You can’t go wrong with these crispy, golden turkey sausage rolls on your holiday table. What could be better than buttery, flaky pastry wrapped around a flavourful Christmas inspired filling.

  • Fun and easy to make.
  • Crunchy, buttery and so flavourful.
  • Festive flavours but still delicious for any time of year.
  • Great for an appetiser or side dish!

Making sausage rolls is a tradition in my family. We grew up with my mums homemade sausage rolls every year. Originally just made at Christmas, everyone loved them so much they came (and do come) out at every special occasion.

These turkey sausage rolls are a festive twist on the classic. It’s classic stuffing ingredients, wrapped in shop bought puff pastry, and they’re so fun and easy to make.

And while I love the flavour of stuffing, I’m not a fan of the texture, so I happily serve these up in place of turkey stuffing at my house. The right flavour but no stodge.

This recipe was first published December 17th, 2019. It has been updated with new images and more information.

A big batch of turkey sausage rolls on a baking tray.

Ingredients you’ll need

The special thing about these turkey sausage rolls are that they aren’t just stuffing – they’re the turkey as well. It’s like Christmas dinner in a sausage roll.  

Ingredients for turkey sausage rolls on a marble surface.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  • Bacon: Bacon always adds incredible flavour but, as turkey is very lean, it adds a little fat here, which means more flavour.
  • Vegetables: Onion, celery and mushrooms are my vegetables of choice in these sausage rolls. All chopped finely but all cooked at once.
  • Turkey Mince (aka ground turkey): Turkey mince is all you need for this. You could also use turkey sausage but you may not need to add as much salt if you do.
  • Garlic: Always a good flavour to add, I keep it light in these turkey sausage rolls but enough to punch up the flavour dial.
  • Herbs: I like to use a combination of herbs. I love sage and thyme with turkey and these would be enough but parsley adds a little freshness too.
  • Breadcrumbs: For convenience sake, I use panko breadcrumbs as they’re always in my pantry but when I have a batch of homemade breadcrumbs, I’ll definitely pick those first.
  • Spices: Salt and pepper for seasoning, then just a touch of nutmeg adds a gorgeous festive flavour.
  • Puff pastry: There’s no time in life to make puff pastry so use store-bought but don’t use the cheapest one. The pastry has a big impact in this recipe so pick a good brand. I often use Borg’s but find Pampas doesn’t give as good flavour. Also, I find all-butter puff pastry too butter (is there such a thing though, really?!)
  • Flour: Just a little flour will make rolling the meat filling easy.
  • Egg: We use just one egg to get the outside nice and golden.

Let’s get making sausage rolls

These turkey sausage rolls are simple to make but you will need to fry off a few ingredients first. You’ll want to cook the vegetables a little as they’ll have no time to cook in the rolls. Also, cooking the bacon adds a lovely caramelisation to the outside.

A collage showing how to make turkey sausage rolls.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  1. Start by cooking together the onions, mushrooms, garlic and bacon until just cooked. If these are finely chopped this only takes a few minutes. Set it aside to cool.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the other ingredients, then add the cooled mixture and mix it all together until just combined.
  3. Now to roll the sausage rolls. Lay out a sheet of puff pastry. I use a very large cookie scoop to scoop out balls of filling and roll it into logs. Place it along one edge of the puff pastry.
  4. Run a little water around the edges of the pastry where it will be folded together, then fold the pastry firmly over the filling. Seal the pastry all the way round with a fork then cut into 4-5 sausage rolls. Prick with a knife across the top of each one to allow steam to escape.
  5. Beat an egg and brush it all over the sausage rolls, then place them on a large baking sheet at least an inch or two apart. Bake in a moderate oven for 20 minutes until you’re in Christmas sausage roll heaven.
A hand picking up a sausage roll.

Variations

Feel free to use chicken or pork in place of the turkey. Both can be in either mince / ground form or in sausage form but be careful when using sausage as they already have salt added.

