This sheet pan turkey breast and stuffing is a complete small Thanksgiving dinner made on one pan! An herb-roasted turkey breast bakes right on top of homemade stuffing, alongside hasselback sweet potatoes with a brown sugar pecan topping and crispy roasted Brussels sprouts.
It serves 4 to 6, so it's perfect when you want all the Thanksgiving classics without roasting a whole bird. Add some cranberry sauce, a little gravy, and a slice of pecan pie, and you've got the whole holiday menu covered!
Quick Look
- Total time: About 2 hours
- Key ingredients: Bone-in turkey breast, homemade bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts
- Flavor: Savory, herby turkey and stuffing with sweet, buttery brown sugar pecan sweet potatoes
- Method: Everything roasts at 375°F on one sheet pan, with the sides added in stages so it all finishes together
- Serves: 4 to 6, a small Thanksgiving dinner
- Make-ahead: Dry the bread cubes up to 2 days early and mix the stuffing a day ahead
A lot of sheet pan Thanksgiving dinners call for boxed stuffing mix and shortcut sides. This one keeps it homemade! The stuffing is made from real bakery bread with sautéed onion, celery, and carrot, and the sweet potatoes get the same brown sugar and pecan flavors as a classic casserole, just with a lot less work.
Best of all, it's made with one sheet pan and one pot, so cleanup is a breeze. If you make it, I'd love to hear how it went! Leave a star rating and a comment below.
Why This Recipe Works
- The turkey seasons the stuffing. Roasting the turkey breast on top of the stuffing lets its juices drip down and flavor every bite.
- A breast is easier than a whole bird. There's no juggling white and dark meat cooking times, so it's much easier to keep the turkey moist and juicy.
- Staggered timing. The sides go into the oven in stages, so the turkey, stuffing, and vegetables all finish hot at the same time.
- Foil dividers keep everything separate. Little foil trays give each side its own space on the pan and make cleanup even easier.
How to Dry Bread Cubes for Stuffing
The bread needs to be really dry to make good stuffing. Dry bread soaks up the stock and holds its shape, while fresh bread turns to mush. You can leave slices out uncovered for about 48 hours, but I prefer to dry mine in the oven.
- Dry the slices. Set the bread slices on a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 200°F for 30 to 45 minutes, flipping them halfway through. They should be crisp and dry all the way through.
- Cool and cube. Let the bread cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut it into small cubes.
Ingredient Notes
- Turkey breast: Look for a bone-in, skin-on turkey breast that weighs about 3 pounds. A whole bone-in breast is usually larger, so a split turkey breast (half the breast) is the best choice.
- Bread: For the best homemade stuffing, use a high-quality bakery bread and skip the soft, mass-produced sandwich bread. A rustic white bread is my favorite, and French bread, sourdough, and brioche are all good options too. In a pinch, Pepperidge Farm bread cubes work well. They're pre-seasoned, so you may want to cut back on the herbs and salt.
- Chicken stock: I use Swanson Unsalted chicken stock so I can control the salt. Turkey stock works too.
- Fresh herbs: Sage, thyme, parsley, and rosemary give the turkey and stuffing that classic Thanksgiving flavor.
- Brussels sprouts: Look for firm, bright green sprouts that are similar in size so they roast evenly.
Substitutions & Variations
- Herb butter turkey: For extra-rich, juicy turkey, rub herb butter under and over the skin instead of olive oil. My Herb-Roasted Split Turkey Breast shows how.
- Boneless turkey breast: A boneless, skin-on turkey breast roast works too. It cooks faster than bone-in, so start checking the temperature early. For tips on cooking one, see my Baked Boneless Turkey Breast.
- Cornbread dressing: Swap the bakery bread for dried cornbread cubes for a Southern-style dressing, like my Southern Cornbread Dressing.
- Sausage stuffing: Brown ½ pound of breakfast or sage sausage with the onion, celery, and carrot for a heartier stuffing.
- Marshmallow sweet potatoes: Skip the pecans and top the sweet potatoes with mini marshmallows for the last few minutes, just until they're golden.
- Other vegetables: Diced butternut squash or baby Yukon Gold potatoes can replace the sweet potatoes, and green beans or asparagus can replace the Brussels sprouts. All of these cook faster, so add them later in the cooking time.
Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Timing Schedule
The secret to this meal is adding each side at the right time, so everything finishes hot together. Here's the game plan, based on a 3-pound turkey breast and counted from the moment it goes into the oven:
| Step | Time |
|---|---|
| Turkey and stuffing go in the oven | 0:00 |
| Add the sweet potatoes, covered with foil | 0:10 |
| Add the Brussels sprouts | 0:45 |
| Turkey reaches 165°F: rest it, uncover the sweet potatoes, add the rest of the brown sugar, and put the pan back in | About 1:15 |
| Carve the turkey and serve | About 1:30 |
A few things that make the schedule easy to follow:
- Prep while it roasts. Slice and top the sweet potatoes during the first 10 minutes, then prep the Brussels sprouts while the sweet potatoes roast.
- Set a timer for each stage. It's easy to lose track when you're opening the oven every few minutes!
- Let the thermometer decide. These times are a guide, since every turkey breast is a little different. Plan on about 15 minutes more or less for each pound above or below 3 pounds, and add the Brussels sprouts about 30 minutes before you expect the turkey to be done.
- Dry the bread first. If you're making your own bread cubes, they dry at 200°F before the oven goes up to 375°F, so do them earlier in the day or up to 2 days ahead.
How to Make Sheet Pan Turkey Breast and Stuffing
- Make the stuffing. Sauté the onion, celery, and carrot in butter until softened, then stir in the stock, herbs, salt, and pepper. Let the mixture cool before it goes in with the egg so you don't end up with scrambled eggs! I mix the stuffing with my hands to make sure every bread cube gets moistened.
- Set up the pan. Spread the stuffing in an even layer over about ⅓ of a half sheet pan (18x13 inches). Line the rest of the pan with foil and fold up the edge next to the stuffing to make a little wall between them.
- Season the turkey and start roasting. Rub the turkey breast with olive oil, season it with salt, pepper, and herbs, and set it on top of the stuffing. It goes into the oven first since it takes the longest.
- Slice the sweet potatoes. Make thin cuts across each sweet potato, stopping just short of the bottom. A pair of takeout chopsticks laid on either side makes a great guide to keep your knife from going all the way through. Spoon on the brown sugar butter, sprinkle with pecans, and tuck some small pieces of pecan between the slices so the topping gets into the cracks. After the turkey has cooked for around 10 minutes, add the sweet potatoes to the pan and cover loosely with foil.
- Add the Brussels sprouts. Toss the halved sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. About 45 minutes after the turkey goes in (roughly 30 minutes before it should be done), add them to the pan in their own little foil tray.
- Rest the turkey and finish the sides. The turkey is done when the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 1¼ hours for a 3-pound breast. Move it to a cutting board and tent it with foil. Uncover the sweet potatoes, sprinkle on the rest of the brown sugar, and slide the pan back into the oven while the turkey rests so the sides are nice and hot at serving time.
- Carve. Cut the meat away from the bone, then slice it about ¼ inch thick. Use a very sharp knife and hold the skin in place with your other hand so each slice keeps that crispy, flavorful skin!
Scott's Tips
- Pick the right sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes are the trickiest part of this meal. Long, evenly shaped, small to medium potatoes cook through in the same time as the turkey. Big ones won't. If you can only find large sweet potatoes, I recommend peeling them, then cutting them into 1-inch cubes instead. Cubed sweet potatoes will cook faster, so add them with the sprouts.
- Trust your thermometer. Turkey breasts vary a lot in size, so cook to temperature, not time. Check the deepest part of the meat with an instant-read thermometer, and plan on about 15 minutes more or less for every pound above or below 3 pounds.
- Watch the browning. If the stuffing or the turkey skin starts getting too dark before the turkey is done, cover it loosely with foil.
- Don't skip the rest. Letting the turkey rest for 10 to 15 minutes keeps the juices in the meat instead of on your cutting board, and it gives the sides time to finish.
What to Serve with Sheet Pan Turkey Breast and Stuffing
The sheet pan already covers the turkey, stuffing, and two sides, so all you really need is cranberry sauce, gravy, and dessert! For a bigger spread, add a pot of mashed potatoes or mac and cheese.
And don't forget dessert:
Quick Gravy Without Drippings
Since the turkey bakes on top of the stuffing, you won't get pan drippings for gravy. The stuffing soaks them all up! Here's a quick gravy you can make in about 10 minutes while the turkey rests:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken or turkey stock
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, and salt and pepper to taste
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then sauté the onion for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add the flour and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly browned. Slowly whisk in the stock, then stir in the herbs and seasonings and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
If you'd rather get the gravy done ahead of time, my Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy is rich and full of roasted turkey flavor, and you can make it up to two days before dinner.
Make-Ahead Tips
A little prep the day before makes this an easy holiday dinner, or even a weeknight one!
- Bread cubes: Dry and cube the bread up to 2 days ahead. Let the cubes cool completely and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Stuffing: Mix the stuffing up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate it. Take it out about 30 minutes before it goes on the sheet pan.
