Cranberry Goat Cheese Stuffed Turkey (Printable version)
Tender turkey breast wrapped around creamy goat cheese, sweet cranberries, and walnuts, finished with a honey-balsamic glaze.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Turkey
01 - 1 large boneless skinless turkey breast (about 2 lbs)
→ Filling
02 - 4 oz goat cheese, softened
03 - 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
04 - 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
05 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
06 - 1 tsp lemon zest
07 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
08 - Pinch of salt
→ For Assembly
09 - 1 tbsp olive oil
10 - Salt and pepper, to taste
11 - Cooking twine
→ Glaze
12 - 2 tbsp honey
13 - 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
14 - 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
02 - Place the turkey breast on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice horizontally through the thickest part without cutting all the way through. Open like a book, place between plastic wrap sheets, and gently pound to 1/2 inch thickness.
03 - In a bowl, combine goat cheese, cranberries, walnuts, parsley, lemon zest, black pepper, and salt. Mix until well incorporated.
04 - Spread the filling evenly over the turkey, leaving a 1 inch border. Starting from the short end, carefully roll up the breast. Tie securely with cooking twine at 1 inch intervals.
05 - Rub the exterior with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place seam side down on the prepared baking sheet.
06 - Whisk together honey, Dijon mustard, and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl until smooth.
07 - Brush half the glaze over the turkey roll. Roast for 35 minutes.
08 - Brush with the remaining glaze and roast for an additional 10 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
09 - Let the turkey rest for 10 minutes. Remove the twine, slice, and serve.
# Expert tips:
01 -
- The combination of tangy goat cheese and sweet cranberries creates this incredible flavor contrast that feels fancy but comes together in under an hour
- You get all the drama of a stuffed roast without wrestling with a whole bird, and the leftovers make absolutely divine sandwiches
02 -
- The most common mistake I see people make is skipping the resting period, which causes all those lovely juices to run out onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat
- I learned the hard way that overpounding the turkey makes it tear when you roll it, so go gentle with that mallet
03 -
- If you are nervous about tying the roast, you can use silicone roasting bands instead of kitchen twine for easier removal
- Swapping pecans for the walnuts gives this a slightly sweeter, more buttery finish that I honestly prefer sometimes