Roasted turkey thigh joint with potatoes and pumpkin, an easy sheet-pan meal for a small holiday dinner or a special Sunday lunch.
This roasted turkey thigh joint is one of the simplest ways to make a festive meal without cooking a whole bird. Season the meat, clean and cut the potatoes and pumpkin, place everything on one tray, and let the oven do the rest.
You get juicy turkey, tender potatoes, and soft pumpkin, all cooked together. It serves about four people, which makes it a good choice for a smaller gathering or a quieter holiday meal at home.
Add a Beetroot and Feta Salad, some Buttered Vegetables, or Caramelized Brussels Sprouts, and dinner is complete. If you prefer cooking a whole bird, you can also look at the Dutch Oven Whole Turkey or the Red Wine Turkey.
Ingredients: 7 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes | Servings: 4-6 | Difficulty: Easy
Featured comment:
Diana: Wonderful recipe, easy get everything ready. Throw it in the oven. Voila. Dinner!
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Recipe ingredients
Meat: A large turkey thigh joint of about 2.5 - 3.3 lbs/ 1.2 - 1.5 kg, bone-in, skin-on. Check out Oven Slow-Cooked Turkey Leg or learn How to Cook Turkey Legs in the Oven.
Vegetables: Pumpkin, potatoes, lots of garlic. I often use small potatoes, but if all you have are regular-sized ones, they are also fine. Just chop them into several pieces. You can leave the peel on, but I only do it if the potatoes are organic. Either Hokkaido pumpkin, also known as red Kuri squash, or butternut squash.
Other ingredients: Garlic, white wine, olive oil, a little bit of dried rosemary, curry powder, sweet paprika, sea salt (or Kosher), and ground black pepper.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to roast a turkey thigh joint?
Dry brine (optional): Mix salt, pepper, curry, and sweet paprika. Pat the turkey dry and rub the seasoning all over the meat and skin. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight, then let it sit at room temperature for 30-60 minutes before roasting.
Step #1: Place the seasoned thigh skin-side up in the middle of a large baking sheet.
Step #2: Mix the halved potatoes and pumpkin chunks with oil and seasoning.
Step #: Arrange the vegetables around the turkey joint.
Step #4: Roast for 45 minutes. Pour the wine around the meat and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F/ 73°C.
- Use a meat thermometer to check doneness.
- Rest the oven-roasted turkey thigh for 10 minutes at room temperature before slicing, while keeping the vegetables warm.
Good to know!
Dry brine: Pat the turkey thigh dry, season generously, and refrigerate uncovered for several hours or overnight. This adds flavor, keeps the meat moist, and helps the skin crisp.
Salt tip: If using table salt, reduce to 1½ teaspoons, as it's stronger than sea or kosher salt.
Squash: Use Hokkaido or butternut pumpkin for the best flavor. Hokkaido doesn't need peeling; the skin stays soft when cooked. Squash or pumpkin go great with meat; check out this Butternut Chicken, too.
Recipe FAQs
No, it will still be delicious if you don't have the extra time for brining. However, if you do it, the meat will taste even better, and the skin of the turkey will be crispier.
If pumpkin is not in season or you don't like it, replace it with sweet potatoes. Replace it with bell peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, and so on for a completely different taste. Cut them into relatively large chunks, as they will spend quite a while in the oven.
How to store and reheat?
Refrigerator: The oven-roasted turkey thigh keeps for 2-3 days in an airtight container.
Freezer: You can freeze the meat, but not the vegetables; defrosted potatoes are not nice. The meat will be kept in an airtight container for at least 3 months. Defrost it in the fridge and reheat it before serving.
Reheat: Slice the meat off the bone; this will make reheating faster, and both the meat and the veggies will get warm simultaneously. Place them on the baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and reheat at 350°F/ 180°C for about 20 to 30 minutes or until everything is piping hot. You can recheck the internal temperature; it should be 165°F/ 73°C.
How to serve?
Rest the oven-roasted turkey thigh for about 10 minutes.
You already cooked the main dish and the sides on the tray, so actually, you don't need anything else. But to have something fresh on the side, you could make a green salad with yogurt dressing or raspberry vinaigrette, white cabbage salad, or Shopska salad. Some of our favorite side dishes for oven-roasted turkey thighs are Cranberry Sauce, Buttered Peas, or French-Style Green Beans.
Roasted Turkey Thigh Joint
Equipment
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 turkey thigh bone-in, skin-on, about 2.5 lbs/ 1.2 kg
- 2.2 lbs small potatoes 1 kg
- 1 lb pumpkin Notes 1, 2
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon dry rosemary
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika powder
- 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 370°F.
- Season: Rub the turkey thigh with salt, pepper, and sweet paprika powder. Place it on a large baking sheet.1 turkey thigh + 2 teaspoons sweet paprika powder + 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt + ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Prepare vegetables: Thoroughly clean the potatoes and halve them. If using Hokkaido pumpkin, cut it into chunks without peeling. If using butternut squash, peel first, then cut into chunks. Next, peel the garlic cloves, but leave them whole.2.2 lbs small potatoes + 1 lb pumpkin + 5-6 garlic cloves
- Rub the potatoes, pumpkin, and garlic with olive oil and rosemary, and add salt and pepper. Place the vegetables on the baking tray around the turkey thigh.1-2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 teaspoon dry rosemary
- Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes first. Add the white wine and continue roasting for another 40 - 45 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh shows an internal temperature of 73°C/ 165°F.1 cup white wine
- Check: If you don't have a meat thermometer, check the meat with a long stick inserted in the thickest part of the thigh. The juices should run clear. If they are still red or pink, continue the roasting process checking again every five minutes or so until the juices run clear.
- Rest: Remove from the oven and let the turkey thigh rest for about 10 minutes while keeping the vegetables warm.
Notes
- Pumpkin: I used Hokkaido pumpkin for this recipe, which doesn't have to be peeled. You can use butternut squash instead, which needs to be peeled first.
- You can also leave out the pumpkin and only use potatoes.Â
Diana says
Wonderful recipe easy get everything ready. Throw it in the oven.Voila. Dinner
Adina says
I am so happy to hear it, Diana. I made this recipe again this week, too; it's always a hit.
Ian Hill says
Very good.
Used Uchi Kiri pumpkin which I grow in UK and have stored in my cellar since harvest 4 months ago. Nice and firm still. Lovely juicy gravy from the cooking juices. Added French Dijon mustard on the side with sugar snap peas as extra veg. So easy!
Adina says
I am happy to hear it, Ian. Thank you for the feedback.
Carol W says
Very tasty and easy. I used just 1c of chicken broth and 2 turkey legs. Will make again.
Adina says
Thank you for the feedback, Carol, I am glad to hear it. 🙂
Monica says
Love hearty and comforting food like this during this time of year when the wind is blowing and everyone's constantly hungry! : )
Katerina says
That crust on top is all the money!