This moist, flavorful Turkey Roulade is a showstopping alternative to a whole roasted turkey for Thanksgiving! Here, I’ll be showing you how to make a turkey roulade.
This is a comprehensive guide to prep and assemble a full, on the bone turkey breast, and make it into a boneless, ready for roasting turkey roulade.
This year, like in years past, we won’t be prepping a whole turkey for our Thanksgiving spread. That’s a lot of food for just the two of us, too much clearly, and I’m not very fond of eating leftovers for a whole week. So the answer is to cook a smaller turkey dish, like a slow cooked turkey breast or oven roasted turkey breast or turkey legs even.
This year I’m making a Turkey Roulade with turkey breast! And here I’ll be showing you how to prep the turkey roulade.
Butterflying a turkey breast is a great cooking technique that makes preparing turkey easier and more flavorful. It involves cutting the thick breast meat almost in half horizontally to open it up like a book. This allows you to pound it to an even thickness for consistent cooking, stuff it with delicious fillings, or sauté the two halves separately for faster cooking. Learning to properly butterfly a turkey breast can help you make moist, delicious stuffed roulades, cutlets, or sautéed turkey meals for Thanksgiving or anytime.
Why You Should Butterfly a Turkey Breast
Butterflying a whole turkey breast has several advantages over roasting a whole bird or cooking the breast intact
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Allows you to add savory stuffing or other flavorful fillings to make every bite delicious.
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Cooks much faster than a whole turkey or intact breast Halves cooking time
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Creates a uniform thickness so the breast cooks evenly No dry white meat!
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Provides more surface area for crisping the skin or browning when sautéed.
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Lets you cut the breast into smaller pieces for sautéing or serving individual portions.
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Looks elegant and impressive when stuffed and rolled into a roulade.
So if you’re cooking for a smaller gathering or want infused flavors and moist turkey, butterflying is definitely the way to go.
Step-by-Step Guide to Butterflying a Turkey Breast
Butterflying a whole turkey breast is easy to do at home with just a sharp chef’s knife and a cutting board. Here are the step-by-step instructions:
1. Start with a boneless, skin-on breast
Buy a whole boneless, skin-on turkey breast, around 2-3 pounds. Remove any netting or trussing.
2. Remove the skin
Lay the breast skin-side up on a cutting board. Starting at one end, loosen the skin from the meat by slipping your fingers underneath and gently pulling it up and back. Slice along the membrane attaching the skin to remove it completely. Reserve the skin for later use if desired.
3. Flip breast over and slice horizontally
Turn the breast over so the smooth side is facing down. Holding your knife parallel to the board about 1/2 inch above it, cut horizontally into the thickest part of the meat. Stop about 3/4 inch from the edge.
4. Open up the breast
Gently open the breast at the cut like a book. It should lay flat in two connected halves.
5. Pound the breast to even thickness
Cover with plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to gently pound the breast to an even 1/2 inch thickness throughout. Go slowly to prevent ripping.
6. Add filling and roll (optional)
For a roulade, spread your favorite stuffing over one half, leaving a 1 inch border. Roll up lengthwise away from you, using the reserved skin to wrap around and cover the seam if desired.
7. Tie at intervals
Use butcher’s twine to tie the roulade closed at 1 inch intervals to hold the shape during cooking. Tuck in ends and make a crosswise tie.
And that’s it! Your butterflied turkey breast is ready to cook.
Delicious Ways to Cook a Butterflied Turkey Breast
Once you’ve mastered how to butterfly a turkey breast, here are some delicious ways to cook it:
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Turkey Roulade – Spread with savory stuffing, roll up and roast or bake until golden brown. Slice into rounds to reveal a beautiful spiral.
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Turkey Cutlets – Pound each butterflied half to 1⁄4 inch thickness. Sauté in olive oil over high heat for 2-3 minutes per side until lightly browned.
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Stuffed Turkey Breast – Stuff one half and top with the other. Roast or bake until cooked through and juices run clear. Slice thickly.
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Turkey Saltimbocca – Pound thin, layer with prosciutto and sage, then pan fry in olive oil and white wine.
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Grilled Turkey Breast – Pound halves to 1⁄2 inch thickness then grill over direct heat for 6-8 minutes per side. Slice and serve.
Tips for Butterflying Turkey Breast Success
Follow these tips when butterflying a whole turkey breast for perfect, juicy results:
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Use an extremely sharp chef’s knife for clean, effortless cuts.
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Work slowly and let the knife do the work. Don’t force it.
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Open the breast gently after the horizontal cut to keep it intact.
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Pound evenly with light pressure to prevent thick spots. Go thinner at edges.
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Don’t overstuff a roulade. Filling should be 3/4 inch from edges to prevent leakage.
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Truss and tie every inch to maintain roulade shape during cooking.
