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    Home » Recipes » Turkey

    Festive Turkey Wellington

    November 16, 2022 By Monika Last Updated July 16, 2024 24 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Turkey Wellington features superbly succulent turkey breast encased in a rich mushroom filling and light, crispy pastry. This delicious centerpiece is perfect for Christmas or Thanksgiving. And it’s easier to make than it looks!

    Side view of sliced turkey wellington on top of parchment.

    This delicious Turkey Wellington with a rich mushroom filling was inspired by Jamie Oliver's turkey wellington recipe.  My version uses a smaller sized turkey breast, less pastry and includes roasted chestnuts for added sweetness and an extra festive twist. It's simple to make and perfect for a special occasion!

    What is a wellington

    The wellington method consists of wrapping meat in pastry. Making a traditional wellington involves coating a beef tenderloin/fillet steak in pâté and duxelles (finely chopped cooked mushrooms, onion and herbs) and wrapping in puff pastry. The dish is thought to have been named after Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington.

    I've omitted the pâté but used plenty of mushrooms in my turkey wellington. I also added a few extra ingredients to complement the turkey and give this recipe a holiday feel.

    Turkey wellington ingredients and substitutions

    • Turkey breast: skinless.
    • Puff pastry: remove from the fridge 30 minutes before using.
    • Mushrooms: I am using 2 types of mushrooms: regular, closed cup mushrooms and porcini. I find that adding even a small amount of porcini mushrooms into a recipe intensifies the flavour and adds depth (a trick I’ve used in several of my recipes including mushroom potato soup).
    • Sun dried tomatoes: in oil.
    • Parmesan: or Grana Padano, Pecorino or similar.
    • Chestnuts: ready-to-eat. Use pecans instead if preferred.
    • Rosemary and thyme: use fresh or dried if preferred (approx. ½ tsp each).
    • Oil: use either olive or vegetable.
    • Breadcrumbs: help absorb excess moisture.
    • Egg yolk: adds colour.

    What size turkey breast to use

    To make the poultry version of traditional wellington you will need a 1 kg turkey breast.  If you can’t find a suitable size turkey breast consider buying a large breast joint and cutting it in half (use one, freeze the other). 

    Ensure the length of your turkey breast is a few centimetres shorter than the shorter side of your pastry (so you can easily encase it in the pastry).  You can always cut a bit off one end of the turkey if necessary.

    Equipment you'll need

    • Small shallow oven dish for baking the turkey breast.
    • Meat thermometer for checking if the turkey is cooked.
    • Large pan for cooking the mushroom mixture.
    • Food processor.
    • Pastry brush.
    • Medium sized baking sheet.

    The pastry

    I made my turkey wellington using ready-rolled puff pastry for convenience. Just unroll and make the recipe!  One ready rolled pastry was enough to wrap around the turkey.

    It is important to remove the pastry from the fridge 30 minutes before making the recipe to prevent it cracking as you unroll it.

    You can also use a pastry block, either chilled or frozen. If using frozen defrost it overnight then roll out on a lightly floured surface and make the recipe.

    Make sure your pastry is big enough to wrap around the turkey breast.

    How to prepare the turkey

    Unlike beef, which can be served rare, turkey must to be fully cooked. This is why it's important to cook it before assembling the recipe. Here is how to do it:

    1.Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C/ gas mark 4.

    2. Coat in oil: Season then rub the turkey breast with a little oil (approx. 2 teaspoons) and thyme leaves (approx. 2 sprigs) and place in a small pan. If your turkey breast is uneven in places you can shape it by using a few cocktail sticks where needed to ensure it doesn't unfold in the oven.

    3. Bake: Bake the turkey breast in the centre of the oven for about 55-60 minutes or until just cooked through - your thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat should read 72 C (161.6 F). 

    Top down view of turkey breast with herbs in container.
    2.
    Cooked turkey breast in tin container.
    3.

    4. Cool: Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely. Reserve the juices that will gather as the turkey cools (you can make a little gravy with them later, see below).

