ah--a woman after my own heart! i only cook a turkey about 3 times a year, but i roast a couple turkey thighs about once every 4 or 6 weeks.

rinse it and pat dry. sometimes i dribble on a bit of olive oil but usually not. a little salt and pepper and a liberal amount of bell's poultry seasoning or sage. stick it in the oven until the skin is crisped and it's done to your liking. voila--that's it! not terribly inspired but we think it's an easy, comfort food dinner and hope you'll enjoy yours!

If it's your favorite part of a turkey dinner, I'd roast it just like you fix your Thanksgiving bird. I do that every once in a while too, and I also include turkey legs. I cut off excess fat & skin, rub with oil, & then season with herbs & spices. Sometimes I use the traditional poultry seasonings and other times I'll use barbecue or even Cajun seasonings. I line a pan with Reynold's Release foil,and then place the turkey parts on a rack in the pan. Depending on how much time I have before dinner, I may roast it at 325 degrees or 350 degrees. I'd allow at least two hours, but start checking after 90 minutes. I just stick a skewer in to see if the meat is finally tender. The skin is usually wonderfully crispy, but I suppose you could brush a glaze of some kind on it too and then broil it a few minutes to get it crunchier. I never worry about gravy, but you could certainly use the drippings & chicken broth to make a sauce. It's such an easy yet tasty meal. And when we're all gnawing away, holding our turkey legs in our hands, we feel transported back to the court of Henry VIII! I'm sure others will chime in with real recipes & techniques. I just wanted to encourage you. You made a good purchase!

You could even bone it and stuff it before baking.

I have been wondering how long I needed to roast this. I have a meat thermometer but the thigh is kind of flattish and IÂm not sure where IÂd put it. Because of the flatness 90 minutes seems right. It has the bones and skin on the top. Should I be roasting this uncovered? Maybe tented after it browns? Basting? We wonÂt eat the skin (well, maybe a bite) but I want to keep it moist.

IÂm thinking some oven roasted potatoes, onions and carrots will go with thisÂ

Thanks!

I've never bothered with covering the thighs or legs. I like the skin really crispy, though. I suppose if you feel the skin is getting too dark, you could tent it. I've never bothered with basting either since the turkey usually had a pretty good dose of seasonings. The one really nice thing about the turkey thighs or legs, is that they stay tender & moist even if you over cook them. It's pretty hard to ruin them. I'd just be sure to start checking the thigh for tenderness, maybe even after an hour. A knife, fork, or skewer should easily penetrate the meat, with no resistance. If it's just one, lone thigh, it might get done faster than the pile of legs & thighs I usually roast.

You could also throw it in a crock pot with some barbecue sauce and cook it all day. Make shredded bbq turkey on buns.

I fixed a package of turkey wings after Thanksgiving 'cause that is my favorite part of the bird! Just roasted them until they were done and very, very crispy. Yum!

Barbequed turkey! What a great idea! I have already decided to roast this because that is what I have a taste for, but will use that idea in the future. We use our crock pot all the time.

I would rub salt & pepper all over the thigh(s) and rub well into the skin. I then melt some butter (1/2 stick) with a little oil), add some minced onion, a touch of garlic salt and sage, lots of paprika and rub into the meat. Place some celery & carrots (cut in half crossways) into the bottom of roasting pan & place the meat on top. Add about 1/2 cup chicken broth into the pan, tent w/foil & bake until thigh is tender. You can baste with leftover butter mix & leave uncovered the last 15 min of roasting time, to crisp & get a golden brown color. Use a meat thermometer or when you poke the thigh & juices run clear-it's done.

Here's my recipe for chicken mole, but you can use turkey thighs instead of chicken thighs. If you have trouble finding dried chilies, you can use powdered chilies, preferably Ancho, Pasilla, or New Mexican - probably about 1/3 cup.

I almost always poach turkey thighs instead of roasting them - it allows me to get the moistest meat, but I can also make the stretch further. I like to use the meat in enchiladas, tacos, etc.

Lars

Lars, you reminded me of one of my favorite ways of using turkey thighs -- mole. For some reason, I haven't made it in a long time. I'm not the purist that you are, so I make a knock-off version of the La Victoria Mole Poblano sauce mix that used to be sold in grocery stores years ago. So good & so easy! Relatively inexpensive too. And, because of all the spices, it is so flavorful that I don't need to use any salt!

Thanks for the reminder...

I use turkey parts for noodles. Just boil like for chix and noodles. I add onion, celery, and shredded carrots to the soup. I think the turkey has better flavor than the chix we get now days.