It's Way Better Than Thanksgiving Turkey Turkey

6 Reviews

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 3 hr 45 min
Ready In: 4 hr 15 min

“Unless you're deep-frying turkey, I suggest you make the switch over to this method of cooking turkey, even for holidays and special occasions. Alter the amount of ingredients depending on the number of people attending your amazing turkey feast; my version is for three people.” - by Fetish Cook

Adjust Servings

Adjust

Metric US

Original recipe yields 3 turkey legs

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Pour the olive oil into a roasting pan. Place the turkey legs into the oil; turn the legs over several times to coat with oil. Sprinkle each leg with salt, black pepper, and thyme; pull the leaves from 3 sprigs of rosemary and sprinkle onto the turkey legs. Place the remaining 3 sprigs of rosemary around the legs in the oil. Place butter pieces on the legs; sprinkle each leg with garlic and scatter the onion in the pan.
Roast the legs in the preheated oven until the turkey skin is browned and the juices run clear, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, basting every 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) and turn the legs over in the pan. Roast for 1 hour, basting every 20 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C) and roast until the skin is golden brown, about 1 more hour. Remove the turkey legs to a serving platter.
To make gravy, move the roasting pan with the oil and drippings to a burner set on medium heat; whisk in the cooking wine and brown sugar, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Use the whisk to scrape up and dissolve any brown flavor bits left in the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the flour, a little at a time, and stir until the flour is smoothly incorporated into the mixture; pour in the chicken stock and whisk constantly until the gravy comes to a simmer and thickens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the gravy browning sauce; allow the gravy to simmer for 3 to 5 minutes and serve with the roasted turkey legs.

Nutrition

Amount Per Serving (3 total)

Calories
927 cal
46%

Fat
63.2 g
97%

Carbs
11.8 g
4%

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Share It

Reviews (6)

Rate This Recipe

MimiChris

Mar. 16, 2011

"I don't know how the previous reviewer made this on a work day as it is very labor intensive - having to baste it every 30 minutes and change the temperature three times. Also, my turkey legs got rea..." See morelly brown within the first hour and at the end of cooking, everything in the pan was black! The legs got a bit dried out. I followed the recipe exactly, too. I made the gravy by taking out all the blackened veggies and then adding the sugar and wine, etc. - and it was really good. I wonder if I should have covered the roasting pan when I cooked the legs? I would shorten the first cooking time for sure. I will make it again, but adjust temps and cooking times!"

inezanzen

Nov. 19, 2011

"Not sure how everyone else did this, but I followed the recipe to the letter and my Turkey legs were fully cooked (meat falling off the bone), tender and delicious in just under 2 hours of cook time! ..." See more I only got to do 1 1/2 hours at 400 then not quite a half hour at 300 and they were already done. So now I have to find a creative way to keep them hot for the next hour and 45 minutes! (kind of frustrating) I can only imagine the state of the legs if I had kept cooking for another almost two hours! And forget about gravy. Everything in the pan is charcoal black - onions, garlic and spices - there is no water or broth in this recipe so everything just fries to a crisp, leaving nothing but butter, oil and black bits to make gravy with. Not sure how this recipe got so many 5 stars... check out other turkey leg recipes... they all say to roast them in 2 hours, and they add some kind of liquid ... kind of makes you wonder if maybe they are right!"