Portion Wrap: Slice the roulade into single servings before storing. Wrap each piece separately in parchment paper, then place in freezer-safe bags. Grab-and-go convenience meets perfect portion control, making meal prep a breeze.
• Flavor-Enhancing Storage: Transfer cooled roulade to glass containers with tight-fitting lids. Avoid plastic containers that can absorb or transfer odors. Glass maintains the dish's original taste and allows easy reheating without transferring to another dish.

Fun Spins on Turkey Roulade

• Mediterranean Magic: Replace Calvados with white wine, swap pine nuts for chopped kalamata olives, and add crumbled feta cheese to the stuffing for a Greek-inspired flavor profile.
• Smoky Southwest Spin: Incorporate diced green chiles, swap sausage for chorizo, mix in smoked paprika, and add roasted corn kernels to create a spicy, southwestern-style roulade.
• Herb Garden Classic: Substitute dried fruit with fresh herbs like thyme, sage, and parsley, use prosciutto instead of sausage, and sprinkle grated parmesan cheese throughout the stuffing for an aromatic, elegant version.
• Asian Fusion Flair: Replace Calvados with rice wine, add minced ginger and garlic, mix in water chestnuts, and use ground chicken instead of sausage for a light, fragrant roulade with subtle Asian influences.

Thoughts on Turkey Roulade

Culinary magic emerges from this Barefoot Contessa turkey roulade, blending classic flavors with elegant technique.

Regional ingredients dance together, creating a symphony of taste and texture that elevates holiday dining.

Pine nuts whisper nutty undertones while cranberries and figs provide sweet complexity within the stuffing’s rich landscape.

Mediterranean-inspired Calvados adds sophisticated depth to each succulent slice.

Barefoot Contessa Turkey Roulade Recipe

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4.7 from 30 reviews

• Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 8 1x

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Description

Barefoot Contessa classic turkey roulade elevates holiday dining with elegant French-inspired technique. Juicy turkey breast stuffed with herbed filling promises a memorable centerpiece that delights guests with sophisticated flavor and professional culinary flair.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Ingredients:

• 1 whole turkey breast (2.3 kg / 5 lbs), boned and butterflied
• 340 g (0.75 lb) pork sausage, casings removed (mix sweet and hot)
• 3 cups (about 180 g) herb-seasoned stuffing mix (e.g., Pepperidge Farm)

Dried Fruits and Nuts:

• 110 g (0.75 cup) dried figs, large-diced, stems removed
• 90 g (0.75 cup) dried cranberries
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

Liquid and Seasoning Ingredients:

• 120 ml (0.5 cup) Calvados or brandy
• 120 ml (0.5 cup) water
• 360 ml (1.5 cups) chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 55 g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 40 g unsalted butter, melted
• 2 medium onions (1.5 cups), diced
• 3 celery stalks (1 cup), diced
• 1.5 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 extra-large egg, beaten
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

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Instructions

1. Prepare the fruity base by combining figs, cranberries, Calvados, and water in a small saucepan. Gently simmer the mixture for 2 minutes over medium heat, then set aside to steep and develop rich flavors.
2. In a large skillet, melt butter and sauté diced onions and chopped celery until they become translucent and soft, approximately 5 minutes.
3. Introduce ground sausage to the vegetable mixture, carefully breaking it into small crumbles. Cook thoroughly until the meat achieves a deep golden-brown color and is completely cooked through, about 10 minutes.
4. Incorporate the previously prepared fruit mixture, including its liquid, along with fragrant rosemary and toasted pine nuts. Stir and scrape the pan to capture all the delicious browned bits.
5. Transfer the mixture to a spacious mixing bowl. Blend in dry stuffing mix, rich chicken stock, a beaten egg, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper until thoroughly combined.
6. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F). Position the turkey breast skin-side down on a clean cutting board and season generously with salt and black pepper.
7. Evenly spread the prepared stuffing across the turkey breast, maintaining a small border around the edges. Carefully roll the turkey from one end to the other, ensuring the stuffing remains neatly enclosed.
8. Secure the rolled turkey with kitchen twine at 5-centimeter intervals, creating a compact roulade. Position the roulade seam-side down on a rack placed over a baking tray. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with additional seasoning.
9. Roast the turkey roulade for 1¾ to 2 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 65°C (150°F). Once cooked, remove from the oven and loosely tent with aluminum foil, allowing the meat to rest for 15 minutes.
10. Slice the roulade into 1-centimeter thick portions and serve warmly, accompanied by additional stuffing on the side.

Notes

• Chilled butter grated over stuffing creates moisture-locking magic for your roasted turkey roulade.
• Aromatic sage and rosemary transform ordinary stuffing into a flavor explosion that dances on your taste buds.
• Kitchen twine becomes your culinary ally, keeping the roulade compact and ensuring picture-perfect slices every time.
• Precise butterflying technique guarantees even cooking and stunning presentation when you unveil your masterpiece.
• Patience during resting lets delicious juices redistribute, promising tender, succulent meat that will impress every dinner guest.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
• Category: Dinner, Appetizer
• Method: Roasting
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 8
• Calories: 400
• Sugar: 7g
• Sodium: 560mg
• Fat: 5g
• Saturated Fat: 2g
• Carbohydrates: 20g
• Fiber: 1g
• Protein: 20g
• Cholesterol: 75mg