Greek Turkey Stuffing

A bowl with turkey stuffing and two gold serving utensils.

Traditional Greek turkey stuffing with ground sausage, chestnuts, dates & pine nuts.

Course Holidays

Cuisine Greek

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Servings

Calories 561kcal

Author by Jenny Skrapaliori Graves

Equipment

A large saute pan.

Ingredients

This stuffing is good for a 15–20 lb (7–9 kg) turkey. For a smaller 10–12 lb (4.5–5.5 kg) bird, use about two-thirds.

1 lb ground sausage (450 g)
1 lb ground beef (450 g)
6 tbsp butter
1 red onion diced
1/2 cup rice
1 cup boiled chestnuts halved
1/2 cup raisins
5-6 dates diced
5-6 prunes diced
1/2 cup pine nuts
2-3 cloves
1/2 cup broth chicken or veg
fresh sage leaves roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste

for the turkey baste

2 cups chicken broth
6 tablespoons butter melted
3 oranges juiced
3 lemons juiced
1 rosemary sprig
1 thyme sprig
1 sage sprig
sea salt
freshly ground pepper

Instructions

In a large pot, add the butter. In medium heat, add the onion and chopped sage leaves sauté until the onion is soft and fragrant. Add the ground beef and sausage. Break with a spoon any large pieces. Brown ground meat all over, 3-4 min.
Add the rice. Stir well. Sauté mixture for 1-2 min. Add 1/2 cup broth, the raisins, chestnuts, dates, prunes, cloves and the pine nuts. Stir mixture well gently. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Remove from heat.

Prepare the turkey baste.

Mix orange and lemon juice with the chicken broth. Add the melted butter. Season with a pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper. Stick the rosemary, thyme and sage sprigs in the baste to infuse it while you cook the turkey. Keep it in a warm surface.

Stuff the turkey and roast

Spoon your stuffing into the neck cavity, very loosely. Fold neck skin over opening.
Stuff the large cavity of the turkey loosely, stuffing will expand as it cooks.
Using kitchen twine cross the legs together and tie them securely.
Lightly baste the turkey every 15 minutes after the first hour of cooking. Apply the baste warm to the turkey. Stop basting during the last 30 minutes of cook time.
When turkey is ready, empty the stuffing in a serving bowl and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

Food safety: Stuff the turkey while the filling is hot, never cold or made ahead and chilled, and roast immediately. Stuff loosely, about ¾ cup per pound. The centre of the stuffing should reach 74°C / 165°F, the same as the thigh.

Don’t overstuff the bird. A loosely filled turkey cooks evenly and stays moist.
Bake leftover stuffing separately with a few tablespoons of turkey baste and a splash of broth.
Baste often — every 15 minutes — to keep the turkey juicy and the rice perfectly cooked.
Use white rice only. Brown, wild, or long-cooking rice won’t soften properly inside the bird.
To cook the stuffing on the stovetop, sauté as directed, then cover and simmer on very low heat. Add broth as needed, and don’t over-stir toward the end.
You can follow your own turkey recipe or brine — just use this stuffing and baste for that signature Greek flavor.
Cook time depends on your bird. The stuffing itself takes about 15 minutes on the stovetop. Total time depends on the turkey — roughly 15 minutes per pound at 180°C once stuffed. Always confirm with a thermometer.
Remove all stuffing from the cavity before refrigerating leftovers.

The nutritional analysis is only an estimate based on available ingredients and the recipe’s preparation.

Nutrition