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November 10, 2014

Thanksgiving Stuffed Turkey Breasts For Two

When cooking Thanksgiving for two and roasting a whole turkey is too much food, make Thanksgiving Stuffed Turkey Breast For Two with caramelized onion cranberry stuffing and turkey pan gravy.


Thanksgiving Stuffed Turkey Breast For Two with stuffing and pan gravy

When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, how traditional are you? Do you make the same recipes each year or do you branch out with new ideas?

We are very traditionalists here when it comes to any holiday dinner (although we may try something new for Christmas and Easter).

Thanksgiving I can almost guarantee what the menu will be year after year – mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, Mom’s stuffing, and Dad’s pumpkin pie.

The only change up we have is the meat.

Since there’s only four of us (with one not liking turkey and another who doesn’t eat much meat), we usually cook two Cornish Hen with Homemade Stuffing.

However, I know not everyone wants chicken. They want turkey and stuffing for two because it’s synonymous with Thanksgiving.

Problem is there is no such thing as a small turkey. The smallest I’ve seen is 10 pounds. Probably 7 pounds too many.

So how do you make a small turkey for two? By making Thanksgiving Stuffed Turkey Breast For Two.

One turkey breast half is probably three times the size of a regular chicken breast. Depending on what else you’re serving, you can serve one breast per person or cut each breast in half and stretch it into 4 servings.

The best part about roasting a whole turkey (besides the crispy skin) is stuffing it. Luckily turkey breasts are thick enough to stuff.

Keeping with traditional Thanksgiving flavors, I made homemade caramelized onion cranberry stuffing.

And since you’ll have pan drippings from roasting the turkey, you can make homemade turkey gravy for serving.


Thanksgiving Stuffed Turkey Breast For Two

Buying Bone In Turkey Breast

When I first made this recipe in 2014, I’ve never actually bought bone-in skin-on turkey breast before.

I’ve bought boneless skinless turkey breast, turkey legs, Cornish hen, boneless skinless chicken breast, all meats very similar to it but never bone-in skin-on turkey breast.

I bring this up because I had quite the adventure buying it.

First, there is no such thing as boneless skin-on turkey breast. It’s either bone in with skin or boneless and skinless.

And since you neeeeed that crispy golden turkey skin, you need to debone the turkey breast yourself.

Second, there is no such thing as tiny turkey breasts. Go big or go home.

It took me three stores to finally buy my meat. One butcher told me most breasts are bigger than 3 pounds because of the high demand.

I somehow got incredibly lucky and found 2.5 pound and 2.97 pound turkey breasts at another store.

Because of this factor, this stuffed turkey breast recipe may vary for you. You may have leftover stuffing. You may use all of the stuffing. Your cooking time may take longer if the meat is bigger.

How To Debone Turkey Breast

Deboning turkey breast is easier than you think because the bone is all on one side.

Using a boning knife or a chef’s knife (make sure it’s sharp and long enough), place the breast skin side down. Make a cut down the center of the breast all the way down to the bone.

This video from Canadian Living demonstrates how to debone a turkey breast.

Or depending on where you buy your meat, you can very nicely ask the butcher to debone it for you.


Thanksgiving Stuffed Turkey Breast For Two with stuffing and gravy

How To Make Thanksgiving Stuffing

Instead of using boxed stuffing, opt for making homemade stuffing!

I amped up classic stuffing by adding caramelized onion and dried cranberries.

The onions will take some time to caramelize, but you can cook them ahead of time so you’re not as rushed on Thanksgiving.

How To Roast Stuffed Turkey Breast For Thanksgiving

Rather than butterflying the turkey breasts then rolling them up into a roulade, I decided to cut pockets into the side. Turkey is usually thick enough to cut and fill.

To get started, preheat the oven to 325F then start preparing your turkey breast.

Make the herb butter, which you can prep the day before to save time on Thanksgiving Day. I like to butter roast my turkey breast to give it more flavor and to help the skin crisp up better.

Once you butter your turkey, make a pocket on the side of each turkey breast. Add the stuffing then secure with a toothpick or two.

If you have leftover stuffing, place it in a heatproof pan to bake alongside the turkey.

Roast two turkey breasts for 60-90 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. The time varies because it depends on how many pounds your turkey is.