    How to make the mushroom mixture

    1.Prepare porcini: Rinse the porcini in cold water rubbing gently with your fingertips to remove any grit.  Place in a small bowl and add a few spoonfuls of water, enough to just cover the mushrooms.  Leave to soak for a few minutes while you prepare the regular mushrooms.

    2. Fry mushrooms: Fry the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of oil over a fairly high heat for several minutes until nicely browned and the water has evaporated, stirring occasionally.

    3. Add ingredients: add the porcini (along with the water they soaked in), rosemary, thyme leaves (1 sprig), sun-dried tomatoes and stir. Continue cooking and stirring until all the moisture has evaporated. Do this thoroughly.

    Chopped mushrooms in large shallow pan.
    2.
    Chopped mushroom with herbs in frying pan.
    3.

    4. Pulse: Place the mixture in a food processor, add the chestnuts and pulse until sticky and there are no large mushroom pieces left. 

    Mushroom mixture in blender bowl on wooden board with green cloth.

    5. Add parmesan: Stir in the parmesan, breadcrumbs and season to taste.

    How to assemble turkey wellington 

    Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 200 C/ 180 C fan/ gas mark 6.

    1. Prepare pastry: Unroll the puff pastry (or roll out on top of a lightly floured surface, if using a pastry block). Remove the cocktail sticks from the turkey (if present). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkle with flour and place the rolled out pastry sheet on top (if your pastry comes with parchment paper use that).

    2. Add mushroom mixture: Spread the mushroom mixture over the middle of the pastry sheet (covering an area approx. 3 times that of the turkey breast) leaving one end untouched.

    Mushroom mixture spread over pastry sheet.

    3. Add turkey: Pat dry the bottom of the turkey breast with kitchen paper and place near the end with the mushroom base underneath. Brush the edges of the pastry lightly with the beaten yolk. Bring up the shorter side and fold the opposite side of the pastry over the breast (stripping the parchment off as you go) wrapping as tightly as possible to get rid of any air pockets. Make sure the pastry is nice and snug around the turkey breast. Trim the edges if needed.

    Wrapping turkey breast in mushroom filling and pastry.

    4. Bake: Using the back of a knife carefully score the pastry in a diamond pattern (optional) then brush the pastry all over with the remaining beaten yolk. Bake in the centre of the oven for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.

    Turkey wellington in puff pastry on top of parchment.

    5. Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes before serving. In the meantime make the gravy (optional).

    Top down view of baked turkey wellington.

    6. Make gravy: To a saucepan add the meat juices you've collected, along with some chicken/vegetable stock (twice the amount of the turkey juices) and 3 tablespoons of white wine. In a separate bowl dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornflour/cornstarch in 5 teaspoons of water and whisk into the sauce. Cook until the mixture thickens and starts bubbling, whisking all the time. Remove from the heat, adjust the seasoning, add a little mustard, more stock/water if needed, a few drops of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce or a bit of redcurrant jelly to taste (all optional). Serve!

    Serving suggestions

    Enjoy this turkey breast in puff pastry with gravy, cranberry sauce, beetroot chutney or cranberry chutney.  Some festive side dishes to serve alongside this recipe include braised red cabbage, honey glazed carrots and roasted brussels sprouts.

    Leftover turkey wellington can be turned into a delicious meal. For example you can serve it with an easy white sauce over mashed potatoes (without the pastry) or turn it into turkey stroganoff. You can also coat the leftover turkey in a creamy paprika-based sauce and serve with rice, potatoes or pasta.

    Prepare ahead

    This turkey wellington recipe does require a bit of time, but you can prepare both the mushroom stuffing and the turkey ahead.  This means you can have a magnificent centrepiece dish ready to serve in only about an hour!

    Simply bake the turkey as per Instructions, allow to cool completely, then cover and refrigerate (collect the juices in a separate dish and also refrigerate). Remove from the fridge an hour before making the recipe the following day to get it up to room temperature.

    Once your mushroom mixture has been cooked and whizzed in a food processor and all of the ingredients have been added set aside to cool then cover and refrigerate it overnight.

