Martha Stewart’s braised turkey legs sear two whole legs in a Dutch oven, then cook them low and slow in stock with leeks, sage, and thyme. Four servings of falling-off-the-bone dark meat in about 2 hours.
This one is Martha’s own, published under the same title at marthastewart.com as her answer for dark meat lovers who skip the whole roast bird. Her page notes turkey stock swaps in for the chicken stock, and every step here follows hers.
The braise finishes uncovered on purpose, so turn the legs and leave the lid off for the last 45 to 50 minutes. That open stretch reduces the stock into a spoonable sauce, while a covered pot steams the skin flabby and keeps the liquid thin.
Martha Stewart Braised Turkey Legs
Course: Chicken, DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutes1
hour50
minutes470
kcal2
hoursA Dutch oven turkey dinner for a small table, no whole bird required. The wine and vegetables cook down into a sauce you’ll want bread for.
Ingredients
2 turkey legs (from one 15-to-16-pound turkey), about 4½ lb (2kg)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil
½ cup (120ml) dry white wine
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 leeks, white and light-green parts only, sliced crosswise into ½-inch (1.3cm) rounds
6 sprigs fresh thyme, plus 1 teaspoon chopped leaves for garnish
4 sprigs fresh sage
4 fresh bay leaves
3 cups (720ml) homemade chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish
Directions
- Season the legs. Preheat oven to 300F (150C). Rinse the turkey legs, pat dry, and season all over with salt and pepper.
- Brown them. Heat a large Dutch oven over high and add the oil. Brown the legs skin side down first, turning, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per side, in batches if needed. Move to a plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat.
- Deglaze. Add the wine and cook, scraping up the browned bits, until slightly reduced, 2 minutes.
- Brown the vegetables. Lower the heat to medium-high. Cook the carrots, celery, and leeks, stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Add herbs and stock. Add the thyme sprigs, sage, bay leaves, and stock, and bring to a boil.
- Braise covered. Reduce the heat to medium-low, return the legs skin side down, cover, and transfer to the oven for 40 minutes.
- Braise uncovered. Uncover, turn the legs, and keep cooking until tender, 45 to 50 minutes more.
- Finish the sauce. Move the legs to a platter. Skim the fat off the braising liquid, season it with salt and pepper, and spoon it over the turkey. Garnish with parsley and chopped thyme.
FAQs
Why braise turkey legs instead of roasting them?
Legs are the hardest-working muscles on the bird, threaded with tendons and connective tissue that roasting never fully softens. That’s why drumsticks often turn out chewy on Thanksgiving. Even a long roast dries the meat before the tendons give up.
A long bath in barely simmering stock dissolves that tissue into gelatin, which is where the spoon-tender texture comes from. If you want the whole-bird spectacle instead, her deep fried turkey goes the opposite direction.
Why does the oven sit at only 300F?
Because the pot needs to hold a bare simmer, not a boil. At 300F (150C) the liquid stays just below bubbling, the zone where collagen melts without the meat seizing.
Crank it to 400F and the braise boils hard, squeezing the muscle fibers dry before they relax. You’d get stringy meat sitting in plenty of liquid, the worst of both.
Why pour off the fat after browning?
Turkey skin renders a surprising amount of fat over 15 minutes of browning, far more than chicken. Leaving it all in makes the vegetables fry instead of brown and turns the finished sauce greasy.
One tablespoon stays behind because that’s all the carrots, celery, and leeks need. Even so, more fat renders in the oven, which is why the liquid still gets skimmed at the end.
Do I have to use wine to deglaze?
No, though it earns its place. The wine’s acidity loosens the browned bits and cuts the richness of dark meat, and its alcohol cooks off in the 2-minute reduction.
To skip it, deglaze with an extra splash of the stock plus a teaspoon of white wine vinegar or lemon juice. Plain stock alone works too, but the sauce leans sweeter and flatter.
How do braised turkey legs store and reheat?
This is a dish that gets better overnight. Store the legs in their braising liquid, sealed in the fridge, for 3 to 4 days, and the meat soaks up flavor as it sits.
Reheat gently in that liquid on the stove, covered, until warmed through. It also freezes well for 3 months submerged in its sauce, an advantage over her crown roast, which is best carved day-of.
