Go Back
Print Pin

Turkey Thighs with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Roasted turkey thighs are an easy, elegant alternative to cooking a whole turkey for Thanksgiving.
Course Main Course
Keyword Thanksgiving
Servings 6 to 8

Ingredients

For the turkey thighs

  • 4 turkey thighs (about 2 pounds each)
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons dried tarragon (or more, which you may add later)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine

For the mushroom sauce

  • 1 pound white mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup brandy (we use inexpensive E&J Gallo)
  • 1/2 cup half & half
  • 1 tablespoon flour stirred into 1/4 cup water

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. Brown the thighs, working in batches, if needed, to avoid crowding. 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 nicely golden brown, 7 minutes or so. Turn them skin side up. You don't need to sauté the non-skin side. Remove the pan from the heat for now.
  • Prepare the mushrooms. Brush off any dirt, then slice them. Put them all in a large nonstick skillet. Add the 1/4 cup of water and turn the heat to high. Do not put any fat in the pan yet!!! Don't do it!!!! Stir the mushrooms occasionally until they have collapsed and shrunk and the water in the pan is nearly evaporated. This will take about five or six minutes.
  • Now add half of the butter or oil. Stir to evenly distribute it and occasionally stir the mushrooms until they are nicely browned. Remove them from the pan to a bowl and set aside.
  • In the mushroom pan, add the remaining oil or butter. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add the white wine, tarragon and bay leaves, raise the heat, and simmer, scraping the pan to incorporate any browned bits, until the volume of liquid is reduced by about half. Pour this over the turkey thighs in their pot. Add chicken stock—the liquid should rise about half way up the thighs. Grind additional pepper over everything and scatter about a third of the cooked mushrooms on top. Put in the hot oven and roast for about 70 to 75 minutes. The internal temperature of the thighs should be at least 165ºF.
  • When the turkey thighs are done, remove the pan from the oven and place it on the stovetop. Remove the thighs from the pan and set aside on a plate, tented under aluminum foil. Any mushrooms should remain in the pot.
  • To make the sauce, turn on a flame to medium, add all the reserved mushrooms, the brandy, and the half & half, and bring the liquid to a simmer. Taste it to determine if you want to add more tarragon, but don't add salt yet. Simmer for a few minutes, then taste. Reduce the heat under the sauce to low, then stir a couple of tablespoons of the hot liquid into the flour-water mixture, pour the mixture into the sauce, and stir until it lightly thickens. You don't want it so thick that it’s like condensed soup—just enough to pleasantly coat the back of a spoon. This is the point to salt to taste. With that, the sauce is done and you're ready to serve.
  • 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. We find that two turkey thighs serve 3 or 4 people quite nicely—this recipe will work for 6 to 8. You can also freeze the braised thighs and the sauce, but freeze them separately in zippered plastic bags.