Best Braised Turkey Recipes

BRAISED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Rinse turkey legs and pat dry; season all over with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat and add olive oil. Add turkey legs, skin side down, working in batches, if necessary. Cook, turning, until turkey legs are browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer legs to a plate and discard all but 1 tablespoon of rendered fat from Dutch oven.
• Deglaze with white wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of pot and slightly reduced, 2 minutes. Lower heat to medium-high and add carrots, celery, and leeks to Dutch oven and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, sage, bay leaves, and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add turkey legs, skin side down; cover and transfer to oven. Cook for 40 minutes. Uncover, turn turkey legs, and continue cooking uncovered until legs are tender, 45 to 50 minutes more.
• Transfer turkey legs to a serving platter. Skim fat from top of braising liquid and discard; season braising liquid with salt and pepper, and spoon over turkey legs. Serve garnished with chopped parsley and thyme.

BASIC BRAISED TURKEY

Steps:

• Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the turkey and brown the leg (and, if you're using them, wing) portions on the skin side well, 10 minutes or more; turn and cook for another 2 minutes on the skinless side. Remove to a plate and brown the breasts in the same skillet, again mostly on the skin side; remove and keep them separate.
• Heat the oven to 300, and cook the bacon or pancetta (if using) in the remaining fat in the skillet until nearly crisp; remove with a slotted spoon. Cook the onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery and herbs, in batches if necessary, until beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer with the bacon or pancetta to a large roasting pan, then nestle the dark meat in there, leaving room for the breasts. Add stock or water to come about one-third to halfway up the sides of the thighs.
• Roast uncovered for about 90 minutes, checking occasionally to make sure liquid levels remain sufficiently high and stirring vegetables if they threaten to brown too much. When thigh meat is tender, place the breasts in the pan, and cook until tender, 30 to 45 minutes more, or until done. (They should register 155 on an instant-read thermometer.)
• Slice breast and thigh meat and serve on a platter with the vegetables garnished, if you like, with parsley.

BRAISED TURKEY THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine onion, celery, carrots, ketchup, salt, paprika and pepper. Pat onto turkey thighs. Place 1 tablespoon flour in oven bag; shake to coat. Transfer turkey thighs to oven bag. , Place in a 13x9-in. baking dish. Combine broth, wine or additional broth, oregano and bay leaves. Put into bag; seal. Cut 2 slits into the top of the bag. Bake 1-1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in turkey reads 170°-175°., Remove turkey to a serving platter; keep warm. Pour pan juices into a small saucepan; skim fat and discard bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1-3/4 cups., In a small bowl, combine remaining flour and water until smooth. Stir into saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove skin and bones from turkey; cut turkey into slices. Serve gravy with turkey.

APPLE-BRAISED TURKEY THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season turkey on both sides with salt and pepper and add to pot, skin side down. Cook until skin is golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer turkey to a plate and add shallots to pot. Cook until shallots soften, about 5 minutes. Add apples and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
• Return turkey, skin side up, to pot; add cider and broth. Bring to a boil, cover, then place pot in oven. Cook 1 1/2 hours. Uncover; cook 30 minutes more.
• Remove pot from oven and transfer turkey to a plate. Skim fat from cooking liquid and stir in vinegar. Slice meat off bones (discard bones) and serve turkey with apples and pan sauce.

WARMDADDY'S BRAISED TURKEY WINGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Mix together the Worcestershire, Cajun seasoning, garlic, sage, thyme and salt. Rub the mixture over the turkey wings.
• Spread the celery and onions in the bottom of a nonstick baking dish. Place the turkey wings on top and pour over the chicken broth. Cover tightly with foil and transfer to the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, then uncover and roast for 15 minutes longer to brown.