    Top tips

    • Bake the turkey breast until just cooked before assembling the recipe.
    • Cool the turkey breast as well as the mushroom mixture completely before wrapping in the pastry.
    • Both can be prepared the night before. Once cooled refrigerate overnight and assemble the recipe the next day. Remove from the fridge an hour before making the recipe.
    • Ensure the pastry also is at room temperature before assembling the recipe.
    • Make sure your pastry is big enough to wrap around the turkey breast.
    • Cook the mushroom mixture until ALL the moisture has evaporated.
    • Season the mushroom mixture generously.
    • Bake the wellington in a preheated oven.
    • Use a sharp knife to slice your turkey wellington. Your slices will look neater.
    • Best served hot. Refrigerate leftovers, covered, for up to 4 days.

    Reheating and freezing

    You can reheat leftover turkey wellington slices in a microwave. Alternatively fry quickly on both sides with a small amount of oil.

    To freeze place individual slices (separated with a piece of parchment paper) in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

    More delicious centrepieces to try

    • Turkey Shepherd's Pie with Vegetables
    • Stuffed Butternut Squash with Lentils and Mushrooms
    • Salmon Pot Pie with Sweet Potato

    Check out also these other delicious meal ideas including more turkey recipes!

    Recipe

    Side view of sliced turkey wellington on top of parchment.

    Festive Turkey Wellington

    Turkey Wellington features superbly succulent turkey breast encased in a rich mushroom filling and light, crispy pastry. It's a delicious centerpiece perfect for Christmas or Thanksgiving. And it’s easier to make than it looks!
    4.50 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: British
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 387kcal
    Author: Monika Dabrowski

    Equipment

    • Food processor
    • Large non-stick pan
    • Medium sized baking sheet
    • Pastry brush

    Ingredients

    • 2.2 pounds (1 kg) turkey breast skinless
    • 13.23 ounces (375 g) 1 sheet ready rolled puff pastry room temperature, or pastry block
    • 10.58 ounces (300 g) mushrooms wiped, chopped
    • 0.25 ounces (7 g) porcini mushrooms small handful
    • 2.47 ounces (70 g) ready-to-eat roasted chestnuts or pecans, chopped
    • 3 sundried tomatoes in oil, drained, chopped
    • 3 thyme sprigs leaves only
    • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves only, finely chopped, or ½ tsp dried
    • 4-5 tablespoons (20 g) parmesan cheese coarsely grated
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1½ tablespoons breadcrumbs
    • Fine sea salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 egg yolk lightly beaten with a few drops of water

    Instructions

    Prepare the turkey

    • Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C/ gas mark 4.
      Coat in oil: Season then rub the turkey breast with a little oil (approx. 2 teaspoons) and thyme leaves (approx. 2 sprigs) and place in a small pan. If your turkey breast is uneven in places you can shape it by using a few cocktail sticks where needed to ensure it doesn't unfold in the oven.
    • Bake: Bake the turkey breast in the centre of the oven for about 55-60 minutes or until just cooked through - your thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat should read 72 degrees C (161.6 F). 
    • Cool: Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely. Reserve the juices that will gather as the turkey cools (you can make a little gravy with them later, see below).

    Prepare the mushroom mixture

    • Prepare porcini: Rinse the porcini in cold water rubbing gently with your fingertips to remove any grit.  Place in a small bowl and add a few spoonfuls of water, enough to just cover the mushrooms.  Leave to soak for a few minutes while you prepare the regular mushrooms.
    • Fry mushrooms: Fry the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of oil over a fairly high heat for several minutes until nicely browned and the water has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
    • Add ingredients: Add the porcini (along with the water they soaked in), rosemary, thyme leaves (1 sprig), sun-dried tomatoes and stir. Continue cooking and stirring until all the moisture has evaporated. Do this thoroughly.
    • Pulse: Place the mixture in a food processor, add the chestnuts and pulse until sticky and there are no large mushroom pieces left. 
    • Add parmesan: Stir in the parmesan, breadcrumbs and season to taste.