- Gravy: Make the quick gravy a day ahead and reheat it on the stove, or use the make-ahead gravy linked above.
Storage and Reheating
Store the turkey, stuffing, and vegetables in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
To reheat, put the sliced turkey and stuffing in a baking dish with a splash of chicken broth, cover tightly with foil, and warm in a 325°F oven until the turkey reaches 165°F. The sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts can go in alongside, uncovered, for the last 10 minutes or so.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! That's exactly how this recipe works. Since the stuffing under the turkey picks up juices from the raw meat, make sure it also reaches 165°F before serving.
No. With all those thin slices it's hard to peel them anyway, so just scrub them well under running water to remove any dirt before you start cutting.
Yes, but thaw it completely first. The safest way is in the refrigerator, which takes about a day for a 3-pound breast. A partially frozen turkey breast won't cook evenly.
More Turkey Recipes
📖 Recipe
Sheet Pan Roasted Turkey with Stuffing and Vegetables
Ingredients
For the turkey
- 3 pound bone-in turkey breast, skin on (1 split breast)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the stuffing
- 6 cups dried bread cubes, see notes
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1½ cups unsalted chicken stock or turkey stock
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large egg, beaten
For the sweet potatoes
- 4 small to medium sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons pecans, finely chopped
For the Brussels sprouts
- 1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Prepare the stuffing
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Remove from the heat and stir in the stock, herbs, salt, and pepper. Let the mixture cool.
- Beat the egg in a large mixing bowl, then add the bread cubes and pour in the vegetable and stock mixture. Toss until all the bread is moistened.
- Spread the stuffing in an even layer over about ⅓ of a rimmed half sheet pan (18x13 inches). Line the rest of the pan with foil and fold up the edge next to the stuffing to make a divider.
Roast the turkey
- Rub the turkey breast with the olive oil and season it with the salt, pepper, and herbs.
- Set the turkey on top of the stuffing and place the pan in the oven.
Prepare the sweet potatoes
- Scrub the sweet potatoes and pat them dry. Starting about 1 inch from one end and stopping 1 inch from the other, cut ¼-inch slices crosswise, stopping about ¼ to ½ inch from the bottom. Chopsticks laid on either side make a good guide.
- Stir together the melted butter, 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar, and the cinnamon. After the turkey has roasted for about 10 minutes, remove the pan and arrange the sweet potatoes on the foil, leaving room for the Brussels sprouts. Spoon the butter mixture over the sweet potatoes, sprinkle with the pecans, cover loosely with foil, and return the pan to the oven.
Prepare the Brussels sprouts
- Toss the Brussels sprouts with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Fold a small sheet of foil into a tray that fits the open section of the pan. About 30 minutes before the turkey should be done, add the sprouts to the pan and return it to the oven.
Finish and serve
- Roast until the thickest part of the turkey reaches 165°F, about 1¼ hours total. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Uncover the sweet potatoes and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. If the stuffing is getting too brown, cover it with foil. Return the pan to the oven while the turkey rests.
- Cut the turkey away from the bone and slice it about ¼ inch thick. Serve with the stuffing and vegetables.
Notes
- Bread cubes: To make your own, dry bread slices on a wire rack in a 200°F oven for 30 to 45 minutes, flipping halfway, then cut into small cubes. Store-bought cubes like Pepperidge Farm also work, but they're pre-seasoned, so you may want to reduce the herbs and salt.
- Turkey size: Adjust the roasting time by about 15 minutes per pound for a larger or smaller breast, and always cook to 165°F. The stuffing under the turkey should also reach 165°F.
- Make-ahead: Dry the bread cubes up to 2 days ahead and mix the stuffing up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate the stuffing and let it sit out for 30 minutes before baking.
- Gravy: The stuffing absorbs the drippings, so make a quick gravy without drippings (see the post) or use my make-ahead turkey gravy.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days. Reheat covered with a splash of broth at 325°F until the turkey reaches 165°F.
Nutrition
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
Moya says
How long does the turkey needs in the oven to cook?
Scott says
The turkey itself will take around an hour to an hour and 15 minutes for a 2 pound bone in split breast. The most important part is to cook it to an internal temperature of 165°F. You will remove the turkey 2 times to add in the vegetables and then you'll take the turkey off when it's up to temp and let it rest for 15 minutes while the vegetables finish off. The total cook time for everything is about an hour and a half.
film says
I am so grateful for your blog. Thanks Again. Awesome. Aubrey Loy Wilda
Scott says
Thanks so much!
Kate says
I made the potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Thumbs up! Next time I will try the full dinner.