You could also add a little cheese if you like. Try finely shredded gruyere. Yum!


I’m a purist. I eat my homemade sausage rolls plain, with no sauce but my hubbys family are definitely sauce adders. If you’re a sauce adder too, might I suggest some cranberry sauce to stick to the Christmas theme? They’re just as great served with tomato sauce / ketchup or even sweet chilli sauce too.

The turkey sausage rolls were a hit when I delivered them to my co-workers the following day and I know they’ll be a hit at your gathering too.

Top down view of sausage rolls with a pot of sauce.

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Close up of golden turkey sausage rolls on a baking tray with herbs.
5 from 2 ratings
These turkey sausage rolls are a fun twist on a classic. Like your holiday dinner in sausage roll form, these are easy to make and so delicious. Serve them as a wonderful appetiser or use them in place of your turkey stuffing side dish.

Ingredients

  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 100 g bacon, finely chopped (3.5oz)
  • ½ small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 cup finely chopped mushrooms
  • 2 small cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon butter, softened (14g / ½ oz) (notes 1)
  • 500 g turkey mince (ground turkey) (1.1lb)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, finely chopped (I use sage, thyme and parsley) (notes 1)
  • 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 4 square sheets pre-rolled puff pastry, cold but not frozen (I like to use Borgs)
  • ½ cup plain flour (all purp flour)
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 teaspoons cream (thickened / heavy)
  • sesame seeds (optional)

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 200C (180C fan) / 400F. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

Make the filling

  • In a dry frying pan or skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil then add the bacon, onion, mushrooms and garlic. Saute until they’ve softened. Allow to cool slightly while you mix the rest of the ingredients together.
  • Tip the hot bacon mixture into a large mixing bowl and add the butter. Mix well to melt and combine.
  • Add the turkey mince, herbs, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper and nutmeg and mix it all together well.

Now set up your sausage roll making space.

  • Have a large chopping board, a fork, a sharp knife, a small bowl of water and your flour close by. Lay one sheet of puff pastry onto your chopping board.
  • Roll ⅓ cup of filing lightly in the flour so that your hands don’t get sticky, then form it into a long sausage shape just slightly shorter than the width of the pastry (leave 1cm bare at each end).
  • Lay the sausage just a couple of centimetres from the front edge of the pastry, then use your finger to run some water around the sides and front edge of the pastry. Fold the pastry away from you, over the top of the meat and press the join down firmly on the other side of the filling. Make sure it’s tight, you don’t want air trapped inside. (use the edge of your fingers to press the pastry tight up against the filling and push out the air as you go.) 
  • Use the knife to cut away the other half of the sheet, then press down all along the 3 join sides with the fork. Trim away a little of the seam if it’s too wide.
  • Cut each log into 5 pieces, then jab 2 little air holes in the top of each one with the knife to allow steam to escape. Sit them onto the baking tray an inch or two apart, then repeat with the rest of the pastry and filling mix.
  • You can freeze them at this point by laying them on a baking tray in the freezer, then once frozen, transfer them all to a plastic bag or container. 
  • Or, if you want to bake them straight away, beat the egg yolk and cream together land brush over the sausage rolls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if using.
  • Bake for around 20-23 minutes, turning the trays halfway through, until light golden and crispy all over.
  • Give them a couple of minutes to cool down before taking a bite.

Notes

  1. I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equiv. 4 teaspoons worldwide). Many countries use a 15ml tablespoon so check yours before measuring.
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Have you tried this recipe?Don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.
Nutrition Facts
Turkey Sausage Rolls
Amount Per Serving (40 g)
Calories 147 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Trans Fat 0.03g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 17mg6%
Sodium 148mg6%
Potassium 61mg2%
Carbohydrates 11g4%
Fiber 0.5g2%
Sugar 0.4g0%
Protein 5g10%
Vitamin A 46IU1%
Vitamin C 0.4mg0%
Calcium 11mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.