I love everything about this take on the Thanksgiving turkey. I’m personally just not big on cooking a giant turkey – it’s easy to mess up and all I really want is the dark meat. I made this recipe last year for Thanksgiving and it’s so genius because it only uses turkey legs (dark meat), has a slow roast method that is impossible to mess up, can be made days ahead, and everyone agreed it was the best turkey they’ve ever had.
After slowly roasting in the oven, you end up with fall-apart-tender turkey meat, luscious jammy shallots and garlic, and a garlic and herb infused olive oil that you can use in dressings, drizzling onto veggies, or dipping bread into. I hope you try it and love it as much as I do!
Please note! The seasoned turkey legs have to sit in the fridge for at least 1 or up to 24 hours before being baked for about 4 hours, so plan accordingly. You could season the legs first thing in the morning, then bake them about 5 hours before you want them to be ready to eat. Alternatively you can season them the night before and bake the next day (or bake them a day ahead).
(Find the original recipe here)
Ingredient highlight
Turkey! Is a great source of iron, B vitamins, zinc, selenium, and potassium. It also contains tryptophan, which helps with serotonin production (our happy neurotransmitter). Always opt for turkey with higher % fat – turkey thighs contain higher amounts of minerals than the breast (and has more fat and flavor).
Servings 6 -8
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 4 hours Ingredients
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
- 4 lbs whole turkey legs, drumstick and thigh connected*
- 2 large heads garlic, halved crosswise to expose the cloves inside (leave skin on)
- 2-4 large shallots or small red onions, quartered lengthwise (leave skin on)
- A few sprigs of thyme (or use sage, oregano, or a combo)
- 4 cups olive oil (sub in 2 cups chicken or duck fat if you can get your hands on some)
- *If you can’t find turkey legs, know that you can also use chicken legs.
- Make ahead: ~ turkey can be seasoned 2 days ahead. Turkey can be roasted up to 3 days ahead; stored, wrapped and refrigerated. Rewarm in a 275°F oven until warmed through, 30–40 minutes.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the salt, black pepper and brown sugar. Arrange the turkey in a large (9×13”) baking dish, pat the tops dry, and season on both sides with the salt mixture. Let sit in the fridge for at least an hour or up to 24 hours (24 hours will give you better texture and deeper flavor).
- Preheat the oven to 275°F.
- Drain any liquid that’s come off the turkey, and pat dry a little. Scatter garlic, shallots, and nestle herbs around the turkey. Pour the olive oil all over to cover. Season the oil with salt and pepper (just like your pasta water should be seasoned, so should the fat you cook in), and cover tightly with foil or a tight fitting lid.
- Place in the oven, and bake for three hours (at this point your turkey will be cooked through and mostly tender). Remove foil/lid, use a spoon to baste some of the fat on top of the exposed parts of the turkey, and bake again until the skin is a deep golden brown, about 45–60 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and let cool slightly. To serve, of course you don’t need to do any carving—the bones will slip right out, and the meat should effortlessly shred, not unlike slow-cooked pork or short ribs. You can just serve it straight from the baking dish or arrange the turkey on a platter and spoon a little of the fat and the hunks of caramelized garlic/shallot all over.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Turkey can be seasoned 2 days ahead
- Turkey can be roasted 3 days ahead; stored, wrapped and refrigerated.
Substitutions:
- If you can’t find turkey legs, you can substitute with chicken legs.
Storage:
- Store leftover turkey (in the fat it was cooked in) in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Store leftover infused oil/fat in the fridge for up to one month.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- To rewarm the whole thing from the fridge, bake in a 275°F oven until warmed through, about 30–40 minutes.
- To reheat individual portions, microwave on medium-low power for 1 minute or until just warmed through.
- The options are endless with how to use leftover turkey meat (if there is any left!). Make a Thanksgiving frittata (following this formula), a sandwich, quesadilla, game day nachos, or add it to salads or bowls of any kind.
- Use all of that delicious oil instead of regular olive oil until it’s gone! Use it to cook, roast, make dressings, dip bread into, drizzle onto soups, etc…
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