HERB ROASTED AND BRAISED TURKEY

Steps:

• For the turkey: Remove the turkey from the refrigerator 1 hour before roasting.
• Combine the butter, parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme and in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Sprinkle the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper and fill the cavity with half the carrots, celery and onions. Rub the entire turkey with the herb butter and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
• Put 4 cups of the chicken stock in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.
• Place the remaining vegetables on the bottom of a large roasting pan. Put the turkey on top of the vegetables, put in the oven and roast until lightly golden brown, about 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting, basting with the warm chicken stock every 15 minutes, 2 to 2 hours 15 minutes hours longer. (An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh should register 160 degrees F.)
• Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer to baking sheet, tent loosely with foil and let rest 30 minutes before slicing. Remove the legs for braising. Strain the drippings into a bowl and discard the solids. Add enough stock to make 4 cups liquid.
• Bring the liquid to a simmer, transfer to a roasting pan, add the legs, cover with foil and braise until tender in a 350 F degree oven about 1 hour.
• For the gravy: Melt the butter in a medium pan over high heat. Add the roasted garlic and cook for a minute. Whisk in the flour and cook until lightly golden brown. Slowly whisk the drippings into the flour mixture, bring to a boil and whisk until the mixture begins to thicken and the flour taste has been cooked out, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of the white wine if desired and cook for 1 minute longer. Fold in fresh herbs if desired and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

BRAISED TURKEY

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add sausage, pancetta and as many thighs as will fit comfortably, skin side down; sprinkle thighs with salt and pepper. Brown all well, removing pancetta first (it will brown first), then sausage; set aside. Turn thighs when they are well browned and cook a minute or so on skinless side. Remove them, too, and repeat with remaining thighs if necessary. Add breast to pan and brown it well, skin side down, then flip and cook for just a minute or so and remove. Set pan aside.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Soak porcinis in hot water to cover. In pan used for turkey, cook carrots, celery, onions, sage and shiitakes in leftover fat. When all vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, add drained porcini, reserving liquid. Return pancetta and sausage to pan. Cook another minute and turn off heat.
• In a large roasting pan, put thighs in corners, browned side up; there should be room for breasts all in one layer. Fill space between thighs with vegetables; leave breasts out for now. Add mushroom soaking liquid, leaving any sand and grit behind. Add stock or water as needed to come about halfway up sides of thighs.
• Put in oven and roast, uncovered, for 2 hours, checking occasionally to make sure liquid level remains sufficiently high and stirring vegetables if they threaten to brown too much. When thigh meat is tender, lay breasts on vegetables and cook until they are done, about a half hour longer.
• To serve, put vegetables on a platter; slice breasts and lay them on top; shred thigh meat and pile that on the rest.

BRAISED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Season turkey with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Working in batches, cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 15-20 minutes per batch; transfer to a large plate.
• Add onion, leeks, celery, and garlic to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-8 minutes. Add wine, parsley, and thyme and sage sprigs; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until reduced by half, 8-10 minutes.
• Return turkey to pot and add broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pot, and simmer until meat is tender and cooked through and liquid is reduced by half, 2 1/2-3 hours. Add carrots and cook, uncovered, until carrots are soft and meat is falling off the bone, 35-45 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer turkey and carrots to a platter. Strain sauce; serve alongside. Top with chives and 1/2 cup chopped parsley.

BRAISED TURKEY BRACIOLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, olives, Parmesan cheese, capers, parsley, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.
• Lay the turkey breasts flat on a work surface. Season the insides evenly with 1 teaspoon salt. Place 3 slices of cheese down the center of each breast. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the breasts. Beginning at the end without the skin, begin to roll the turkey breasts up so that they resemble an unstuffed breast. Tie the breasts in 3 places with butchers twine. Season the outsides evenly with the remaining teaspoon of salt.
• Heat a medium ovenproof braising pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and heat another minute. Add the turkey breasts skin-side down to the pan and cook, undisturbed, until a deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the breasts and cook an additional 3 minutes to brown the other side. Remove the breasts to a plate.
• To the pan, add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and stir up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer. Stir in the tomato puree and nestle in the basil. Return to a simmer and add the breasts back to the pan. Cover the pan with the lid and place in the oven until the internal temperature reaches about 145 degrees F, about 30 minutes. Uncover the pan and return to the oven until it reaches 160 degrees F, an additional 15 minutes. Allow the turkey to rest in the pan for 15 minutes before slicing and serving with the sauce.

