This oven-roasted turkey thigh joint with potatoes and pumpkin would make a delicious Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey dinner. It's an easy-to-make sheet-pan meal.
This roasted turkey thigh joint is a super easy roast recipe that involves the minimum effort on your side. Clean and cut some potatoes and pumpkin, put the meat and the veggies in the oven, and wait for them to be cooked.
Make a Beetroot and Feta Salad, Buttered Vegetables, or Caramelized Brussels Sprouts, and there you have it: a complete, delicious, healthy, and festive dish to celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas or to enjoy on an ordinary Sunday when you feel like having something a bit special. It is the perfect alternative to cooking an entire bird for a holiday meal.
Featured comment:
Diana: Wonderful recipe, easy get everything ready. Throw it in the oven. Voila. Dinner!
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Why do we love this recipe?
Sheet-pan meal: The best thing about this turkey thigh joint (except for its delicious flavor) is that you only need one tray. Juicy meat, comforting potatoes, and soft and delightful pumpkin pieces, all on just one tray.
Small gathering: Not everyone wants or needs to cook a whole turkey. The oven-roasted turkey thigh is the perfect Thanksgiving dinner solution for a small family; it generously serves four people. But if you would still like to cook a whole bird, check out Dutch Oven Whole Turkey or Red Wine Turkey.
Easy: Season the meat and cut some veggies. That's it!
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:
- This step is optional but a good idea; the salting process will make the meat moister and impart more flavor. It will also make the skin crispier.
- Mix salt, pepper, curry, and sweet paprika in a small bowl. Dry the meat with a paper towel. Rub the thigh all over, massaging the seasoning mixture into the meat and skin.
- Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Remove from the fridge about 30 to 1 hour before roasting.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/ 180 degrees Celsius.
Prepare vegetables:
- If the potatoes are organic, wash them well, but leave the peel on if you like it. Otherwise, cleaning them very well and then peeling them is recommended. Cut them into chunks.
- If using Hokkaido, wash and cut into chunks. If using butternut squash, peel it and cut it into pieces.
- Peel the garlic, but leave the cloves whole.
- Place the vegetables in a large bowl, add extra virgin olive oil and spices, and rub them well.
Roast:
- Grease a rimmed baking sheet lightly with olive oil.
- Place the meat skin side up in the middle of the large baking dish.
- Arrange the vegetables around it.
- Roast in the hot oven for 45 minutes.
- Pour the wine around the meat and bake for another 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit/ 73 degrees Celsius. Use a meat thermometer (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
- Rest the oven-roasted turkey thigh for 10 minutes at room temperature before slicing while keeping the vegetables warm.
Good to know!
Dry brine: For extra flavor and crispy skin, pat the thigh dry with kitchen towels, season it generously, and leave it in the refrigerator uncovered for several hours or overnight. This process will allow the salt and spices to penetrate the meat and add more layers of flavor. In addition, salt changes the protein structure of the meat and makes it moist. It will also dry out the skin a bit, making it crispier in the end.
Salt choice: If using table salt instead of fine sea salt or Kosher salt, reduce the amount to about 1 ½ teaspoon; table salt is more powerful.
Use Hokkaido pumpkin or butternut squash; they are very tasty, much more than a regular cooking pumpkin. Also, if using Hokkaido, there is no need to peel; the skin is super soft.
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 meat and 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
Ingredients
- 1 turkey thigh bone-in, skin-on, about 1,2 kg/ 2.5 lbs
- 2.2 lbs small potatoes 1 kg
- 1 lb pumpkin 450 g, Note
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup white wine 250 ml
- 1 teaspoon dry rosemary
- sweet paprika powder
- fine sea salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 370°F.
- Season: Rub the turkey thigh with salt, pepper, and sweet paprika powder. Place in on a large baking tray.1 turkey thigh + sweet paprika powder + fine sea salt and 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 kg + 1 lb pumpkin/ 450 g + 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/ 250 ml
- 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.
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!