turkey
meat
easy
slow cooker
thanksgiving
holiday

This easy recipe from one of our food stylists Kim Klatzkin requires less than fifteen minutes of prep time and is pretty hard to mess up. Simply chop a few things, brown the turkey legs and throw it all in the slow cooker! The result is tender, juicy pulled turkey leg meat that is delicious as is or great used as a base recipe to build on. 

Serving tip: Mix in your favorite barbeque sauce to make a pulled turkey slider or simply add lime juice to create a tasty taco filling. The options are endless. 

Ingredients

  • 2 bone-in, skin-on turkey legs, thighs attached (about 1 ½ lb. per leg)
  • 3 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 garlic cloves, crushes
  • 2 medium yellow onions, cut into wedges
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • ¾ cup turkey stock or chicken stock
  • ¾ cup dry white wine

Yield

Serves: 4

Preparation

Pat turkey legs all over with a paper towel to dry. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 ½ teaspoons pepper, making sure every surface is covered. 

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add the oil. When oil is hot and shimmering, place legs in skillet skin-side down and cook, without moving, until skin is deeply golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Flip legs and cook until the second side is browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place the browned turkey in slow cooker and add remaining ingredients. Season with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 to 4 ½ hours, or until turkey is completely tender and falling off the bone. 

Transfer the legs to a plate. Once turkey is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and use two forks to shred the meat and remove from the bones.