This is where buying a meat thermometer (Amazon affiliate link) comes in handy. You don’t want to guess then cut into a raw turkey.

How To Make Gravy With Turkey Drippings

My Homemade Gravy Without Meat Drippings is my most popular recipe ever, mainly because you don’t need to roast meat for it.

However, when you roast stuffed turkey breasts you will have pan drippings. These drippings are delicious and you certainly don’t want to throw them away!

The turkey breasts need to rest before serving; otherwise they will lose their wonderful juices and dry out.

While the turkey is resting, take those pan drippings and make turkey gravy.

First, refrigerate the drippings until the fat solidifies. Skim off the fat then melt it in a saucepan. This is in lieu of butter.

Next, stir in flour to form a roux, which is a flour paste. Let it cook for another minute or so to get rid of the raw flour taste then slowly whisk in the drippings. If it’s not enough, you may need to add broth as well.

Bring to a boil then cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and add salt as needed.

By the time you finish the gravy, the turkey should be ready to serve.


Making stuffed turkey breasts for Thanksgiving

How do I prepare stuffed turkey breasts the day before Thanksgiving?

This recipe isn’t complicated, but like any holiday meal these Thanksgiving stuffed turkey breasts do take some time to prepare.

Prep the stuffing the day before Thanksgiving by cubing and toasting the bread. Cool then store at room temperature in an airtight container.

While the bread is toasting, caramelize the onion and cook the celery. Place the cooked filling in the refrigerator until the next day when you mix the stuffing ingredients together.

You can also make the herb butter ahead of time. Refrigerate after making then let it soften at room temperature before covering the turkey.

Another way to save time on Thanksgiving Day is by deboning the turkey breast ahead of time. Thawed turkey breast can stay in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before Thanksgiving.

What should I make for a small Thanksgiving dinner?

Now that you chose Thanksgiving Stuffed Turkey Breast for two as your main dish, what about the sides?

Most Thanksgiving side dish recipes make enough food to feed an army; if you’re cooking for two, you’ll never finish it all!

Luckily for you, this blog is all about recipes for two. I published a Thanksgiving For Two Dinner Menu guide where you can mix and match recipes to create a holiday meal you’ll love without throwing away leftovers.

Thanksgiving Stuffed Turkey Breast For Two

Thanksgiving Stuffed Turkey Breast For Two

Yield: 2-4 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

When cooking Thanksgiving for two and roasting a whole turkey is too much food, make Thanksgiving Stuffed Turkey Breast For Two with caramelized onion cranberry stuffing and turkey pan gravy.

Ingredients

Caramelized Onion and Cranberry Stuffing

  • 3 1/2 cups 1/2-inch bread cubes (roughly 4 slices bread)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Salt, to taste (preferably kosher)
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 rib celery, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/3 cup chicken broth or stock
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley

Turkey

  • 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (preferably kosher)
  • 2 (3-pound) bone-in skin-on turkey breasts, deboned with skin left on

Pan Gravy

  • 1/2 - 3/4 cup chicken broth or stock
  • 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • Salt, to taste (preferably kosher)

Instructions

  1. For the stuffing: Preheat oven to 400F. Add the bread cubes in a single layer onto a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, 5-10 minutes. Cool completely.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet on medium heat, melt the butter. Add onion and a big pinch of salt. Turn the heat down to low then cook for 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every few minutes and scraping any bits that form on the bottom.
  3. Add celery and cook another 5-8 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
  4. In a large bowl, add toasted bread cubes. Add onion mixture, broth, egg, cranberries, and parsley. Stir until everything is moistened and sticking together. Set aside while you prep the turkey.
  5. For the turkey: Preheat oven to 325F. Line a roasting pan with foil. Spray a roasting rack with cooking spray and place it inside the pan.
  6. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and salt until smooth. Evenly rub the butter mixture underneath and on top of the turkey skin.
  7. Cut a pocket into one side of each turkey breast large and deep enough to hold stuffing without cutting all the way through. Fill each breast with stuffing. If you have leftover stuffing, place it in a heatproof pan to bake alongside the turkey. Use a few toothpicks to close the pocket.
  8. Place both turkey breasts on the roasting rack. Bake for 60-90 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F and juices are clear. Rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
  9. For the gravy: While the turkey is resting, make the gravy. Place any meat drippings into a measuring cup and refrigerate 15 minutes. If fat forms, skim it off the top and save. Add enough broth to equal 1 cup.
  10. In a medium saucepan, melt the fat from the drippings. If there isn't enough fat, add enough butter to equal 2 tablespoons of fat total.
  11. Stir in the flour and a big pinch of salt to form a roux (paste) and cook for 1 minute or until lightly brown.
  12. Slowly whisk in the drippings mixture. Bring to a boil then cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve with turkey.

