Oven-roasted turkey leg with potatoes, marinated in red wine, a flavorful alternative to the classic Roast chicken with potatoes, a Sunday recipe to accompany a sumptuous first course like Pistachio lasagna with white ragù and a decadent dessert like the Sicilian ricotta cannolo cheesecake. The other day at the supermarket I found the turkey leg and since on the blog, apart from the Pan-fried turkey leg, there were no other recipes on how to cook the turkey leg, I couldn’t resist bringing home about 2.5 kg of turkey thigh and drumstick (which includes the considerable weight of the bones). Yes, because a turkey leg (that is, thigh and drumstick) really weighs a lot, it’s not a small thing and when you plan to cook it you also have to organize ahead! Anyway, back home with this nice piece of meat I put it in the fridge; it was Saturday and our turkey leg would be Sunday lunch. So Sunday morning I got into the kitchen fairly early to marinate the turkey leg in red wine for at least 2 hours, then I proceeded with the long oven roasting, adding the potatoes only at the end.

What can I say, the turkey leg was so tender it melted in the mouth, flavorful, juicy and delicious, so much so that it was all eaten! Let’s go to the kitchen, I’ll tell you how to make the oven-roasted turkey leg, but first I remind you that if you want to stay updated on my recipes you can follow my Facebook page and my Instagram profile.

Take a look:

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Economical
Rest time: 2 Hours
Preparation time: 10 Minutes
Portions: 6-8
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: All seasons

Ingredients to make the oven-roasted turkey leg

5.5 lbs turkey leg (thigh and drumstick)
2 glasses red wine
to taste roast seasoning (aromatics)
4 white onions
2.2 lbs potatoes
5 leaves bay leaves

Tools

Roasting pan
Oven

How to make the oven-roasted turkey leg with potatoes

This recipe for oven-roasted turkey leg is really simple and you can also reduce the amount of meat used. Keep in mind, however, that to cook 1 kg (about 2.2 lbs) of meat you will need roughly 1 hour; to this time you should always add another 10–15 minutes for browning, and remember that the larger the piece of meat, the tougher it can be and the more time it will need.
As I mentioned, I bought a large turkey leg and I used a cooking time of 3 hours plus an additional 20 minutes for finishing.
But now let’s go to the kitchen, I’ll explain everything as we go.
Prepare the leg by removing any remaining feathers, burning them off on the stovetop if necessary, just like you do with chicken.
I had both the leg proper and the thigh (two separate pieces).
Place the meat in a large container and let it marinate with the wine and onions for about 2 hours, turning occasionally so it absorbs the flavors well; if it’s warm, refrigerate while marinating.
After the time has passed, move the meat to a roasting pan together with the marinade, sprinkle with the roast seasoning (which already contains salt) and roast at 356°F (180°C) for 2 hours and 40 minutes on the conventional (no fan) setting, turning occasionally. Once this time has passed, peel the potatoes, cut them into large pieces and add them to the turkey, mixing them with the meat’s cooking juices so they pick up the flavor and, if needed, adjust the salt. Increase the oven temperature to 392°F (200°C) and finish cooking the potatoes.
Turn off the oven, let the meat rest in the oven for 20 minutes, carve it removing all sinews, portion and serve.
Serve the meat hot and enjoy. Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container and should be eaten within 24 hours after being reheated thoroughly.