This delicious Slow Roasted Turkey Leg With Gravy is a great alternative to a traditional whole-roasted turkey. It is extremely easy to make, requires a minimum of effort, and you will have an amazing turkey gravy from scratch too. Whether you are having a small thanksgiving gathering or you are a dark meat lover, these oven-baked turkey legs are perfect for you.
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I make this slow-roasted turkey leg recipe any time of the year, as long as I can find turkey legs, drumsticks, or thighs. They are perfect for a family Sunday lunch as well as for special gatherings such as Christmas, Easter, or Thanksgiving. And the leftovers are perfect for making scrumptious Turkey Shepherd's Pie.
Why This Recipe Works?
- Slow Roasted Turkey Leg doesn't require much time and effort to put together and you will have a delicious homemade turkey gravy made with the cooking juices.
- This baked turkey leg recipe is perfect for 2-3 people. However, you can easily double or triple the recipe by using the button on the recipe card for bigger gatherings.
- If you are not keen on white turkey meat but you still want to eat roast turkey for special gatherings, this recipe is perfect for you.
- The low and slow roasting of the turkey leg will give you crispy skin and juicy turkey meat.
Ingredients and Substitutes
- Turkey leg(s) - You can use drumsticks, thighs, or a whole leg for this recipe. If using a whole turkey leg, add an extra 45 minutes to 1 hour to the cooking time, and make sure that the piece comfortably fits into the dish you are using.
- Vegetables - I use a mixture of roughly chopped celery, onions, carrots, and a whole head of garlic cut in half to place my turkey leg on, and also as a flavoring for the turkey gravy.
- Flavorings - I keep the seasoning and flavoring simple: salt - pepper, bay leaves, and thyme. You can add other flavorings such as lemon, rosemary, sage, paprika, cayenne, or chili.
- Stock - The best option is to use homemade Chicken Stock (Bone Broth), or turkey stock for the gravy. However, you can use good quality shop-bought low-sodium stock or stock cubes if that's what you have in hand.
How To Slow Roast Turkey Legs?
Making this scrumptious Slow Roasted Turkey Leg With Gravy is surprisingly easy and straightforward. Here are a few simple steps that you need to follow:
Roast The Turkey Leg
Preheat the oven to 180° C (360° F). Pat dry the turkey leg with a kitchen towel, rub it with half of the salt and pepper, and set it aside.
Prepare the vegetables. Peel the onion and cut it into 5-6 wedges. Peel and cut the carrot into chunks. Wash the celery stick and cut it into 4-5 pieces. Cut the garlic head in half.
Place the vegetables along with the bay leaves and thyme in your baking dish. Sprinkle on the rest of the salt and pepper, and give them a good stir.
Pour 250 ml chicken or turkey stock on the vegetables and place the turkey leg(s) on top of the vegetables.
Place the baking dish into the preheated oven and roast the turkey for 40 minutes.
Reduce the heat to 150° C (300° F) and keep roasting the turkey for another 2 hours, or until the meat is fork tender. Flip it halfway through the cooking.
When the turkey meat is cooked, remove it from the baking dish, wrap in tin foil, and leave it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes while preparing the gravy.
Prepare The Gravy
To make the gravy, skim most of the fat from the juice of the roasted turkey and place the baking dish on medium-low heat.
Add 250 ml of chicken or turkey stock and scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan.
Let the gravy bubble for 15 minutes, pass it through a fine sieve, and transfer it into a small saucepan.
Place the saucepan on medium heat, and bring it back to a boil.
Make a slurry with 1 tablespoon of cornflour and 2 tablespoons of cold water, and add it to the gravy, whisking continuously to avoid the gravy getting lumpy.
Add any juices from the resting turkey and then cook for about 5 more minutes.
Serve the turkey meat with your favorite side dishes and the delicious homemade turkey gravy!
Serving Suggestions
If you are serving this oven-baked turkey leg for Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas, the best side dishes to pair it with are:
Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts, Swede and Carrot Mash, Gluten-Free Yorkshire Puddings, Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes, Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips, Homemade Mini Pigs in a Blanket, Cranberry Sauce with Orange Juice, Potatoes au Gratin - Dauphinoise Potatoes, and Baked Cheesy Cauliflower.
