This recipe which I am sharing today is something I actually cooked prior to becoming sick. I am only just getting around to posting it now. Sorry about that! I hope you won't hold it against me! (I know you won't.)
It is a recipe that I had pinned from Eating Well 101. I had some turkey thighs in my freezer and had pinned a few recipes for cooking them. In the original recipe the thighs were roasted with sweet potatoes and fresh cranberries.
Yes, it was a holiday recipe. It is not the holidays but as I said I did have these turkey thighs I wanted to roast. I am trying to empty out my freezer a bit so that I can defrost it and so that I can make a trip to Costco.
They opened a new mini Costco not too far from us. Its called the Running Man Grocery Mart. Our regular Costco is several hours away. This one is about 45 minutes. Much more doable. My sister and I checked it out last week. Its about a third the size of a regular one and doesn't have everything, but has quite a lot!
Back to the turkey thighs. I will quite often buy turkey parts rather than a whole turkey. They sell it here both by the half bone in breast and in packages containing two thighs. This is much more practical for me, a single woman living on her own.
They are PC Free From, which means that the turkey has been raised without anti-biotics. I like that. I will sometimes pick up one of the other and shove them in the freezer to cook when I want something which is simple and healthy for my supper.
As I said, the original recipe was cooked with cranberries and sweet potatoes. I chose to do mine with a mix of carrots, regular white potatoes and sweet potatoes. I also sized it just for two people.
I also thought the method of rubbing it with an herb butter was a bit faffy, so I simply melted the butter and poured it over top. Simplifying the whole process. It turned out beautifully succulent and delicious.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE ROASTED TURKEY THIGHS WITH GARLIC HERB BUTTER
Other than the turkey thighs you probably have everything you need in the kitchen right now. You could also use chicken thighs, but they would not take as long to cook.
- 2 bone-in, skin on turkey thighs
- 1 TBS flavorless oil, divided
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks\
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) butter, melted
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
- 1 TBS fresh rosemary (leaves only) finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme, rubbed to a powder
- 1/4 tsp powdered sage
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes (optional or to taste)
- fine sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
As I said, you could also use chicken thighs. I would use four thighs for two servings. Pick the thighs on the larger side so that you don't need to rearrange the cook time too much.
You could also not brown them first, which would make the oven roasting time shown here about right.
Its up to you what you want to do. If you can get the turkey thighs, I highly recommend. The thighs have always been my favorite part of the turkey. Those and those little oysters of flesh on the bottom of the bird. I call them the "cook's treat." So tender and juicy!
I chose to use a mix of two potatoes, white and sweet. I love potatoes in any way shape or form, and these went very well together. I added carrots as well because I had some which needed using and I like carrots.
I thought that it would make for a beautiful meal all cooked in one roasting dish, with plenty of variety of textures and flavors. Plus the garlic and herb butter goes well with all of these things. I cooked some broccoli and cauliflower on the side. Totally unnecessary, but I like plenty of vegetables.
HOW TO COOK ROASTED TURKEY THIGHS WITH GARLIC HERB BUTTER
Nothing could be easier. Trust me on this.
Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Have ready a roasting tin, or deep casserole large enough to hold everything in a single layer.
Season the turkey thighs all over with some salt and black pepper.
Heat 1/2 TBS of the oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Place the turkey thighs in skin side down. Brown nicely and then flip over and cook the underside for a few minutes. Place into the casserole dish.
Toss the vegetables with the remaining oil and place into the casserole dish in a single layer around the turkey.
Whisk the melted butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, and red chili flakes (if using) together in a measuring cup. Drizzle evenly over the turkey thighs. Sprinkle with a bit more salt, if desired.
Roast in the heated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven. Give the vegetables a stir and baste the turkey with some of the pan juices.
Return to the oven and roast for a further 10 to 12 minutes, basting the turkey every 3 to 4 minutes.
Remove from the oven and leave to stand for five minutes before serving.
Serve each thigh with a portion of the vegetables. I also steamed some broccoli and cauliflower to serve on the side.
This was really, REALLY good. I got to enjoy my favorite part of the turkey without having a whole cooked turkey to dispose of after. The vegetables were beautifully roasted and somewhat caramelized.
It might sound like a lot of garlic, but trust me that it totally works and becomes lovely and mellow, working beautifully with everything else.
The pan juices kind of get absorbed, so there is no gravy to serve with the dish, but trust me when I say that this is so delicious on its own, you won't miss having gravy at all! Simple and delicious works for me every time!
If you are a singleton or a couple of empty nesters and you are interested in a few more main dish recipes suited just for two people, you might enjoy the following:
CLASSIC POT ROAST FOR TWO - All the delicious flavors of a full sized pot roast except this version is perfectly sized for just two people, with a tiny bit of leftovers. Delicious and simple, it is a beautiful meal, with tender fall apart beef, roasted potatoes, carrots and plenty of delicious gravy to spoon over top.
EASY CHICKEN PARM FOR TWO - Chicken Parmesan is one of my favorite meals. Tender breaded chicken breasted, crispy and golden, topped with a delicious marinara sauce and cheese. This cooks on a bed of pasta. Beautiful served with a salad on the size and maybe some garlic bread if you are so inclined.
Yield: 2 generously
Roasted Turkey Thighs with Garlic Herb Butter
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 55 Min
No fuss, no muss, beautifully cooked turkey thighs filled with plenty of flavor. Roasted with plenty of vegetables for a simple and delicious meal in one.
Ingredients
- 2 bone-in, skin on turkey thighs
- 1 TBS flavorless oil, divided
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks\
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) butter, melted
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
- 1 TBS fresh rosemary (leaves only) finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme, rubbed to a powder
- 1/4 tsp powdered sage
- 1/2 tsp red chili flakes (optional or to taste)
- fine sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/220*C/ gas mark 7. Have ready a roasting tin, or deep casserole large enough to hold everything in a single layer.
- Season the turkey thighs all over with some salt and black pepper.
- Heat 1/2 TBS of the oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Place the turkey thighs in skin side down. Brown nicely and then flip over and cook the underside for a few minutes. Place into the casserole dish.
- Toss the vegetables with the remaining oil and place into the casserole dish in a single layer around the turkey.
- Whisk the melted butter, garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, and red chili flakes (if using) together in a measuring cup. Drizzle evenly over the turkey thighs. Sprinkle with a bit more salt, if desired.
- Roast in the heated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven. Give the vegetables a stir and baste the turkey with some of the pan juices.
- Return to the oven and roast for a further 10 to 12 minutes, basting the turkey every 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave to stand for five minutes before serving.
- Serve each thigh with a portion of the vegetables. I also steamed some broccoli and cauliflower to serve on the side.
Thanks so much for visiting! Do come again!
That looks really delicious and I shall use this recipe when I have turkey drumsticks, but I must point out one error, you seem to have left the gravy in the kitchen. Where's the Bisto? lol.
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