Braising turkey thighs with aromatics, red wine, broth and some unexpected umami ingredients delivers a perfect weekend dinner for family or friends. Recipe below.
TURKEY THIGHS ARE LIKE SUPER-SIZED CHICKEN THIGHS, IN THE BEST WAY. Meaty, juicy, flavorful and tender—the opposite of turkey or chicken breasts respectively, but with that distinctive turkey flavor that turns a meal into a celebration. Which makes them perfect for elevating a simple weekend dinner with family or friends.
We first discovered turkey thighs a few Thanksgivings ago when we were hosting fewer people than usual and didn’t need an entire turkey. What a delight! Everything cooked evenly—there was no putting foil on the breast to keep it from overcooking and drying out while the thighs took their sweet time finishing. And since most people seem to prefer dark turkey meat, cooking only thighs meant everyone was happy.
Braising turkey thighs is easy. After browning them thoroughly, you braise them in a mix of aromatics, some wine (or apple cider) and stock, and some herbs. Once they’re in the oven, you’re about an hour and a half from serving them. Low temperatures are best (we used 325ºF). According to Serious Eats, “Turkeys are heavy birds, so their legs build up quite a bit of muscle mass and connective tissue—far more than a petite chicken. Braising will convert this connective tissue to tender gelatin, which helps lubricate meat, making it ultra-moist and tender.” Braising is foolproof—no drying out that you might get with roasting. And the braising liquid turns into a nice gravy or sauce.
Recipes for braised turkey thighs are all over the board in terms of aromatics and cooking liquids. We went simple, just onions, garlic, red wine and broth, and some dried tarragon and thyme. To dial up the umami, we added some oyster sauce and Better Than Bouillon mushroom base. The results were perfect. Tender, juicy, and flavorful in a comforting and complex way.
Braised Turkey Thighs
Ingredients
- 2 skin-on, bone-in turkey thighs, 2 pounds or so each
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 cups broth (see Kitchen Notes)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1-1/2 teaspoons oyster sauce (see Kitchen Notes)
- 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon mushroom base (optional—see Kitchen Notes)
- half & half or milk, if needed
- cornstarch, if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Pat the turkey thighs dry with a paper towel (this will help the skin brown well) and season them lightly with salt, generously with pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large, lidded deep skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. When it’s good and hot, add the turkey thighs skin side down and sear until good and brown, 7 minutes or so. Turn the thighs, reduce heat to medium and cook for 3 to 4 minutes (browning the flesh side is not critical). Transfer thighs to a plate.
- Remove all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pan (our turkey thighs produced an impressive amount of fat). Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until it softens and starts to become translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, tarragon and thyme, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds.
- Add the wine and broth to the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the Dijon mustard, oyster sauce and mushroom base, if using. Return the turkey thighs to the pan, along with any accumulated juices—the liquid should not cover them, but come maybe halfway up the sides. If you need a little more liquid, add water. Raise the heat and bring to a boil.
- Put the lid on the pan and transfer it to the oven. Cook for 1-1/2 hours. Remove the pan from the oven and check the thighs’ temperature with an instant read thermometer—it should be at least 165ºF and will likely be much higher. If not, return the pan uncovered to the oven for about 15 minutes. (You likely won’t need to cook it longer in the oven.)
- Transfer the pan to the stovetop. Remove the thighs and set aside on a plate. Taste the sauce. If it is exceedingly salty (ours was), stir in some half & half or milk, starting with a few tablespoons, and taste. If still too salty, add more half & half, a couple tablespoons at a time, until the saltiness is tamed.
- Next, thicken the sauce, if needed. Heat the pan over medium heat. Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch and a tablespoon of cold water in a small bowl, stirring until it is completely dissolved. Warm the cornstarch mixture by adding a little of the pan juice at a time to the bowl and stirring. This will keep it from clotting. Slowly stir the cornstarch mixture into the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3 or so minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken. Return the turkey thighs to the pan, cover with the lid and heat until the turkey is again warmed through.
- Transfer the thighs to a cutting board and carve them along the bone on both sides, then cut each chunk into slices. Put them on a platter and serve with the sauce alongside.