Notes

This recipe isn't complicated, but like any holiday meal it does take some time to prepare. Here are some ways to prep the recipe ahead of time:

  • Prep the stuffing the day before by cubing and toasting the bread. Cool then store at room temperature in an airtight container.
  • While the bread is toasting, caramelize the onion and cook the celery. Place the cooked filling in the refrigerator until the next day when you mix the stuffing ingredients together.
  • Make the herb butter then refrigerate. Let it soften at room temperature before covering the turkey.
  • Debone the turkey ahead of time. Thawed turkey breast can stay in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before Thanksgiving.

Recommended Products

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Did you make this recipe?

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© Carla Cardello
Cuisine: American / Category: Chicken + Turkey

Filed Under: Chicken + Turkey, Main Dishes Tagged With: broth/stock, celery, Christmas, cranberries, dinner for two, fall, garlic, onions, Thanksgiving

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sam @ PancakeWarriors says

    November 10, 2014 at 7:28 AM

    i think we might do turkey breast at our thanksgiving this year. There are only 4 people that eat/like turkey so a huge bird seems pointless. This is a great recipe to have on hand. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Carla says

      November 13, 2014 at 9:55 AM

      I think the smallest whole turkey I’ve seen was 8 pounds, which is way too much for 4 people. Turkey breasts are much more reasonable. Hope you enjoy :)

      Reply
  2. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says

    November 10, 2014 at 8:57 AM

    GREAT idea to stuff a turkey breast for smaller Thanksgiving needs. A big honkin’ turkey can be so daunting!

    Reply
    • Carla says

      November 13, 2014 at 9:55 AM

      Can’t have Thanksgiving without stuffing the bird, so I thought turkey breasts was a good compromise ;)

      Reply
  3. Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says

    November 10, 2014 at 10:25 AM

    Here it is! You did it! Lol I think you did such an amazing job Carla!

    Reply
    • Carla says

      November 13, 2014 at 9:57 AM

      Ha yes here it is! After much deliberation on how to shoot it :)

      Reply
  4. Susan says

    November 10, 2014 at 10:26 AM

    This sounds delicious, a wonderful change from standard stuffing. I would probably do just 1 turkey breast half to feed the two of us. I know we’d still have leftovers for days.

    Reply
    • Carla says

      November 13, 2014 at 9:57 AM

      Yes, 1 breast would be perfect, especially if you have sides to go with it!

      Reply
  5. naomi says

    November 10, 2014 at 12:13 PM

    This is so great for smaller crowds or for those who just want to avoid the big bird altogether.

    Reply
    • Carla says

      November 13, 2014 at 9:59 AM

      Exactly. It also lets you have Thanksgiving any day of the year as I know some people crave it during the year. Thanks, Naomi!

      Reply
  6. Nicole says

    November 10, 2014 at 12:39 PM

    Love this idea of stuffing a turkey breast!

    Reply
    • Carla says

      November 13, 2014 at 10:00 AM

      Thanks, Nicole!

      Reply
  7. Linda | Brunch with Joy says

    November 10, 2014 at 2:10 PM

    Glad you share this recipe. We usually don’t serve turkey on Thanksgiving because it’s just the two of us and there’s no way we can finish it. The idea of stuffed turkey breast is so brilliant and I love the addition of caramelized onion. Yum!

    Reply
    • Carla says

      November 13, 2014 at 10:00 AM

      Thanksgiving for smaller households, FTW :)

      Reply
  8. Cookin Canuck says

    November 10, 2014 at 3:53 PM

    This is such a great option when you don’t want to roast a whole turkey. And that stuffing sounds fantastic!

    Reply
    • Carla says

      November 13, 2014 at 10:01 AM

      Thanks, Dara!

