Confit Turkey Thighs

A delicious alternative to roast turkey, serving just a few people, these succulent confit turkey thighs have crispy skin and melt-in-your mouth meat.

Just a few months ago, I was looking for a roast pheasant recipe only to discover that, much like a whole turkey, if you roast a whole pheasant, you often end up overcooking the breast to get the thighs cooked. If you read my roast pheasant crown post, you know that I decided to separate the parts and cook them separately, choosing to confit the whole legs.

That’s because once you cook something with the confit method, you will want to confit all the things. Duck legs, pork belly, garlic, chicken gizzards, even tomatoes! I’ve cooked them all covered in oil or fat. I’ve even poached wild salmon in butter, which is essentially what the confit method is: Poaching something slowly in fat or oil.

So last Thanksgiving when I found myself with only three eaters to cook turkey dinner for, my thoughts, as per usual, turned to confit. I decided on turkey thighs because we do love the crispy skin and smaller joints like legs and wings don’t really have one big piece of skin to crisp up or, frankly, as much meat to share. 

I already bought my turkey thighs to repeat this dish for Thanksgiving this year and I can hardly wait. It’s that good! 

Confit Turkey Thighs

This recipe is easily doubled or trebled, if you have the right pot and enough duck fat. If you don't have duck fat, you can use another animal fat like goose fat, lard, or schmaltz (rendered chicken fat), or mild vegetable oils such as olive oil, canola oil or peanut oil. Keep in mind that some fats might change the flavor of the confit compared to the traditional duck fat method.

Ingredients

2 turkey thighs, bone-in, skin on – approx. weight = 1.87 lbs

Flakey sea salt – I like Maldon

Poultry seasoning

Freshly ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

Duck fat to cover in tightfitting pan or Dutch oven – I used 3 3/4 cups or 887ml

Method

Generously season the turkey thighs all over with the salt, poultry seasoning and black pepper in a shallow pan or casserole that will fit in your refrigerator. Tuck the bay leaves under the thighs and cover with cling film.

Refrigerate 24 hours or as many as 48 hours. 

When ready to confit the turkey thighs, preheat your oven to a slow 300°F or 150°C.  

Wipe the salt off gently with a paper towel and dry the thighs. Put them into a close-fitting oven safe pan or Dutch oven.  

Warm the duck fat gently if it is solidified.

Pour the duck fat over the turkey thighs to cover. They look like they are sticking out but there is a very thin layer of fat over the top. 

Bake at this gentle temperature for at least 3 hours. Remove from the oven and use a slotted spoon to put the thighs in a snug storage container with a lid. Pour the duck fat from the cooking pan over the thighs to cover. 

When chilled, the fat covering will protect the turkey thighs. 

These confit turkey thighs can be kept, carefully covered, in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. As long as they are completely submerged in the duck fat and they are in an airtight container, they can last months. Confit is a great make-ahead dish.

To serve, bring the duck fat to room temperature and pour it off the turkey thighs. (Save it in a clean jar in the refrigerator for future use!)

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C. 

Brown the thighs skin side down in a hot pan. This just takes a few minutes.

Turn the thighs over and brown the other side. 

Bake the thighs, skin side up, in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. You can do this in an empty pan but last Thanksgiving, I popped them on top of the pan of stuffing since that needed to be baked as well. It was a good decision!

Baked and just out of the oven

To serve, remove the crispy skin and cut it into strips. Pull the turkey apart into large pieces. Discard the bones. Put the turkey in a serving bowl, surrounded by the skin so people can help themselves to both. 

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are acknowledging that not everyone has a crowd to cook for during the holidays. So, for those folks, we are sharing some holiday main courses with fewer diners in mind. Check out the links below. 

• Bacon-Wrapped Sirloin Tip Roast from Palatable Pastime
• Confit Turkey Thighs from Food Lust People Love
• Dry Brined Roast Turkey Breast from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Milk-Braised Pork Loin with Carrot Sauce from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Nawabi Mutton Biryani with Burani Boondi Raita from Sneha's Recipe
• Roasted Lemon, Herb & Lavender Spatchcocked Chicken from Culinary Cam
• Stuffed Pork Loin Roast from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Stuffed Turkey Breast with Gravy from Karen's Kitchen Stories

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Garlic Rosemary Lamb Shanks

These garlic rosemary lamb shanks simmer in a slow cooker with beef stock, red wine and onions until they are so meltingly tender that you won’t need a knife! Carrots and potatoes cooked with the shanks round out the meal. 

