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shredding turkey meat with two forks.
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4.84 from 6 votes

Pulled Turkey (Slow Cooked in the Oven)

Fall-off-the-bone pulled turkey, slow-cooked in a Dutch oven in the oven. Tender, flavorful, shredded turkey thigh served in a delicious sauce; this is a leaner version of a favorite dish.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Course: Poultry
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 654kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

  • Dutch oven

Ingredients

Turkey rub:

  • 4.5 lbs turkey thigh 2 kg
  • ½ teaspoon cumin Notes 1, 2
  • ½ teaspoon coriander
  • ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Sauce:

  • 1 medium onion
  • ½ cup ketchup 125 g
  • 1 cup chicken stock 250 ml
  • ½ cup brown sugar packed, 50 g
  • 1 ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar + a little more if needed

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 280°F/ 140°C.
  • Rub turkey thigh: Mix all ingredients needed for the rub in a small bowl. Remove the skin from the turkey thigh. Rub the turkey thigh with the spice mixture (Note 2).
  • Sauce: Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
  • Assemble: Chop the onion roughly and distribute it evenly on the bottom of the Dutch oven. Place the turkey thigh on top. Pour the sauce over the thigh. Place the lid on top.
  • Cook in the preheated oven for 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours or until you can easily pull the meat off the bone with a fork. The turkey meat should be fall-off-the-bone tender.
  • Shred: Carefully remove the thigh from the Dutch oven and place it on a large cutting board. Pull the meat off the bone using two forks.
  • Combine: Return the meat to the Dutch oven, stir well and taste the sauce. Add about 1 teaspoon of cider vinegar if necessary. Serve immediately or reheat.

Notes

  1. Spices: You can use a store-bought spice mixture if you like.
  2. Marinating: If you have the time, you can marinate the meat for up to 24 hours. Rub it well with the spices, wrap in plastic and refrigerate it. Remove the thigh from the fridge and unwrap it one hour before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 654kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 66g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 212mg | Sodium: 2208mg | Potassium: 1015mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 281IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 6mg