I love Thanksgiving flavors, but I do not always love managing a whole turkey the size of a small meteor. Dark meat, on the other hand? That I will absolutely engineer a recipe around.
This version leans all the way into the good stuff: bone-in turkey legs or thighs, a dry brine for deep seasoning, an uncovered fridge nap for paper-thin crisp skin, and a final gloss of duck fat so the oven does most of the work. You get all the “fancy restaurant roast bird” vibes without trussing anything or panic-basting every 20 minutes.
Alongside these duck-fat turkey pieces, I like serving:
- Duck-fat roasted potatoes and root veg (baked right under the turkey here)
- Something bright and crunchy, like shaved Brussels sprouts or a sharp green salad
- Proper gravy or pan jus for people who want to drown their plate (me, always)
So, let’s get started.
Snapshot
- Implements: mixing bowl; small bowl or jar for the rub; wire rack; rimmed baking sheet; parchment paper (optional); instant-read thermometer; small saucepan or the baking sheet over a burner for pan sauce; tongs
- Oven setting: 350°F / 175°C to roast, then 425°F / 220°C or broiler for a hot finish (about 45–60 minutes of oven time, depending on piece size)
- Batch size: 3–4 lb (1.4–1.8 kg) bone-in, skin-on turkey legs and/or thighs (4–6 pieces), generously serving 4 with veg
Ingredients
Turkey & dry brine
- 3–4 lb (1.4–1.8 kg) bone-in, skin-on turkey legs and/or thighs
- 4 tsp (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- If using Morton kosher or fine sea salt, start with 2½–3 tsp
- 1½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 1 tsp sweet or smoked paprika
- 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder (optional, for extra crackly skin)
Duck-fat roasted veg (optional but highly recommended)
- 1½ lb (about 700 g) small potatoes, halved or cut into 1½-inch chunks
- 3 medium carrots or parsnips, peeled and cut into 1–2 inch pieces
- 1 large yellow or red onion, cut into thick wedges
- 2–3 tbsp duck fat, melted
- 1–1½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (less if using fine salt)
- Freshly ground black pepper
Duck-fat gloss & pan sauce
- 2–3 tbsp duck fat, melted (separate from what you used for the veg)
- ½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine, dry vermouth, or extra stock
- 1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken or turkey stock
- 1–2 tsp lemon juice or sherry vinegar, to taste
- 2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- Optional: 1 tsp Dijon mustard
To serve
- Flaky salt
- Extra chopped fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, or sage all work)
Method
Mix the dry brine and season the turkey.
In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, sage, paprika, and baking powder (if using).
Pat the turkey legs or thighs very dry with paper towels. Gently loosen a bit of skin on each piece with your fingers without tearing it.
Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over all sides of the turkey, including a little directly on the meat under the skin. You want a thin, even coat, not a thick crust.
Set a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the seasoned turkey pieces on the rack, skin side up, making sure they’re not touching.
Dry-brine and air-dry.
Slide the tray into the fridge, uncovered, for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
- At the short end (around 4 hours), you’ll get good seasoning and noticeably better skin.
- At the long end (overnight), the salt fully diffuses and the skin dries out more, which is excellent news for future crispiness.
Prep the veg and bring the turkey closer to room temp.
About 45 minutes before you want to start roasting, take the turkey out of the fridge so the chill comes off a bit while you deal with the veg.
If you’re making the roasted veg: in a large bowl, toss the potatoes, carrots/parsnips, and onion with 2–3 tbsp melted duck fat, the salt, and plenty of pepper until everything is coated.
Spread the vegetables in an even layer on the same rimmed baking sheet under the rack (or on a second sheet if your rack doesn’t fit over the veg). You want some space between pieces so they roast instead of steam.
Duck-fat gloss and the main roast.
Heat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.
Melt the duck fat for glossing if it’s not already liquid. Using a brush or spoon, lightly coat the turkey skin with duck fat. Aim for a thin, even sheen (not drips or puddles).
