Sheet Pan Turkey Breast and Stuffing
A cheaper, quicker option for when you don’t want the whole ordeal of the WHOLE bird.
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Not cooking for a crowd this year? Or maybe a full feast just isn’t in the budget? No matter the reason you might not want to cook a full bird, we’ve got a great solution: this Sheet Pan Turkey Breast and Stuffing. Not only is it economical, it’s also super easy — there’s no giant carcass to deal with and it cooks up in just about an hour, making it a great option if you’re looking for a simpler Thanksgiving this year or if you’re maybe just craving some Thanksgiving flavor in, say, July.
What Do You Need To Make Sheet Pan Turkey Breast and Stuffing?
First things first, you need a turkey breast. Ideally one that’s boneless, but skin-on, and around two pounds. (If you can’t find that combo, skinless is fine too.)
For the rub, you can use your favorite blend, or the combo we’ve used here, which is: brown sugar, butter, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and paprika.
For the stuffing, you need bread, more butter, garlic and onion, celery, parsley, a combination of your favorite fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano), some chicken broth, and a bit of poultry seasoning.
How Do You Make Sheet Pan Turkey Breast and Stuffing?
You’re going to start with the stuffing. The first step is to bake your cubed bread to dry it out, though if you have day old bread that usually does the trick just fine. Then, you’ll cook down your veggies in some butter until they’re soft, stir in the herbs, followed finally by the bread and the stock. Stuffing, done! Just transfer it to your baking dish.
Next, it’s time for the turkey. This doesn’t involve any brine or planning ahead — we’re just using a flavorful rub that browns up beautifully in the oven.
Combine your spices — salt, pepper, oregano, paprika — with garlic, brown sugar, and the butter, and mix it until you have a cohesive paste. Then simply rub it all over the turkey breast, lifting up the skin and tucking it under there too where you can.
Set that turkey on top of the stuffing and bake. (And yes, I know it’s technically called ‘dressing’ since it’s not stuffed in a bird.)
You want to bake this until the turkey reaches 165°F on a thermometer. The baking time is entirely dependent on the size of the turkey breast, so judge by the temp and not the clock. That being said, if you have a smaller breast around two pounds, this should take somewhere between forty-five minutes and an hour in the oven.
Isn’t that so much easier than the whole ordeal of a whole turkey?
Need Something To Serve It With?
Try some of these great recipes to round out your meal!
Make-Ahead Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Southern Style Green Beans
Pecan Slab Pie
Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce
Sheet Pan Turkey and Stuffing
Yield(s): Serves 4-6
10m prep time
1h cook time
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- For the stuffing:
- 8 cups bread of choice, cubed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small white or yellow onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, chopped (sage, thyme, rosemary, or a combo)
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the turkey:
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 2-lb boneless, skin-on turkey breast
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
- Spread out bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add garlic, onion, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 4-5 minutes. Stir in poultry seasoning, parsley, and any fresh herbs, if using.
- Remove from heat, and stir in bread, season with salt and pepper, and stir in chicken stock until well combined.
- Spread out stuffing mixture in prepared baking dish.
- In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic, brown sugar, salt, pepper, paprika, and oregano and stir to create a paste.
- Rub turkey all over with butter mixture, lifting some of the skin gently and spreading some underneath, if you can.
- Place turkey on top of stuffing and bake until turkey reaches 165°F on a thermometer, about 45 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Damn Delicious.