PAN FRIED TURKEY CUTLETS WITH BRAISED RED CABBAGE AND ROASTED ORANGES

Steps:

• 1.Melt 2 tbsps of butter in a large heavy pot over a high heat. 2.Add the sliced onions and sugar and stir well. Reduce the heat slightly and cook for about 15 minutes until the onion is dark brown. 3.Add the red cabbage and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the vinegar and cook for another 5 minutes. 4.Add the red wine, coriander seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, thyme and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. When the mixture starts to boil, put on the lid and transfer the pot to a 350°F oven. 5.Bake for about an hour, stirring at least twice. 6.Cut off the peel from the oranges and slice into rounds. 7.When the cabbage is almost done, season the turkey cutlets with salt and pepper and generously rub with olive oil. 8.Heat a grill pan until just smoking and add the turkey cutlets cooking for about 4 minutes on each side. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook in 2 batches. 9.Cover the cutlets with foil to rest. 10.Melt the remaining 2 tbsps of butter in a non-stick pan over a medium high heat. 11.Add the orange slices and cook until golden. This will take just a few minutes. 12.Serve and enjoy! For food safety, cook to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F as measured by a meat thermometer

STOCK-BRAISED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Place salt and brown sugar in a small bowl and work together with your fingers to incorporate. Place turkey legs on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle dry brine all over both sides of legs. Chill, uncovered, at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 250°F. Rinse turkey legs and pat dry. Sprinkle on all sides with flour. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook 2 turkey legs, skin side down, until skin is browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer legs to a large roasting pan. Repeat with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil and 2 turkey legs.
• Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and orange, cut side down, and rosemary and chile to skillet and cook, undisturbed, until garlic is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add wine, scraping to release any browned bits stuck to the bottom of pan. Cook until wine is almost completely evaporated, about 2 minutes. Scrape into roasting pan with turkey legs. Pour in stock and cover tightly with 2 layers of foil.
• Transfer pan to oven and braise turkey until leg joints wiggle freely and meat is fork-tender, 2 1/2-3 hours.
• Place turkey legs, skin side up, on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Transfer garlic, orange, rosemary, and chile to a platter. Start with 2 cups braising liquid to make sauce. If you have more than that, set roasting pan over medium-high heat and bring liquid to a boil. Cook until reduced to 2 cups. Reduce heat so liquid is simmering and whisk in butter a piece at a time, incorporating each piece completely before adding more.
• Heat broiler. Broil turkey legs until skin is browned and crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to platter and serve with pan sauce poured over or alongside.
• Do Ahead
• Turkey legs can be braised 3 days ahead. Let cool in braising liquid; cover and chill. Reheat, covered, until heated through before broiling.

BRAISED DARK MEAT TURKEY OVER EGG NOODLES

Steps:

• Generously salt and pepper the turkey.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add the turkey wings and drumsticks and brown as evenly as possible all over. Do this in batches if necessary.
• Once browned, remove the turkey from the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-high and then add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until tender. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it is mixed in. Then add all the remaining ingredients, except the olives and rosemary, and stir until everything is incorporated. Bring this liquid to a simmer, then add the turkey back to the pot, along with the olives and rosemary, and bring to a simmer. Cook about 3 to 3 1/2 hours over a low flame at a low simmer until the turkey meat falls off the bone easily with just a little nudge from a fork. Remove rosemary sprigs and serve over hot egg noodles.
• Note: During cooking, occasionally check to see if the turkey is getting too browned or dried where not submerged under the braising liquid. If so, stir into the liquid and continue cooking.