Years ago, I was watching a Nigella Lawson program where she was roasting a lamb shank for one. That’s a cut I had never bought but, like everything she does, Nigella made it look so easy. 

I promptly forgot about it until I found a large shank (big enough for two) in my local grocery store and I made my purchase. Just like Nigella said, it roasted beautifully! You can see that recipe here. (It’s one I posted in my first six months of blogging before I learned a little more about photography. I leave those posts up because it’s part of the journey and, honestly, pretty photos or not, the food is delicious.) 

Ever since, I almost always have a couple of lamb shanks in the freezer, just in case. On cold and windy days, slow cooker garlic rosemary lamb shanks with potatoes and carrots are a warming hearty meal.

Garlic Rosemary Lamb Shanks

Sometimes I remove the lamb, carrots and potatoes and thicken the broth to make gravy and sometimes I serve it au jus, not thickened. I’ve included the instructions for making gravy but either way, this is a delicious meal. The longer you can leave the lamb to marinate, up to 24 hours, the better. This feeds two generously, with leftovers.

Ingredients

2 lamb shanks

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Leaves from 2-3 sprigs rosemary, plus a little extra for garnish, if desired

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for slow cooker

2 medium onions, peeled and sliced

1 3/4 cup or 414ml beef stock

1 cup or 240ml dry red wine

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut in chunks

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks

To thicken the gravy:

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons cold water

Method

Score the lamb shanks with a sharp knife then season the shanks with salt and pepper all over, rubbing it in with your clean hands. 

Mince the garlic and rosemary leaves, discarding the stems. Sprinkle on the garlic and rosemary, massaging them in as well. 

Place both lamb shanks is a Ziploc bag, then pour the cider vinegar and olive oil over them. Seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Chill for up to 24 hours. 

When you think about it, give the lamb bag a massage ot two and turn it over during the marinating time. 

Drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom of the slow cooker, then line it with the onion slices.

Add in your lamb shanks and any marinade from the bag, along with the beef stock and red wine.

Cook on high for 2 hours then switch to low for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. 

When the lamb has one more hour, add in the carrots and potatoes, tucking them as much as possible in the cooking liquid.

When the time is up, check the lamb with a fork. If it goes in really easily, the lamb is tender. If not, set your timer for another 30 minutes or so.  

When the lamb shanks are done, remove them along with the carrots and potatoes from the slow cooker and cover all to keep warm. 

 

Switch the slow cooker to high again. 

Mix the cornstarch into the cold water then add the mixture to the slow cooker, stirring well. Cook until thickened slightly. The result is a lovely rich onion gravy.

Serve the lamb, carrots and potatoes with the savory gravy, garnished with a little chopped rosemary, if desired.

Enjoy!

It’s Sunday FunDay and our theme today is Crocktober, aka recipes made in a slow cooker or cooked long and slow in an oven or on stovetop. Many thanks to our host Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm and Camilla of Culinary Cam. 

• Braised Beef Cheeks over Garlic Gnocchi by Culinary Cam
• Crockpot Orange Chicken by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Garlic Rosemary Lamb Shanks by Food Lust People Love
• Keto Masala Beef Steaks by Sneha's Recipe
• Leftover Kabob Fajitas by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Peppered Short Ribs by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Slow Cooker Cinnamon Apple Oats by Our Good Life
• Slow Cooker Chili con Carne by Palatable Pastime

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Spicy Guinness Marinated Chicken Thighs

Tender, juicy and flavorful, these spicy Guinness marinated chicken thighs tick all the savory boxes for a perfectly delicious prep-ahead main course.

Yes, this is my second chicken thigh recipe in a row. What can I say but right after wings – my favorite part of a chicken – thighs come in a very close second. They are meaty and stay juicy, even if slightly overcooked, something I cannot say for chicken breasts. I'm always afraid of drying those out!

I made this recipe with Guinness stout to celebrate National Drink a Beer Day which I am celebrating with my Sunday FunDay blogger friends. Make sure you scroll down to see links to the recipes everyone else is sharing. 

Spicy Guinness Marinated Chicken Thighs

I used Guinness for this recipe but you can substitute your favorite stout or dark beer. I happened to have a bottle open because I was baking double chocolate Guinness muffins for Muffin Monday. (Check back for that recipe tomorrow!) This recipe is adapted from one on Domestic Fits.

