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Butter Basted Turkey Legs and Thighs with Fresh Herbs

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: North American, Thanksgiving
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 362kcal
Author: Lord Byron's Kitchen
A sure way to keep cheaper cuts of turkey moist and tasting great is with butter. Butter Basted Turkey Legs and Thighs with Fresh Herbs guarantee flavour and moistness! These are a great option of those of us who don't have a large family for dinner. There's no need to buy a whole turkey!
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Ingredients

  • 4 whole turkey legs, skin on; bone in
  • 4 whole turkey thighs, skin on; bone in
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 tablespoon fresh summer savoury, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a rimmed baking sheet or pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  • NOTE: If you purchase frozen turkey legs and thighs, they must be fully thawed and at room temperature before attempting this recipe.  
  • Pat the turkey legs and thighs completely dry with paper towels.  Set them aside.
  • Combine the butter, summer savoury, thyme leaves, rosemary, onion flakes, salt, and pepper.  Whisk it all together until the herbs and seasonings are well incorporated into the butter.
  • Use about two tablespoons of the butter mixture to fully massage each piece of turkey with.  This is messy, but the best way to do it is to pick up the turkey leg or thigh in one hand, scoop a mound of butter into your other hand, and massage the butter completely around the turkey.  It should be coated thick.
  • Transfer the butter-slathered turkey to the baking sheet, being careful to not let the pieces overlap and not to touch the side of the baking pan.
  • Cover with foil, and bake for one hour.
  • Remove from oven, baste each piece of turkey with the melted butter and turkey juices in the pan.  Cover and return to the oven.  Repeat this every fifteen minutes for the next hour.  Leave the foil off the last 15 minutes.
  • Transfer the turkey to a serving platter, spoon over some of the butter and herbs.  Garnish with more rosemary, summer savoury, and thyme if you wish, and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 496mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 855IU | Vitamin C: 2.8mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 0.9mg