This Turkey Roulade is our family's favorite wild turkey recipe for the holidays and cooks in less than 30 minutes.
When it comes to wild turkey recipes, few are as versatile, flavorful, and family-friendly as a turkey roulade. A close second is my homemade turkey stock. Whether you're new to cooking wild turkey or looking for a creative new way to cook the turkey you love to hunt in the spring or the fall, this wild turkey breast recipe checks all the boxes. It's easy to prepare and makes a show-stopping centerpiece for your dinner table at Thanksgiving or Christmas.
My goal for this wild turkey dish is to make your life just a little bit easier. I’ll guide you step-by-step through this recipe, sharing tips on brining, rolling, and roasting your wild turkey breast to perfection.
Why Make A Turkey Roulade?
A turkey roulade, or rolled turkey breast, transforms a simple cut of meat into a gourmet dish. The cream cheese and vegetable filling balances perfectly with the tender turkey and aromatic spice rub. It's great for holiday dinners, but also the ideal recipe for busy parents who are looking for something simple to serve up on a busy weeknight throughout the year.
How to Make Turkey Roulade
Step 1: Prepare the Brine Combine water, kosher salt, and granulated sugar in a large pot. Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and turn off the heat. Allow it to cool completely before placing it in the fridge to chill.
Step 2: Brine the Turkey Submerge the turkey breast in the chilled brine solution. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. This step ensures your wild turkey is juicy and flavorful.
Step 3: Prepare the Turkey Breast Once brining is complete, remove the turkey breast from the solution and rinse well with cold water. Pat it dry with paper towels. Discard the brine.
Step 4: Pound the Turkey Breast Place the turkey breast in a large zip-top bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, pound it out to about ¼-inch thickness. This even thickness ensures easy rolling and even cooking.
Step 5: Make the Filling In a mixing bowl, combine the garden vegetable cream cheese, chopped spinach, parsley, roasted red peppers, and cooked bacon. Stir until well mixed.
Step 6: Assemble the Roulade Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the flattened turkey breast, leaving about ½ inch around the edges uncovered. Roll the turkey breast tightly, starting from one long side to the other. Secure the roll with toothpicks or butcher's twine.
Step 7: Apply the Spice Rub In a small bowl, mix the onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. Rub this seasoning blend all over the rolled turkey breast.
Step 8: Roast the Turkey Roulade Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch deep baking dish and place the roulade inside. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 160-165 degrees F.Step 9: Slice and Serve Carefully remove the toothpicks or twine. Let the roulade rest for 5 minutes before slicing into ½-inch-thick pieces. Serve alongside green beans or your favorite vegetable for a complete meal.
Tips for How to Cook Wild Turkey Breast
Turkey Breast Temp Matters: Cooking to an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees F is key to a juicy turkey roulade. I always use an instant-read thermometer to make sure I get it just right.
Brining Basics: The brine not only adds moisture but also seasons the turkey throughout. Don’t skip this step!
Make Ahead: You can prepare the filling and spice rub a day in advance to save time.
Why Wild Turkey is Perfect for the Holidays
Preparing wild turkey recipes together as a family is a great way to connect and teach kids about where their food comes from. Our 9-year-old daughter was with me during the hunt when I got the turkey I used for this recipe, and she helped me clean the bird and cook the dish.
This stuffed turkey breast recipe is not only delicious but also versatile. You can customize the filling with other herbs, cheeses, or even mushrooms. It’s a dish that brings everyone to the table and is as impressive for a weeknight meal as it is for a special occasion.
Come Turkey Hunting in North Dakota
If you are headed our way for North Dakota turkey season, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.
Check out all of my upland bird recipes here.
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DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE
If you make this Turkey Roulade, tag @wildgameandfish so I can share it on my Instagram stories.
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How to Cook Turkey Roulade: A Wild Turkey Recipe Perfect for the Holidays
Ingredients
Turkey Breast Brine
- 8 cups water
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ - 2 pounds skinless boneless turkey breast
Stuffed Turkey Breast
- 4 ounces garden vegetable cream cheese spread
- ¼ cup baby fresh spinach, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup roasted red peppers, chopped
- ¼ cup cooked bacon, chopped (3 slices of thick bacon)
Wild Turkey Spice Rub
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Go turkey hunting and harvest a bird.
- Clean the bird and remove the turkey breasts.
- Combine water, salt, and sugar in large pot. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn off the heat. Allow to cool completely before placing in the fridge to chill.
- Place the turkey breast in the chilled brine solution, cover, and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
- When you're ready to cook, remove the turkey breast from the brine and rinse well with cold water, then pat dry with paper towel. Discard the brine.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and grease a 9 x 13 deep pan.
- Place turkey breast in a ziploc bag or between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound out to about ¼-inch thickness using a meat mallet.
- In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese spread, spinach, parsley, roasted red peppers, and bacon.
- Spread cream cheese mixture over the turkey breast, leaving about ½ inch around the edge uncovered.
- Gently, but firmly roll the turkey breast from one long side toward the other. Secure with toothpicks to keep it rolled OR tie with butchers twine and place in greased baking dish.
- In a small bowl, combine the spice rub, then rub it all over the rolled turkey breast.
- Place this whole stuffed turkey breast in the greased 9 x 13 pan and place it in the oven and roast for 15 - 20 minutes. *Depending on the size of the turkey breast you may need more or less time. Continue to roast stuffed turkey breast until internal temperature registers 160 to 165 degrees F using an instant read thermometer.
- Remove the toothpicks or snip and discard the kitchen twine. Transfer the stuffed turkey breast to a cutting board and slice into ½-inch-thick slices and arrange on a platter. Serve with your favorite vegetable such as green beans.
Rod OClair says
Wild old gobblers can be very tough , dry and stringy. This makes them tender and edible.
Rosie says
Usually I am not a fan of turkey, but this was flavorful and tender. Loved it!
Crystal says
Oh my gosh!! This is amazing!
We wanted to try something new, instead of the same fried turkey strips that we usually make with our wild turkey breasts. This is a new favorite! I haven't even finished my plate and I had to write a review! I even messed up a little bit. I didn't flatten the breast quite enough, so it had to cook longer. It's still the best turkey I've ever had! 10 stars!
Jeff Benda says
Thanks Crystal! So glad you liked our turkey recipe. Wish we had a 10-star button!