Ingredients  

1 small shallot

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup or 60ml olive oil, plus extra to oil baking pan

1/2 cup or 120ml Guinness Extra Stout Beer

1/4 cup or 60ml balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons chili powder (spice mix, not cayenne)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon MSG (monosodium glutamate)

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs

Method

Purée the shallot and garlic with the olive oil in a small food processor.

Add that mixture to a gallon bag along with the dry spices and sugar.

Add in the Guinness, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar. Seal the bag and massage it until the sugar and salt have dissolved and the spices are well mixed. 

 

Add the chicken. Press the air out of the bag and seal so that the chicken is well coated with marinade. 

Marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight, chilled in the refrigerator. 

When you are ready to cook the chicken, remove the bag from the refrigerator and preheat your oven to 375°F or 190°C. Oil a large baking pan with olive oil. 

Remove the chicken from marinade and put it in the baking pan, skin side up. 

Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and cooked through. 

Pour the marinade in a small pot and gently bring it to the boil. 

Keep it at a low boil for at least 10 minutes, then cook to reduce the liquid by half. 

Use the cooked marinade to baste the chicken regularly as it bakes. 

Remove from the oven and serve warm with any remaining cooked marinade on the side as a sauce. Garnish with chopped green onions, if desired. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and as I mentioned above, we are celebrating National Drink a Beer Day. Check out the links below.

• Beer and Garlic Marinated Chicken Breasts from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Beer Batter Fried Shrimp/Prawns with Green Tahini Sauce from Sneha's Recipe
• Michelada from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Spicy Guinness Marinated Chicken Thighs from Food Lust People Love
• Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup from Amy's Cooking Adventures

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Roasted Chicken Thighs with Stuffing

These succulent roasted chicken thighs are baked on top of the stuffing, so it gets basted with chicken juice while the chicken turns golden. Divine. 

This is a dish that I make when I’m tired of the typical starchy sides of rice, potatoes and pasta. A lot of people only think of stuffing only when it’s turkey time but, boy, howdy, it goes so well with chicken! You don't have to wait for Thanksgiving or Christmas to make stuffing. Really. Don't wait. Life is too short. 

This is a family favorite for us, all year round. I hope it will be one of yours too.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Stuffing

I have no idea where they got to but I either didn’t take photos of making the stuffing or I have somehow misplaced them. It’s pretty easy though and basically the same instructions as my regular bread dressing recipe, which does have photos, here: Buttery Baked Bread Dressing  But any questions, please leave me a comment and I will endeavor to respond promptly!

Ingredients

For the chicken:

4 chicken thighs, boneless, skin on

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

cayenne

poultry seasoning

olive oil for drizzling on before baking

For the stuffing:

6 slices sandwich bread, cubed

1 small onion, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

2 tablespoons butter, plus extra for the casserole dish

fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 cup or 240ml chicken stock

Optional garnish: chopped parsley

Method

Season the chicken thighs with a generous sprinkle of salt, pepper, cayenne and poultry seasonings. Set aside. 

In a large pan, melt the butter over medium heat and cook the onions and celery until they are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Add a good pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, along with the poultry seasoning and cayenne.

 

Set your oven to preheat at 350°F or 180°C and butter your favorite casserole dish.

 

Put the bread cubes in a large mixing bowl and pour the seasoned buttery celery and onions over them. Use two spoons like salad tongs to toss and combine.

 

Add the stock and toss again to combine.

 

Check for seasoning and stir in more salt and pepper as needed. Depending on the saltiness of your stock, you might not need much (or any) salt.

 

Pour the mixture into your buttered casserole dish and nestle the seasoned chicken thighs skin side up on top of the stuffing. Spread the skin out so it can all get crispy. This is one of the best parts!

Give it a drizzle of olive oil. 

Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. If it starts to brown too much before it’s cooked, you can cover the baking dish with foil. 

Remove from the oven and serve hot. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired.