Other side dishes to serve with roast turkey are:
Crispy Sauté Potatoes With Garlic, Pomme Purée (Creamy Mashed Potatoes), Warm Austrian Potato Salad, Turkish Rice (Sehriyeli Pilav), Beetroot and Feta Salad, and Lebanese Fattoush Salad.
Top Tips From The Chef
- Pat dry the turkey leg with a kitchen towel before seasoning it to achieve a crispy skin.
- Flip the turkey leg halfway through the cooking.
- The cooking time may vary depending on the size of the chicken leg and the efficiency of your oven. The turkey drumstick I used for this recipe weighs 1 kilo (2.2 pounds). Allow extra time for larger pieces and cook them until they are fork-tender.
- Leave the roasted turkey meat to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before serving to allow the meat fibers to relax and juices to redistribute. Cutting the meat without resting will result in a tougher chew.
- You can easily double or triple this recipe if you’d like to feed a larger crowd.
Recipe FAQs
The leftovers would keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container when refrigerated. Alternatively, you can freeze them and keep them for up to 3 months.
Your turkey legs are tough because you probably didn't cook them long enough. Turkey legs, especially the drumsticks require low and slow cooking, the same as lamb shoulder or beef briskets. You need to cook them long enough until the muscle fibers relax and become tender.
You can reheat the leftovers in a preheated oven to 180° C (360° F). Simply place the leftovers in an oven-proof dish, cover them, and reheat for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are thoroughly reheated.
Related Recipes
For more delicious Thanksgiving recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this juicy Slow Roasted Turkey Leg With Gravy recipe as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!
Slow Roasted Turkey Leg (With Gravy)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 turkey drumstick (1 kg - 1.2 kg / 2.2 - 2.6 pounds)
- 1 head garlic
- 1 large onion
- ½ stick celery
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 250 ml chicken stock or turkey stock
For The Gravy
- 250 ml chicken stock or turkey stock
- 1 tablespoon corn flour
- 2 tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180° C (360° F).
- Pat dry the turkey leg with a kitchen towel, rub it with half of the salt and pepper, and set it aside.
- Prepare the vegetables. Peel the onion and cut it into 5-6 wedges. Peel and cut the carrot into chunks. Wash the celery stick and cut it into 4-5 pieces. Cut the garlic head in half.
- Place the vegetables along with the bay leaves and thyme in your baking dish. Sprinkle on the rest of the salt and pepper, and give them a good stir.
- Pour 250 ml chicken or turkey stock on the vegetables and place the turkey leg(s) on top of the vegetables.
- Place the baking dish into the preheated oven and roast the turkey for 40 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to 150° C (300° F) and keep roasting the turkey for another 2 hours, or until the meat is fork tender. Flip it halfway through the cooking.
- When the turkey meat is cooked, remove it from the baking dish, wrap in tin foil, and leave it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes while preparing the gravy.
- To make the gravy, skim most of the fat from the juice of the roasted turkey and place the baking dish on medium-low heat. Add 250 ml of chicken or turkey stock and scrape the bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Let the gravy bubble for 15 minutes, pass it through a fine sieve, and transfer it into a small saucepan.
- Place the saucepan on medium heat, and bring it back to a boil.
- Make a slurry with 1 tablespoon of cornflour and 2 tablespoons of cold water, and add it to the gravy, whisking continuously to avoid the gravy getting lumpy.
- Add any juices from the resting turkey and then cook for about 5 more minutes.
Notes
- Pat dry the turkey leg with a kitchen towel before seasoning it to achieve a crispy skin.
- Flip the turkey leg halfway through the cooking.
- The cooking time may vary depending on the size of the chicken leg and the efficiency of your oven. The turkey drumstick I used for this recipe weighs 1 kilo (2.2 pounds). Allow extra time for larger pieces and cook them until they are fork-tender.
- Leave the roasted turkey meat to rest for 15 to 20 minutes before serving to allow the meat fibers to relax and juices to redistribute. Cutting the meat without resting will result in a tougher chew.
- You can easily double or triple this recipe if you’d like to feed a larger crowd.
Nutrition
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Max
This was so delicious, best turkey I ever cooked! Incredibly moist and tasty. This will definitely be on my thanksgiving menu.
Lucy
I followed your instructions to make the turkey legs fit thanksgiving. They were perfect! I’m making them again for Christmas.
Ayla Clulee
Lovely to hear that Lucy!
Best Wishes
Ayla