Cooking a whole turkey is a commitment. Between the schlepping, trussing, and constant babysitting, it’s a serious investment—and one that doesn’t always pay dividends. For a more laid-back affair, and one that practically guarantees success, might we suggest turkey legs cooked directly in gravy? Yes, in the gravy.
This recipe will defy everything you have probably done to cook a turkey until now. The first important step is searing the whole turkey legs for optimal browning. Now you are ready to create a base for the gravy with all those drippings and toasty bits left in the pot. No need to make a full-on roux either: Just sprinkle in the flour over the melted fat, whisk to combine, and slowly pour in the broth. Once the gravy is done, in goes the turkey and aromatics for braising. The rest is you worrying about something else, because that turkey will cook itself.
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Recipe information
Total Time
4 hours 30 minutes
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°. Season 4 whole turkey legs (thigh and drumstick; about 6½ lb. total), patted dry, all over with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large braiser or Dutch oven over medium-high. Working in 2 batches if needed to avoid overcrowding, arrange turkey legs, skin side down, in pot and cook, undisturbed, rotating pan on burner a few times to ensure even browning, until browned underneath and they easily release from pot, 8–12 minutes. Transfer turkey legs to a rimmed baking sheet, arranging skin side up. (No need to brown other side; turkey will still be raw at this point.)
Step 2
Add more oil if pot looks dry; arrange 2 large oranges and/or lemons, halved, and 2 heads of garlic, tops trimmed to expose cloves, cut side down in pot and add 3 large shallots, peeled. Cook, undisturbed, until deeply browned underneath, 2–3 minutes. Transfer each to baking sheet with turkey as they are done (it’s okay if some fall apart slightly).
Step 3
Add 6 Tbsp. (¾ stick) unsalted butter to pot and cook until melted. Sprinkle in ⅓ cup (42 g) all-purpose flour and cook, stirring constantly, until no pockets of dry flour remain, about 1 minute. Gradually pour in 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, stirring constantly to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook until gravy is just starting to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Nestle turkey legs into gravy, skin side up, then tuck oranges, garlic, and shallots around, arranging oranges and garlic cut side up. Add 1 small bunch thyme (about 10 sprigs), tied with kitchen twine, and cover pot tightly with a lid or foil. Braise 2 hours. (If your pot is too small to comfortably fit everything, transfer gravy to a 13x9" baking dish before adding turkey legs and aromatics.) Uncover pot and continue to bake until turkey legs are deeply browned, meat shreds easily off the bone, and gravy has thickened a little, 45–55 minutes.
Step 5
Let turkey and gravy cool slightly before serving. Transfer to a platter if desired. (If gravy has excess fat on top, skim off with a spoon and discard before serving or spooning over legs on platter.)