CIDER-BRAISED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Rinse and dry turkey legs; season on all sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Place bacon in a large Dutch oven and cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until bacon begins to crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
• Increase heat to high and add olive oil. Add turkey legs, skin side down, working in batches if necessary. Cook, turning, until turkey is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer legs to a plate and discard all but 1 tablespoon of rendered fat from Dutch oven.
• Add carrots, celery, and leeks to Dutch oven and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add brown sugar and cook until it begins to bubble. Add thyme, sage, bay leaves, and cider; bring to a boil and stir, breaking up any browned bits at the bottom of pan. Continue boiling until cider is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
• Add chicken stock and bring to a boil; reduce heat to a slow simmer and add reserved bacon. Return turkey legs to Dutch-oven, skin side down; cover and transfer to oven. Cook for 40 minutes, turn turkey legs, uncover, and continue cooking until legs are tender, 45 to 50 minutes more.
• Transfer turkey legs to a serving platter. Skim fat from top of braising liquid and discard; season braising liquid with salt and pepper and spoon over turkey legs. Serve.

BRAISED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Preheat a large 8-quart dutch oven over meadium high heat. Season turkey legs liberally with salt and pepper. Dust with flour and pat off excess. Add 1-2 Tbsp olive oil to pot. When oil ripples or whisps of smoke start to appear, brown the floured turkey legs 7-8 minutes total, in batches if necessary, careful not to over-crowd the pot, as this will inhibit even browning. Remove turkey from the pot and set aside. Pour off any excess grease left in the pot. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil and butter to pot. Add carrots, celery, onions and garlic and sweat for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add oregano, thyme, paprika, pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and stir till fragrant about 1-2 minutes. Deglaze with red wine, scraping off any accumulated brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce and dried cranberries. Season with salt and pepper. Line the rim of the dutch oven with aluminum foil to form a tight seal preventing steam from escaping, and cover with lid. Place the pot in the oven and braise for about an hour or until turkey is tender. Remove turkey from the braising liquid. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from the bones, careful to remove all tendons and connective tissue. Return pot over high heat and reduce braising liquid until slighty thick. Stir in turkey meat and serve over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles.

TURKEY BRAISED WITH CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Combine tablespoon of butter with oil in deep skillet or casserole large enough for turkey legs to fit comfortably. Turn heat to medium high; after a minute add garlic and thyme. Cook for a minute, add turkey legs. Brown on both sides (they will brown unevenly, because of their shape), sprinkling with salt and pepper, and stirring garlic so it does not burn. Remove turkey.
• Add onion, mushrooms, sugar, pinch of salt, and some pepper, and cook; stir occasionally, and adjust heat so vegetables do not burn. When very soft, add 1 cup liquid, half the zest, and cranberries. Bring to boil, return turkey to pan; cover and adjust the heat for a steady simmer.
• Cook about 2 hours, checking every 30 minutes and adding more liquid if necessary, until meat is very tender. Taste sauce, and add more salt, pepper, and sugar if necessary. Remove meat; if sauce is soupy, raise heat and reduce a little; stir in remaining butter. Carve meat as neatly as you can; serve on a bed of sauce, garnish with remaining orange zest.

