Rolled Stuffed Turkey Breast

5 from 1 vote

This rolled stuffed turkey breast is filled with Italian-style breadcrumbs flavored with garlic, lemon, parsley, Pecorino Romano, and pine nuts, then wrapped in prosciutto and roasted until juicy. It's an impressive alternative to a whole Thanksgiving turkey when you're serving a smaller crowd.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

dry brine30

Total Time55

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, italian-American

Servings: servings

Calories: 508kcal

Author: Vincent DelGiudice

Cost: $15

Equipment

cooking twine
meat tenderizer
1 baking tray with rack

Ingredients

1 boneless split turkey breast skin removed
½ cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon pine nuts chopped
2 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt divided
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon Pecorino Romano grated
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
4 oz prosciutto

Instructions

Season the turkey breast on both sides with ¾ teaspoon salt. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the turkey breast on a cutting board. Starting at the thickest side, slice horizontally through the breast without cutting all the way through, keeping the opposite edge connected. Open the turkey breast like a book. Pound with a meat tenderizer until the turkey is an even ½-inch thickness.
In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Pecorino Romano, lemon zest, lemon juice, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, black pepper, garlic, pine nuts, parsley, and olive oil. Mix well until the breadcrumb mixture resembles wet sand.
Lay 3–4 pieces of prosciutto over the inside of the turkey breast. Spoon the breadcrumb filling over the prosciutto and press it down with your fingers so that it adheres to the prosciutto.
Starting from the shorter edge, tightly roll the turkey breast and place it seam-side down on the cutting board. Wrap the outside of the stuffed turkey breast with the remaining prosciutto, slightly overlapping the slices.
Tie the turkey roll securely with kitchen twine in 3–4 places to prevent it from unrolling while it cooks.
Place the turkey roll on a baking sheet, using a roasting rack if desired. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey reaches 160°F.
Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Remove the kitchen twine, cut into slices, and serve.

Video

Notes

Dry brine the turkey breast a day in advance. This isn't necessary to enjoy this recipe, but it makes a huge difference in how tender the meat is. I recommend patting the breast dry, seasoning with salt, and resting in the refrigerator, uncovered overnight.
Pound the turkey to an even thickness. Aim for about ½ inch throughout. If one section is significantly thicker than another, the roulade won't cook as evenly and can be more difficult to roll.
Tie the roulade tightly. The tighter and more evenly you tie the turkey, the better it will hold its round shape while roasting and the cleaner your slices will be.
Do your prep ahead, but assemble before roasting. You can butterfly and pound the turkey and make your breadcrumb mixture ahead of time. Assemble and stuff the turkey just before it goes into the oven.
Rest the stuffed turkey breast before cutting. Let the stuffed turkey breast rest for 10 minutes before cutting into it. This will keep the moisture in the breadcrumb mixture and meat from turning to steam and dissipating.

Nutrition