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 20th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2025, brought to you by the letter T. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the T recipes below:

• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Tomato Tortellini Soup
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Tangerine Ricotta Cookies
• Food Lust People Love: Roasted Chicken Thighs with Stuffing
• A Messy Kitchen: Blueberry Buckle Tassies
• Sneha’s Recipe: Thakkali Chammanthi /Tomato Chutney
• Palatable Pastime: Pass Around Macaroni and Tomatoes
• Blogghetti: Thanksgiving Turkey Veggie Platter
• Culinary Cam: Bitter Orange and Blackberry Thumbprint Cookies
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Michigan End of Summer Harvest Salad
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Budget-Friendly Chunky Potato Soup with Thyme
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Mini Taco Salad Cups

Here are my posts for the 2025 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Roasted Asparagus Soup

B: Blistered Sugar Snap Peas

C. Jersey Royal Chicken Chorizo Traybake 

D. Small Batch Dried Apricot Jam 

E. Whipped Espresso Cream 

F. Fish Sauce Roasted Chicken 

G. Extra Herby Gremolata 

H. Smoked Herring Spread 

I.  Fresh Cherry Ice Cream 

J. Small Batch Strawberry Jam 

K. Kiwi Tomato Feta Salad 

L. Lobster Butter 

M. Milk-Roasted Chicken 

N. Nocciolata Swirl Meringues 

O. Jersey Octopus Ceviche 

P. Easy Pastina Soup 

Q. Shrimp and Quail Egg Garden Salad 

R. Celeriac Mash with Scallop Roe Butter 

S. Fresh Scallop Sashimi 

T. Roasted Chicken Thighs with Stuffing – this post! 

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Dijon Chicken with Mushrooms

Full of flavor from crispy bacon, garlic, onions, tangy Dijon mustard and lots of wine, this Dijon Chicken with Mushrooms will wow your tastebuds.

 

Whenever we head to the grocery store, I always check out the “discount” section with yellow labels because 1. I love a bargain and 2. I have freezer space to hoard the goods if we aren’t going to eat them right away. 

Last week however, my yellow label item was a big container of beautiful Swiss brown mushrooms. They looked absolutely perfect so I knew I’d have time to use them before they turned on me. 

I started the recipe search on my own computer because I regularly save recipes that I never get around to making. This one popped up, saved from way back in 2012, which probably never got made because tarragon was hard to come by in both Egypt and then Dubai, where I was living that year. 

Here in Jersey, I’ve got a tarragon plant on my kitchen windowsill!

Dijon Chicken with Mushrooms

If getting tarragon is an issue for you, wherever you live, you can use dried (just use half the amount) or substitute your favorite fresh herb. My preferred brand of Dijon mustard is Maille. This recipe is adapted from one in delicious. magazine, October 2012 issue.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs or 675g chicken breasts

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 slices bacon

Olive oil

7 oz or 200g mushrooms

2 large cloves garlic, crushed

1 onion, sliced

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped, plus extra to garnish

2 cups or 480ml white wine

1 tablespoon brandy

1/4 cup or 60ml double cream

For serving:

Cooked pasta or rice

Method

Cut the chicken breasts into chunks and season them with the salt and pepper. 

Peel and slice the onion thinly. Peel and crush the garlic with the side of your knife. 

Cut the bacon into pieces and fry in a large pan till crispy. Set aside, leaving behind as much bacon fat as you can. 

Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan and sear the chicken until golden on all sides. 

Depending on the size of your pan, you might want to do this in batches so as not to crowd the pan. As the chicken browns, remove it to a plate.

While the chicken browns, trim and slice the mushrooms. 

Once the chicken is done and all on the plate, fry the mushrooms in the pan until golden. 

Add the garlic and onion then cook until soft. 

Stir in the mustard and tarragon. 

Add the white wine and brandy, then boil for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken and bacon back into the pan and simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes stirring now and then. 

Stir through the cream.

 Garnish with fresh tarragon and serve over pasta or rice. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes with fresh vegetables. Technically, I suppose mushrooms are not vegetables since they belong to the fungi kingdom but we tend to use them as vegetables in cooking, so that’s my excuse. Many thanks to our host Sneha of Sneha’s Recipe. Check out the recipes below. 

• Air Fryer Honey Roasted Parsnips from Palatable Pastime
• Dijon Chicken with Mushrooms from Food Lust People Love
• Insalata di Pomodori from Culinary Cam
• Mushroom & Green Peas Curry - East Indian Style from Sneha’s Recipe
• Roasted Tricolor Carrots with Coconut Orange Glaze from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Smoked Kielbasa and Vegetables Skewers from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Tomato & Zucchini Galette from Amy’s Cooking Adventures

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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