TURKEY-BREAST ROULADE & BRAISED LEGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Place turkey breast, skin-side down, on a cutting board. Slice through the thickest part horizontally, creating a flap, and open it like a book. Cover with plastic wrap. With a mallet, pound to an even thickness (about 3/4 inch). Remove plastic and season with salt and pepper. Spread stuffing evenly over top, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Working from the short side without skin, roll the breast up tightly into a log, enclosing stuffing. Turn seam-side down and pull the skin down to envelop roulade as much as possible. Tie with kitchen twine at 2-inch intervals to secure. Rub 2 tablespoons butter over skin; season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange onion rounds in a single layer on one side of a roasting pan. Place roulade, skin-side up, atop onions. Rub 1 tablespoon butter over each leg, season, and place on other side of pan. Scatter thyme over turkey and pour 1 cup stock into pan.
• Roast turkey (adding more stock to pan if bottom becomes dry, 1/2 cup at a time) until a thermometer inserted in center of roulade registers 160°F, about 1 hour. Transfer roulade and legs to a carving board, loosely covering with foil to keep warm; remove and discard onion.
• Place pan on stove top over medium-high heat; add 2 1/2 cups stock. Bring to a boil, scraping any browned bits from bottom of pan. In a small bowl, whisk together flour and remaining 1/2 cup stock, then gradually whisk into pan. Continue boiling until thickened slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add more lemon juice, if desired, 1 teaspoon at a time, and season to taste. Remove twine from roulade and slice into rounds. Arrange on a platter with legs and garnishes and serve with gravy.

BRAISED DARK MEAT TURKEY OVER EGG NOODLES

Steps:

• Generously salt and pepper the turkey.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over high heat. Add the turkey wings and drumsticks and brown evenly on all sides. Do this in batches if necessary.
• When browned, remove the turkey from the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add onions, carrots, and celery and cook until tender. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it is mixed in well. Add all remaining ingredients, except olives and rosemary, and stir until everything is mixed well. Bring this liquid to a simmer, then add the turkey back to the pot, along with the olives and rosemary, and bring to a simmer. Cook about 3-3 1/2 hours over a low flame at a low simmer until the turkey meat falls off the bone easily with just a little nudge from a fork(or throw in a crockpot at this point and cook on high for 3-3 1/2 hours-or low for 6-8 hours). Remove rosemary sprigs and serve over hot egg noodles. Enjoy!
• Note: During cooking, occasionally check to see if the turkey is getting too browned or dried where not submerged under the braising liquid. If so, stir into the liquid and continue cooking.

APPLE-BRAISED TURKEY THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium Dutch oven or other ovenproof heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Pat turkey dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Add to pot, skin side down. Cook until skin is golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer turkey to a plate.
• Add shallots to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add apples and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
• Return turkey, skin side up, to pot; add cider and broth. Bring to a boil, cover, then transfer to oven. Cook 1 1/2 hours. Uncover; cook 30 minutes more.
• Remove pot from oven and transfer turkey to a cutting board. Skim fat from cooking liquid and stir in vinegar. Slice meat off bones (discard bones); remove skin, if desired. Serve turkey with apples and pan sauce.
• Nutrition Information
• (Per Serving)
• Calories: 399
• Fat: 10.6g (2.8g Saturated Fat)
• Protein: 37.3g
• Carbohydrates: 38.6g
• Fiber: 3.5g

SMOKED TURKEY BRAISED GREENS

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and butter. When butter melts into extra-virgin olive oil, add smoked turkey and caramelize meat, a couple of minutes on each side. Add onions and cook 3 to 4 minutes more. Wilt greens into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook and toss the greens a minute or 2 more then add the vinegar - lean back - sugar and hot sauce. Cook off vinegar for a minute then add beer or stock, enough to coat the pan and loosen up greens in liquid. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer greens 10 to 15 minutes until no longer bitter.

BRAISED DARK MEAT TURKEY

Steps:

• Generously salt and pepper the turkey.
• Clean and cut onion, carrots and celery into 1/2 inch dice.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown turkey pieces evenly all over. Cook in batches if necessary. Place browned turkey pieces in slow cooker.
• Reduce heat under skillet and add onion, carrots and celery, cook until tender.
• Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until mixed.
• Add broth, vinegar, beer, and garlic cloves, stir until mixed.
• Pour vegetable mixture into slow cooker over turkey. Add rosemary sprigs.
• Cook on Low for 6 hours or High for 3-4 hours, until meat falls from bone easily when nudged with a fork. Remove rosemary sprigs. Debone meat and serve with sauce. Serve oil-cured olives on the side if desired.