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Cook to an internal temperature of 165°F for food safety.
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Allow to rest at least 10 minutes before slicing for super juicy meat.
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Save pan juices for gravy and sauces.
With this easy technique, you can infuse any turkey breast meal with delicious flavors and moisture. Enjoy experimenting!
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How to prep a turkey roulade
This is an easy step, but you have to do it carefully, so as not to tear or make holes in the skin. And DO NOT throw away the skin – you’ll be cleaning it and using it later to encase the turkey breast.
Step seven – Assemble the roulade (time to roll up the meat)
This part is fun to do, but can be tricky.
- Start at one end of the turkey breast and start rolling it up (as shown below), keeping it as tight/taut as possible. Do NOT roll up the turkey breast in the skin, yet.
- Once you have rolled up the turkey breast, while keeping it as tight as possible, place it on the stretched out turkey skin with the seam side of the turkey roulade facing up, and then wrap the skin around the roulade.
- The objective is to have the skin wrapped around the roulade, with the seams of both the roulade and the skin facing up.
- Tightly cover the rolled up turkey breast with the skin, and then place the roulade on the board with the seam side up as shown below.
- Using the twine, tie the turkey roulade at 1 inch intervals as shown below. Tie the twine, starting from the ends, working your way towards the middle. This will help keep the shape of the roulade.
- Remember to tie the twine fairly tightly and secure with double knots. The knots should be near the seam, so that the presentation side looks neat.
- Stretch out the skin at either end, and over the meat (if possible). You can tie a string across the turkey roulade horizontally as well, to help maintain the shape further.
Alternatively, you can roll up the roulade and then tightly wrap it with plastic wrap without using any twine. However, it’s a little more tricky to keep the shape this way, and I prefer to use twine.
Now you have an assembled turkey roulade!
How to Butterfly & Stuff a Turkey Breast – Easy Thanksgiving Prep
FAQ
Can you spatchcock a turkey breast only?
Turkey breasts don’t have a backbone on them to remove, so you can’t “Spatchcock” a breast, to be pedantic. You could butterfly it, cutting down the cooking time, but that’s going to risk getting VERY dry. https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-butterfly-a-turkey-breast-909010 has a good visual on that.
How to turn a turkey into a butterfly?
- Step 1: Cut Out the Spine. Using a sharp knife or STRONG butcher shears (these Wusthof ones were great, but still required the cleaver!), cut along both sides of the spine of the turkey. …
- Step 2: Crack the Breastbone. …
- Step 3: Flatten the Bird.
How to tie a turkey butterfly?
Tie it Up
Use butcher’s twine to secure the log so it doesn’t unravel when cooking: tie the breast at 1-inch intervals, then tuck ends of the turkey in and loop a piece of twine around the ends to keep the stuffing inside.
Do you cook turkey butterfly with string on?
Trim Away Excess Skin and Fat
To butterfly, begin with a boneless, skinless turkey breast. Many already come rolled and tied or wrapped in string netting; the netting and string need to be removed, as well as the pop-up thermometer if there is one. Unroll the breast and lay it on a cutting board.
How do you butterfly a turkey breast?
Turn an ordinary dish into something special A turkey breast is a versatile cut of meat on its own, and learning how to butterfly and stuff a turkey breast expands the poultry’s possibilities even more. The butterfly technique means cutting the thick piece of meat partially in half so that it forms a large, thinner piece.
Can You debone and butterfly a turkey breast at home?
Food Director Annabelle Waugh shows you how to debone and butterfly a turkey breast in the comfort of your own kitchen. With these simple techniques, you’ll never have to ask a butcher to do it for you again. How to flatten and butterfly a…
Should you butterfly a whole turkey breast?
Butterflying a whole turkey breast is a great way to ensure even cooking and a beautiful presentation. The process involves splitting the turkey breast down the middle and opening it up like a book. This technique allows for more even cooking and creates a larger surface area for seasoning and basting.
Can You butterfly a Turkey?
When you butterfly a bird, you allow it to cook even faster! This is a great technique that can seriously speed up cooking time, as illustrated in the 90-Minute Roast Turkey. It’s also a great method to use on the grill, as demoed in Herbed Chicken Under Bricks! Butterflying a turkey takes some sharp tools, and a lot of power.
Does butterflying a turkey breast reduce cooking time?
Butterflying a turkey breast will generally reduce the overall cooking time, as it creates a larger surface area and more even thickness. Be sure to use a meat thermometer to check for doneness, as cooking times can vary depending on the size and cooking method used.
How do you cut a turkey breast in a butterfly cut?
Now comes the moment of truth: the butterfly cut. Place the turkey breast skin-side down on your cutting board. Starting at the narrow end, make a horizontal cut through the meat, about halfway through its thickness. Imagine you’re opening a book, but instead of pages, you’re revealing a juicy turkey masterpiece.