Turkey Roulade is a guarantee for tender, juicy, flavorful turkey! It's a beautiful addition to your holiday table that isn't very complicated and, best of all, you put it together the day before you plan to eat it. And with all of the fresh herbs and garlic, this turkey roulade is not only wonderful hot - leftovers make exceptional sandwiches!
When you roast a whole turkey, there's always that moment of truth, that first slice of the breast: Will it be juicy and tender or dry and hard to swallow? I admit that over the years, we've had some of both in our home.
That's why the Turkey Porchetta recipe from The Food Lab caught my eye.
It looked so juicy and I loved the idea of all of those little herb pockets. But would it be a fussy process? Really, not too bad. I followed The Food Lab's process exactly, but used a classic garlic and fresh herb mixture instead of the herbs and spices used to season porchetta.
I love to serve this Turkey Roulade with Mashed Red Potatoes or Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes with Turkey Gravy without drippings or Cheesy Potatoes, Cornbread Dressing, Sourdough Stuffing or Cornbread Pudding, Cranberry Orange Relish, Brioche Dinner Rolls, and steamed green beans for an easy and spectacular Thanksgiving meal.
Plan Your Holiday Menu
How to Make Turkey Roulade
1. Start out with a whole bone-in, skin-on turkey breast. Carefully remove the skin in one piece and lay flat on a work surface. With a sharp knife, remove each side of the breast. Lay the breast halves side by side on the skin and slice a diagonal pattern in them. Rub all over with garlic herb mix.
2. Starting from one long side, roll the breast meat up in the skin and secure with butcher's twine. Transfer to a baking dish or container large enough for the turkey roulade to lay flat. Cover and refrigerator for one to two days to allow flavors to meld.
3. A couple of hours before you plan to eat, brown turkey roulade on all sides in high heat oil and then slow-roast on a rack in a baking sheet at 275°F until thickest part of turkey roulade registers 150°F, about 2 hours. Remove from oven and transfer to cutting board. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve.
For me, the best part of a turkey dinner is the promise of leftovers. And slices of this roulade make incredibly delicious sandwiches or chop/shred to use in Turkey Pot Pie, Turkey Pot Pie Soup or Turkey and Rice Soup the next day.
Fresh Herb and Garlic Turkey Breast Roulade
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 5 pounds bone-in, skin on turkey breast patted dry
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon oil with a high smoke point such as avocado or canola
Instructions
- Add first 7 ingredients (salt through olive oil) to a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Carefully remove skin from turkey breast and lay it flat on a large work surface, like a cutting board. With a sharp knife, slice along the ridge of the turkey breast, using the knife and your hands, carefully separate the breast from the bone. Repeat with other breast half. Remove tenderloin from each breast half and reserve for another use.
- With your knife, butterfly the thick area on each breast half, leaving the last ½-inch connected. Fold out the flap so that the meat is a relatively even thickness.
- Lay the half breasts side by side on the skin. Slash meat in a 1-inch diagonal pattern, cutting about ½-inch deep into the meat. Rub garlic and herb mixture evenly over the meat, taking care to get it down into the cuts.
- Lift an edge of the skin and carefully roll the turkey meat into a tight cylinder. The skin should cover it completely. Tie the roast with 6 or 7 8-inch lengths of butcher's twine. Starting from the outsides and working toward the middle to maintain a consistent shape.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.
- When ready to cook, preheat oven to 275°F.
- Place oven-safe wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet.
- Season roulade all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add turkey and cook, turning often until all sides are golden brown. Transfer turkey to rack on baking sheet and transfer to oven.
- Roast until thickest part of turkey roulade registers 150°F, about 2 hours. Remove from oven and transfer to cutting board. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
I made this yesterday for Thanksgiving and for the first time, I actually had a turkey success, Marissa! So easy to put together and you're right that rolling everything a few days in advance only helped the herbs and garlic infuse into the breast for fabulous flavor. Plus, it was so easy to cook the day of serving. Thanks so all your fabulous recipes, friend!
aww...this makes me so happy, Sally! I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed this!
If making two at the same time. How much longer should it be cooked in oven?
Hi Suzanne! That's a great question. I haven't cooked 2 at once, but imagine it will take at least 30 minutes more. I definitely recommend monitoring the internal temp with a meat thermometer, testing in a few places on each roulade.
Yes! I love a great turkey roulade during the holidays - so much easier and juicer than cooking a full bird! Food Lab is always so inspiring! And I love the classic garlic and herbs you used!
I still need to try your recipe with stuffing in the middle - looks incredibly good!!
Herbaceous deliciousness! So clever and killer pics Marissa. #Mouthwatering
Thank you, my friend!
Hi Marissa! What a deliciously moist turkey breast and the presentation is so elegant! This would certainly be the star of the show! I like to try new ways to prepare foods, even if they appear difficult...I guess I like a good food challenge! And if they don't turn out exactly perfect I always say "that's the way its suppose to be"! 🙂
That's what I always say too, Dorothy! 🙂 In fact, there were a few spots on our roulade where the skin didn't quite cover the meat. But it still turned out great - just the way it was supposed to be!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the food lab! Seriously, I have never tried a recipe of theirs and been disappointed! It is always amazingly delicious! I am actually a huge fan of a gorgeous roulade on the holidays vs. a big roast. So this roulade is definitely calling my name! It looks so moist and flavorful... just perfect is every single way! Total show stopper here!! Pinned! Cheers, Marissa!
Thank you, Cheyanne! And I agree about the Food Lab - great website and love the cookbook of theirs too though it must weigh 15 pounds!
Wow, I'm impressed! I love how you're always willing to give things a go. You always end up showing us how something that could look a bit daunting isn't at all.
I bet this tastes miles better than the similar roasts you can buy ready-done. Well done, Marissa!
You are so sweet, Helen. Thank you!