    Assemble

    • Preheat the oven to 400 F/ 200 C/ 180 C fan/ gas mark 6.
      Prepare pastry: Unroll the puff pastry (or roll out on top of a lightly floured surface, if using a pastry block). Remove the cocktail sticks from the turkey (if present). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, sprinkle with flour and place the rolled out pastry sheet on top (if your pastry comes with parchment paper use that).
    • Add mushroom mixture: Spread the mushroom mixture over the middle of the pastry sheet (covering an area approx. 3 times that of the turkey breast) leaving one end untouched.
    • Add turkey: Pat dry the bottom of the turkey breast with kitchen paper and place near the end with the mushroom base underneath. Brush the edges of the pastry lightly with the beaten yolk. Bring up the shorter side and fold the opposite side of the pastry over the breast (stripping the parchment off as you go) wrapping as tightly as possible to get rid of any air pockets. Make sure the pastry is nice and snug around the turkey breast. Trim the edges if needed.
    • Bake: Using the back of a knife carefully score the pastry in a diamond pattern (optional) then brush the pastry all over with the beaten yolk. Bake in the centre of the oven for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown.
    • Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes before serving. In the meantime make the gravy (optional).

    Prepare the gravy

    • Make gravy: To a saucepan add the meat juices, along with some chicken/vegetable stock (twice the amount of the turkey juices) and 3 tablespoons of white wine. In a separate bowl dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornflour/cornstarch in 5 teaspoons of water and whisk into the sauce. Cook until the mixture thickens and starts bubbling, whisking all the time. Remove from the heat, adjust the seasoning, add a little mustard, more stock/water if needed, a few drops of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce or a bit of redcurrant jelly to taste (all optional). Serve!

    Notes

    • Bake the turkey breast until just cooked before assembling the recipe.
    • Cool the turkey breast as well as the mushroom mixture completely before wrapping in the pastry.
    • Both can be prepared the night before. Once cooled refrigerate overnight and assemble the recipe the next day. Remove from the fridge an hour before making the recipe.
    • Ensure the pastry is also at room temperature before assembling the recipe.
    • Make sure your pastry is big enough to wrap around the turkey breast.
    • Cook the mushroom mixture until ALL the moisture has evaporated.
    • Season the mushroom mixture generously.
    • Bake the wellington in a preheated oven.
    • Use a sharp knife to slice your turkey wellington. Your slices will look neater.
    • Best served hot. Refrigerate leftovers, covered, for up to 4 days.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 460mg | Potassium: 601mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 127IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 3mg

    *Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

    **A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.

    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @Monika8021 or tag #EverydayHealthyRecipes!

    Keep in touch!

    If you make this turkey wellington I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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    Comments

      4.50 from 8 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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    1. Norma says

      November 06, 2022 at 4:05 pm

      This sounds delicious and looks so pretty! About the roasted chestnuts...I don't know where to find them...?? Can I use canned water chestnuts?

      Reply
      • Monika says

        November 07, 2022 at 10:07 am

        If you are in the UK ready-to-eat roasted chestnuts are available in most supermarkets. I also found them in Costco, which might be an option if you are in North America. Alternatively use pecans or cashews, not water chestnuts. Hope this helps:)

        Reply
    2. DON says

      April 06, 2022 at 12:50 am

      I was thinking of preparing this recipe at home up to instruction 8 where it would be reirrigated before final baking (perhaps leaving out the egg wash). I would then transport it in an iced container to another location and finish it there. Do you think that would work? Is that practical?

      Don

      Reply
      • Monika says

        April 06, 2022 at 2:07 pm

        I think it's ok to do this provided the container stays cold and the pastry stays intact. Hope it works out for you:)

        Reply
    3. Lucy says

      November 24, 2021 at 3:14 am

      My turkey breast is actually 5.5 lbs. Just curious... Should I just be cooking it until it reaches 160°f before cooling and then wrapping it?

      Reply
      • Monika says

        November 24, 2021 at 10:40 am

        Hi Lucy, I recommend actually cutting the turkey breast so you get a piece that's around 2-2.5 lb. If you use a much larger piece there won't be enough mushroom mixture and you'll have to use more pastry plus cook the turkey longer. The mushroom mixture is the key here. You really don't want to have too little of it. If you cut the turkey breast lengthwise and just use 1 part it should work better. Hope this helps!

