How To Cook Turkey Legs in the Oven
A whole juicy turkey leg roasted in the oven and served with a divine sauce with vegetables.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 660kcal
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey leg Note 1
- fine sea salt and pepper
- sweet or hot paprika or a mixture of both
- 1 lb shallots Note 2
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 tablespoon clarified butter ghee, Note 3
- ¾ cup dry white or red wine
- 1 cup chicken or turkey stock preferably low sodium
- 1 heaped tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare the meat: Dry the turkey leg with kitchen paper. Sprinkle it generously on both sides with salt, black pepper, and paprika powder. Rub the spices into the meat with your hands. Set aside.1 whole turkey leg + fine sea salt and pepper + sweet or hot paprika
- Prepare vegetables: Peel the shallots and halve them. If using smaller regular onions, peel and cut them into thicker wedges or quarters. Next, peel and slice the carrot. Set aside.1 lb shallots/ 450 g + 1 medium carrot
- Sear meat: Heat the clarified butter Dutch oven large enough to fit the leg comfortably. Sear the meat at high temperature on both sides until nicely golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from the pot and set aside.1 tablespoon clarified butter
- Saute vegetables: Add the prepared vegetables, lower the temperature to medium-high, and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add wine, stock, honey, thyme, and a pinch of salt. Stir well. ¾ cup dry white or red wine + 1 cup chicken or turkey stock + 1 heaped tablespoon honey + 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Roast: Place the meat on top of the vegetables, skin side DOWN first. Cover with the lid and roast for 1 hour.
- Turn the turkey leg in the pot, skin side UP, cover again, and continue roasting the meat for another 30-40 minutes. The meat should be really soft at this point.
- Crisp the meat: Remove from the oven, lift the turkey from the sauce and place it on a regular baking sheet. Return it to the oven and let it there until the skin is nicely browned and crispy. Check after 4-5 minutes already and make sure that the skin doesn't turn too dark.
- Rest: Remove from the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and rest for 8-10 minutes.
- Carve the turkey leg and serve as suggested above.
Notes
- Turkey leg: One whole turkey leg of about 3.7 lbs (1.7 kg) OR one turkey thigh of about 3-3.5 lbs (1.3 – 1.5 kg)
- Shallots: Substitute with smaller regular onions.
- Butter: If you don't have clarified butter or ghee, replace it with ¾ tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon canola or olive oil. Or use rendered fat (lard) instead.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the dish | Calories: 660kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 83g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 347mg | Sodium: 744mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g