Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast and Stuffing Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do you fully cook stuffing before putting it in the turkey? ›

Fully cook raw meat, poultry, or seafood ingredients before adding to stuffing. Combine the ingredients and place them in your bird immediately before cooking. Don't stuff whole poultry with cooked stuffing. In addition to the turkey, the stuffing's center needs to reach 165 F.

Cooking the Thanksgiving meal doesn't have to be complicated or stressful. Take, for instance, our recipe for One-Pan Turkey Breast and Stuffing with parsley-pomegranate sauce. With this recipe, the turkey and stuffing cook together in the same roasting pan.

For the best results, our Test Kitchen recommends cooking a stuffed turkey at 325°F.

You want your stuffing moist but not soggy and certainly not dry. The bread in the stuffing absorbs moisture, but if it's dry (as it should be, see above), it takes some time for the liquid to settle in. I suggest adding a little at a time, say 1 cup of broth for every 4 cups of dry mix.

For optimal food safety, the stuffing must reach a minimum temperature of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit to kill any bacteria present. It is easy to overlook checking the temperature of the stuffing, but this is a crucial step in preventing foodborne illnesses.

Add halved onions, carrot chunks, celery and fresh herbs to the cavity of your turkey, inserting them loosely. These flavor builders are the base of stock and most soups. As your turkey cooks, they'll steam and infuse your bird with moisture and flavor.

The stuffed meat, poultry, or stuffing in a casserole should be placed immediately after preparation in an oven set no lower than 325 °F. A food thermometer should be used to ensure that the stuffing reaches the safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F.

They're often baked using a two-step process (once covered with foil to cook through, then uncovered to achieve a crispy top). Our best make-ahead stuffing recipe is no different. The key is assembling and doing the first round of baking a day ahead, so all that's left to do is crisp it up while your turkey rests.

For this reason, many experts recommend baking the stuffing outside the bird, where it can easily be cooked to 165°F and is less likely to harbor bacteria.

To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.

How long to cook an 8 lb turkey breast at 350 degrees? ›

You'll never make stuffing with dried herbs again! Vegetable broth – To moisten the bread. Eggs – They add richness and moisture, helping to create the stuffing's irresistible gooey center.

Broth: Chicken broth keeps the stuffing moist without making it soggy. Eggs: Two lightly beaten eggs help hold the dressing together and add moisture. Water: You can add a few tablespoons of water, if you'd like, to achieve your desired consistency.

If the stuffing came out too wet and soggy (aka bread soup!) try not to over mix it, otherwise it'll turn into mush. Curtis Stone says to pour it on a large sheet tray and spread it out. Bake it on high heat to crisp it up, but make sure it doesn't burn.

The other important thing to consider with turkey stuffing is when it's stuffed. Trying to prep in advance doesn't work to your advantage here. Placing warm stuffing inside a refrigerated bird allows the stuffing to stay in danger zone temperatures for too long, causing bacteria growth.

If the middle of the stuffing reaches 165°F it will be safe to eat, but the bird won't be at its best. You shouldn't cook stuffing in the turkey because you can't get the temperature of the stuffing hot enough to ensure that you and your guests won't contract a food borne illness without overcooking the turkey.

To use: Dried stuffing: add boiling water, stir well and leave to stand then cook following the pack instructions. Fresh stuffing: to bake, form into balls, place on a lightly greased baking tray in a preheated oven at 190°C, gas mark 5 for 20-25 minutes.

The primary advantages to in-bird stuffing are that it's unbelievably moist and looks super-Thanksgiving-y, but to be safe (with the raw eggs in the stuffing and the raw turkey touching it), you need to cook it to 165 degrees F, which means the bird's going to have to cook to an even higher temperature, which means a ...