        Reply
        • Lucy says

          November 25, 2021 at 1:34 pm

          Hi Monika! Thank you for your speedy response. I actually doubled the mushroom mixture, omitted the chestnuts and added shallots and crispy bacon. I cooked the turkey breast to 160° internal temperature. It took just over 2 hours at 350°F! I'm about to assemble it. I'm going to brush just a little bit of Dijon Mustard on the turkey breast before wrapping it with the mushrooms and puff pastry. I'm hoping it'll be a success! My biggest worry was not having enough of the mushroom mixture, just like you said LOL. But I think it's gonna work. I'll let you know how it turned out! Thanks again for your input. I'm so excited for this recipe, it sounds so good! I'm serving this at our thanksgiving dinner instead of cooking the whole bird. Wish me luck!

          Reply
          • Monika says

            November 25, 2021 at 4:36 pm

            Hi Lucy, sounds like you've got it under control and I am sure it'll be fine. Can't wait to hear how it turns out!

            Reply
    4. Terry says

      November 23, 2021 at 8:08 pm

      5 stars
      Made this last year for thanksgiving. Was such a hit making again this year. Thank you

      Reply
      • Monika says

        November 24, 2021 at 10:20 am

        You are welcome! Thanks so much for the feedback:)

        Reply
    5. Dan says

      December 12, 2019 at 2:38 pm

      This looks incredible. I'm wondering how many portions you were able to get? I'll be hosting for 15 ppl, would doubling this recipe do the trick?

      Reply
      • Monika says

        December 13, 2019 at 9:46 am

        I think making 2 of these should be enough for 15 people, but probably only just. I have now added nutritional information along with the servings though these are guidelines only. All depends on how thinly you want to cut the wellington and how hungry the guests are. Hope you enjoy the recipe and there is enough for everyone!

        Reply
    6. Angie | Fiesta Friday says

      December 12, 2018 at 10:51 pm

      5 stars
      What a wonderful recipe, Monika. Sounds positively mouth-watering, and healthier than the beef version!

      Reply
      • Monika says

        December 13, 2018 at 10:47 pm

        Thanks Angie, it actually is pretty healthy, and I didn't use that much pastry either.

        Reply
    7. Monika says

      December 12, 2018 at 8:13 am

      Thanks for letting me know Liz! I started adding the links but must have got distracted and didn't finish it. I've corrected it now.

      Reply
    8. Cat | Curly's Cooking says

      December 11, 2018 at 12:25 pm

      5 stars
      This looks incredible! The flavours sound delicious and it looks so inviting too. What a fantastic way to jazz up the sometimes boring in my opinion turkey.

      Reply
      • Monika says

        December 11, 2018 at 2:26 pm

        Thank you! I agree turkey can be boring, but it's pretty easy to make it more exciting!

        Reply
    9. Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie says

      December 10, 2018 at 9:06 pm

      5 stars
      What a brilliant way of serving turkey - a lovely showstopper and something a bit different from the norm. Eb x

      Reply
      • Monika says

        December 11, 2018 at 2:31 pm

        Thanks Eb! It is a bit different but very doable and the meat tastes fantastic!

        Reply
    10. Coco in the Kitchen says

      December 10, 2018 at 6:12 pm

      That's some serious WOW-factor there!

      Reply
      • Monika says

        December 11, 2018 at 2:32 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    11. Monika says

      December 09, 2018 at 4:13 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
    12. Jacqui Bellefontaine says

      December 08, 2018 at 10:32 pm

      5 stars
      Wow what a great showstopper this would make. Its a great idea.My family loves beef wellington and im sure they would love this too.

      Reply
      • Monika says

        December 09, 2018 at 4:12 pm

        Thanks Jacqui!

        Reply

    Hi, I am Monika, welcome to Everyday Healthy Recipes! This blog is all about simple recipes with a healthy twist, old classics with a modern take, and an occasional Polish dish thrown into the mix - all easy to make and delicious, perfect for everyday cooking.

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