Stuffed with a grain-free, dairy-free, paleo-friendly pork stuffing, decorated with festive orange slices and cranberries, and roasted to golden perfection, this Christmas turkey is a true show-stopper. A wholesome, from-scratch holiday centerpiece that’s sure to impress and delight your family
To me, the holidays are the perfect time to really challenge my cooking skills and make amazing dishes for my family to enjoy. As always, I like to keep everything wholesome and nourishing, and suitable for our grain-free diet. This stuffed Christmas turkey is the kind of dish that stops conversations when it hits the table. Golden, fragrant, and just delicious, it’s a true festive centerpiece that’s yet wholesome, nourishing, and made completely from scratch.
And if you’re looking for more wholesome grain-free holiday recipes, be sure to check out my stuffed beef heart with bacon and spinach or my perfectly roasted duck with apples and onions, both stunning, nourishing alternatives to a traditional turkey, especially for smaller crowds.
Or head straight to the sweet side of things with my coconut flour gingerbread men cookies, my grain-free Lebkuchen cookies, my coconut flour gingerbread cake, my fruit and chocolate Christmas cake, my healthy Christmas spiced jello, or my collagen-rich bone broth hot cocoa, perfect for slowing down and savoring the season.
And if you got leftover turkey, try my cozy Instant Pot turkey soup!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This stuffed Christmas turkey is a true holiday showstopper with that classic “wow” factor. It’s juicy and perfectly cooked thanks to a smarter stuffing method.
This recipe is healthy and nourishing, made completely from scratch with real, wholesome ingredients. The stuffing and gravy are completely grain-free, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly, making it suitable for everyone who avoids grains, gluten, and dairy, all without sacrificing flavor.
Despite looking complicated, once the stuffing is made and the turkey is gone in the oven, this recipe is mostly hands-off, leaving you plenty of time to relax or focus on sides and other preparations.
Finally, as most of my recipes, this turkey is a great way to eat nose-to-tail, without wasting any parts. Use the giblets for an extra tasty and nourishing gravy, and use the bones and carcass for homemade collagen-rich bone broth, and even a DIY bone meal fertilizer for your garden or plants!
The Best Way to Stuff a Turkey
While many recipes call for stuffing the main cavity of the turkey, this often leads to uneven cooking: overdone breast meat, dry legs, and undercooked stuffing.
Instead, this method stuffs the front (neck) cavity only, allowing the turkey to cook evenly while staying juicy and tender throughout. The stuffing steams gently inside the bird without compromising the meat.
If you’d like extra stuffing for serving, simply bake more of it separately in a small casserole dish and serve it alongside your turkey.
Ingredients For This Stuffed Christmas Turkey
Turkey. I used a small, 4 kg turkey, but adjust size to how many people you need to feed. Preferably use pastured turkey, and avoid “butterball”.
Giblets. Neck, heart, gizzard and liver can be added as a trivet to give the gravy extra flavor and be served on the side.
Ground pork. Use ground pork or sausage meat in the stuffing. My organ meat breakfast sausage would be perfect here!
Onion. 1/2 red or yellow onion for the stuffing.
Celery. A classic aroma for the stuffing.
Egg. Use a large egg, preferably pastured for binding the stuffing.
Butter or ghee, or olive oil. Use your choice of healthy fat for cooking the stuffing and seasoning the turkey.
Herbs. Classic poultry herbs like sage, rosemary, and thyme for the stuffing and turkey, plus fresh chopped parsley for stuffing.
Salt and pepper.
Oranges. Use fresh orange slices as turkey trivet (for a juicy, delicious gravy) and more for decorating the turkey if wanted.
Cranberries. Add fresh or frozen cranberries to the trivet for a touch of Christmas and a delicious gravy.
Garlic. Use fresh garlic both for the stuffing and for the turkey cavity,
Broth and arrowroot (optional). Add some extra bone broth or water to the gravy if necessary, and thicken with arrowroot or tapioca starch.
Tools You May Need
Pan and bowl for making the stuffing.
Toothpicks and kitchen thread for closing the turkey and tieying legs.
Turkey roaster with lid (or aluminum foil).
Saucepan for gravy.
How To Make This Stuffed Christmas Turkey
Make the stuffing
Step 1: Gather and prepare all your stuffing ingredients. Finely chop the 1/2 onion, 2 stalks of celery, and mince 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, 2 large sage leaves, some rosemary, and a bunch of parsley.
Step 2: Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add garlic and herbs and sauté for another minute until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Step 4: In a large bowl, combine ground pork, egg, and the cooled vegetable mixture. Mix well and set aside.
Prepare and bake the turkey
Step 1: Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 30–60 minutes before cooking.
Step 2: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Rinse turkey if needed and pat dry inside and out. Remove giblets from cavity and set aside.
Step 3: Place the turkey on a cutting board, breast up, with the neck side facing you. Lift the skin and find a natural cavity. Use your clean hands to stuff the stuffing inside. Fit as much as you can but don’t overfill too much. You can cook any leftover stuffing separately.
Step 4: Use 3 toothpicks to secure the stuffing in the turkey. Insert the toothpick from the excess skin around the cavity to the skin on the other side of the cavity. Twist the toothpick and secure it.
Step 5: Turn the turkey around and loosely fill the main cavity with herbs, garlic cloves, and optional orange slices.