      Reply
  9. Amanda says

    November 10, 2014 at 6:59 PM

    That Pop up timer is nothing short of genius. I need to buy a case of them for all the Holiday cooking I have to do. Thank you so much!!

    Reply
    • Carla says

      November 13, 2014 at 10:03 AM

      Seriously, I loved just looking for the red sensor to pop up rather than cutting the meat for doneness. I think I checked on it maybe 3 times since turkey breasts can vary in size and baking time. Pop up timers for all!

      Reply
  10. Liz says

    November 10, 2014 at 7:20 PM

    Oh, boy, I think I’m going to have to roast turkey more than once a year. What a scrumptious recipe. And stocking up on those Volk thermometers is a must, too!

    Reply
    • Carla says

      November 13, 2014 at 10:03 AM

      Yes, turkey with stuffing isn’t just for Thanksgiving anymore ;)

      Reply
  11. Jen @ Jen's Favorite Cookies says

    November 11, 2014 at 11:04 AM

    This stuffed turkey looks amazing! I don’t have to wait for Thanksgiving to eat it, do I?

    Reply
    • Carla says

      November 13, 2014 at 10:04 AM

      Nope, now you can eat Thanksgiving any day of the year :D

      Reply
  12. Lori @ RecipeGirl says

    November 12, 2014 at 9:14 PM

    This is so creative and looks amazing!

    Reply
    • Carla says

      November 13, 2014 at 10:04 AM

      Thanks, Lori!

      Reply
  13. Nutmeg Nanny says

    November 16, 2014 at 10:45 PM

    These little turkey breasts look awesome! I love those little popup timers. They make it so easy to perfectly cook turkey!

    Reply
  14. heather @french press says

    November 20, 2014 at 10:36 AM

    we have too big of a crowd this year, but I’m going to remember this for Christmas – what a gorgeous dish

    Reply
  15. Susan says

    November 27, 2014 at 4:48 PM

    Since I was cooking for just my husband and me, I decided to try this, and the end result was wonderful. Getting it there was another story. I was not prepared to de-bone my turkey breast, so I decided just to put the stuffing in the skeletal cavity. Trying to rub the butter was a total mess – probably didn’t dry the bird enough. Seeing what a mess my hands were gave my husband a good laugh. Because of how I stuffed the turkey the meal came out looking more like what I’m used to when there’s a whole bird involved. I love the flavors and am definitely going to do this again on occasions when we are home alone for Thanksgiving. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and thank you for your contribution to ours.

    Reply
    • Carla says

      November 29, 2014 at 1:34 PM

      I’m glad you enjoyed the flavors! The bird does need to be dry in order to spread the butter on (otherwise it gets too wet and slippery), but I’m glad you persevered. Happy (belated) Thanksgiving :)

      Reply
  16. Emily says

    October 31, 2019 at 12:02 PM

    Yes! I needed a recipe for feeding a smaller crowd and I’m always game for stuffed turkey or chicken. These flavors are amazing!

    Reply
    • Carla says

      November 6, 2019 at 9:40 AM

      The flavors of Thanksgiving without all the leftovers!

      Reply
  17. Alene says

    November 13, 2020 at 11:57 AM

    Oh my goodness! There are just two of us this year for Thanksgiving, due to the quarantine. We thought that even the smallest turkey would be too much for just us, so this is perfect, for anytime! I love turkey and I love stuffing so this will kill 2 birds with one stone, just for us. Thank you, thank you! And happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply
    • Carla says

      November 13, 2020 at 2:53 PM

      Let me know how it turns out for you! Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply
  18. Nothy says

    November 20, 2020 at 1:36 PM

    Stuffed turkey breast is ingenious! I will be making this for our Coronavirus Thanksgiving – we do celebrate US Thanksgiving here at my house in Ontario, because Americans do everything better so we have one in October that is a trial run and one in November which is always better. THsi is my favourite food blog because you post such great ideas and the portions for 1 or 2 are great!

    Reply
    • Carla says

      November 20, 2020 at 2:39 PM

      Thanks, Nothy! Let me know what you think of the recipe.

      Reply

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I’m Carla, a 30-some childfree woman from Pittsburgh, PA learning how to adult alone. I'm sharing recipes for two and small batch recipes made from scratch because not everybody cooks for a crowd.

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