Roast on the middle rack for 35–45 minutes, rotating the tray once halfway through, until:
- The veg are starting to brown at the edges and soften
- The thickest part of the largest piece of turkey reads around 160–165°F (71–74°C)
Actual time will depend on how big your legs/thighs are; some sets will take closer to 50–60 minutes before the finish.
Hit it with a hot finish for crisp skin.
Once the turkey is near 160–165°F, crank the oven to 425°F / 220°C (or 400°F / 200°C on convection) and continue roasting for 10–15 minutes, until:
- The skin is deep golden and crisp
- The thickest part of each piece reads 175–180°F (79–82°C)
For ultra-shattery skin, you can switch to the broiler for the last 2–4 minutes. Keep the door cracked and watch closely; “perfectly bronzed” can become “campfire” quickly under a broiler.
Rest the turkey and finish the veg.
Transfer the turkey pieces to a plate or board, tent very loosely with foil, and let them rest 10–15 minutes.
If the vegetables need a bit more color, leave them in the hot oven for a few extra minutes while the turkey rests, stirring once, until the edges are caramelized and the centers are tender.
Make a quick pan sauce.
When the veg are done, transfer them to a serving bowl and keep warm.
Carefully pour off some of the fat from the pan, leaving about 2–3 tbsp plus all the browned bits. Either set the baking sheet across two burners (medium heat, if your setup allows) or scrape everything into a saucepan.
Add the wine or vermouth. Let it simmer and bubble, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon, until the liquid reduces by about half.
Pour in the stock and simmer again until slightly thickened and glossy, 5–8 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the cold butter, a cube or two at a time, until the sauce is silky.
Taste and adjust with lemon juice or sherry vinegar for brightness, plus salt and pepper as needed. If you’re using Dijon, whisk it in now.
Serve.
Serve each person a whole leg/thigh or cut the meat off the bone into thick slices.
Spoon the roasted veg onto plates, top with turkey, and drizzle everything with pan sauce. Finish with flaky salt and a scatter of fresh herbs.
Notes, swaps, and guardrails
Salt level
The amount here is moderate and aimed at people who like their food properly seasoned but not aggressively salty. If you know you’re salt-sensitive, start with a little less; if you like bold seasoning, you can bump the salt slightly next time or sprinkle flaky salt at the table.
If you don’t have duck fat
Ghee or a neutral, high-heat oil (like canola or grapeseed) both work. Butter alone is more likely to brown too quickly because of the milk solids, but a mix of butter + oil is fine.
Veg are optional but convenient
If you’d rather roast the turkey solo, just skip the vegetables and line the tray with foil or parchment under the rack for easier cleanup.
Don’t skip the rack if you care about crisp skin
Elevating the turkey lets hot air circulate all around, including under the skin, which makes a very noticeable difference.
Use a thermometer, not the clock
Ovens run hot or cool, and turkey legs come in wildly different sizes. Treat the timing as a guideline and the internal temperature as the truth.
Why the dry brine + uncovered fridge time?
Salt needs time to move from the surface into the meat. Rubbing the turkey with a salty spice mix and letting it sit in the fridge gives you:
- Deeper seasoning all the way to the bone
- Better moisture retention as it roasts
- Dryer skin on the outside, which browns and crisps faster
Leaving the turkey uncovered also lets the surface dehydrate slightly, which is exactly what you want for glassy, crackly skin.
Why baking powder in the rub (and do I have to)?
A small amount of aluminum-free baking powder in the dry rub gently raises the pH on the surface of the skin and encourages it to dry out even more in the fridge. That means extra-bubbly, crisp skin without tasting “chemical” or cakey.
The key is using a small amount (and aluminum-free if you’re sensitive to that flavor). If you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, you still get excellent results from the dry brine + rack + duck fat gloss.
Using this method for chicken or turkey breast
The same technique works nicely for:
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks (shorter cook time)
- Bone-in, skin-on turkey breast (watch the final temperature)
For breast meat, start checking around 150°F / 66°C and pull it from the oven by 160–165°F / 71–74°C. You can still use a brief hot finish, but don’t chase 180°F on white meat unless you like it on the dry side.