Step 6: Carefully loosen the skin over the breast and rub about 1 tablespoon butter underneath. Tie legs with kitchen twine if desired.
Step 7: Rub remaining softened butter all over the turkey skin, including thighs and wings. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Step 8: Prepare the roasting pan: add giblets (if using), sliced orange, cranberries, and ½ cup broth or water.
Step 9: Place turkey on top, breast-side up. Cover with lid or foil (use parchment between foil and turkey if preferred).
Step 10: Roast for approximately 2 1/2 hours (or 35 minutes per kg).
Step 11: About 1 hour before it’s done, uncover turkey, drain any cavity liquid into the pan, and baste with pan juices. Add orange slices on top if desired, securing them to the breast with toothpicks.
Step 12: Continue roasting uncovered until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part of the thigh. Broil briefly for extra-golden skin if needed.
Step 13: Remove turkey from oven, drain cavity juices into pan, and rest for 20 minutes, loosely covered.
Make the gravy
Step 1: Strain pan juices into a saucepan. Remove giblets and set aside.
Step 2: If necessary, add some water or broth and let it simmer gently. Thicken with arrowroot or tapioca starch slurry if desired, whisking until smooth. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Serve the turkey
Carve by removing thighs and wings first, then slicing the breast. Remove toothpicks and twine. Serve stuffing sliced alongside the turkey or separately, with gravy, cranberry sauce, and your favorite holiday sides.
Notes
For this recipe, I used a small-ish turkey, about 4 kg. If you’re using a larger bird, be sure to make enough stuffing (you may want to double the recipe) and adjust the cooking time accordingly — about 35 minutes per kg at 350°F (175°C). Cooking times are approximate, so always check for doneness before serving.
If you’d like extra stuffing, simply bake it separately at 350°F for about 30 minutes and serve alongside the turkey.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently with a splash of broth to keep the meat juicy.
Use bones and carcass for your next batch of homemade bone broth! You can even make bone meal fertilizer for your garden afterward! Use leftover meat for a cozy soup, like my paleo leftover turkey soup with bone broth.
You can also prepare the stuffing and season the turkey ahead of time, then keep everything refrigerated until you’re ready to stuff and roast.
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Printable Recipe Card
Stuffed Christmas Turkey (Grain-Free, Paleo)
Ingredients
For the stuffing
- ½ lb ground pork or sausage meat
- ½ onion
- 2 stalks celery
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp butter or ghee or olive oil
- 1 egg
- 2 large sage leaves
- ½ bunch rosemary
- 1 bunch parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the turkey
- 1 turkey ~4 kg (or more, see notes)
- Turkey giblets (neck, gizzard, liver, heart) optional
- 1-2 oranges
- 1 cup cranberries fresh or frozen
- 2 tbsp butter or ghee softened
- Garlic, rosemary, sage, thyme for turkey cavity
- Salt, pp,k
Instructions
Make the stuffing
- Gather and prepare all your stuffing ingredients. Finely chop the 1/2 onion, 2 stalks of celery, and mince 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, 2 large sage leaves, some rosemary, and a bunch of parsley.
- Heat 1 tablespoon butter (or ghee, or olive oil) in a medium pan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and herbs and sauté for another minute until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine ground pork, egg, and the cooled vegetable mixture. Mix well and set aside.
Prepare and bake the turkey
- Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 30–60 minutes before cooking.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Rinse turkey if needed and pat dry inside and out. Remove giblets from cavity and set aside.
- Place the turkey on a cutting board, breast up, with the neck side facing you. Lift the skin and find a natural cavity. Use your clean hands to stuff the stuffing inside. Fit as much as you can but don't overfill too much. You can cook any leftover stuffing separately.
- Use 3 toothpicks to secure the stuffing in the turkey. Insert the toothpick from the excess skin around the cavity to the skin on the other side of the cavity. Twist the toothpick and secure it.
- Turn the turkey around and loosely fill the main cavity with herbs, garlic cloves, and optional orange slices.
- Carefully loosen the skin over the breast and rub about 1 tablespoon butter or ghee underneath. Tie legs with kitchen twine if desired.
- Rub remaining softened butter or ghee or olive oil all over the turkey skin, including thighs and wings. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Prepare the roasting pan: add giblets (if using), sliced orange, cranberries, and ½ cup broth or water.
- Place turkey on top, breast-side up. Cover with lid or foil (use parchment between foil and turkey if preferred).
- Roast for approximately 35 minutes per kg.
- About 1 hour before it’s done, uncover turkey, drain any cavity liquid into the pan, and baste with pan juices. Add orange slices on top if desired, securing them to the breast with toothpicks.
- Continue roasting uncovered until internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part of the thigh. Broil briefly for extra-golden skin if needed.
- Remove turkey from oven, drain cavity juices into pan, and rest for 20 minutes, loosely covered.
Make the gravy
- Strain pan juices into a saucepan. Remove giblets and set aside.
- If necessary, add some water or broth and let it simmer gently. Thicken with arrowroot or tapioca starch slurry if desired, whisking until smooth. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Serve the turkey
- Carve by removing thighs and wings first, then slicing the breast. Remove toothpicks and twine. Serve stuffing sliced alongside the turkey or separately, with gravy, cranberry sauce, and your favorite holiday sides.
