Slow cooker turkey leg confit

Slow cooker turkey leg confit

Slowly cooking turkey legs in fat – like duck – takes the meat to a new level. It’s packed with flavour, juicy and melt-in-the-mouth tender. Use it shredded and tossed with greens, in pies or eaten as is with a few chips for a full Parisian bistro vibe. A slow cooker is perfect here – it’s hands-off, low energy and couldn’t be simpler to use.

Slow cooker turkey leg confit

Discover our favourite turkey mince recipes.

  • Serves icon Serves 4-6
  • Time icon Prep time 10 min, plus at least 2 hours dry-brining. Slow-cooker time 5 hours

Slowly cooking turkey legs in fat – like duck – takes the meat to a new level. It’s packed with flavour, juicy and melt-in-the-mouth tender. Use it shredded and tossed with greens, in pies or eaten as is with a few chips for a full Parisian bistro vibe. A slow cooker is perfect here – it’s hands-off, low energy and couldn’t be simpler to use.

Discover our favourite turkey mince recipes.

Nutrition: Per serving (for 6)

Calories
669kcals
Fat
44g (14g saturated)
Protein
64g
Carbohydrates
3g (0.7g sugars)
Fibre
1.7g
Salt
1.9g

Before you start

Because they’re cooked low and slow, it doesn’t matter how big the turkey legs are as long as they fit in your slow cooker (separate into thighs and drumsticks if need be). No slow cooker? Confit the legs in a casserole in the oven for 3 hours at 160°C/ 140°C fan/gas 3.

Strain the leftover confit fat and chill in an airtight container for up to a month. Use to cook other meat, vegetables and potatoes.

You can confit the turkey legs in olive oil if you prefer.

Before you start

Because they’re cooked low and slow, it doesn’t matter how big the turkey legs are as long as they fit in your slow cooker (separate into thighs and drumsticks if need be). No slow cooker? Confit the legs in a casserole in the oven for 3 hours at 160°C/ 140°C fan/gas 3.

Strain the leftover confit fat and chill in an airtight container for up to a month. Use to cook other meat, vegetables and potatoes.

You can confit the turkey legs in olive oil if you prefer.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp caraway seeds
  • 4 tbsp sea salt flakes
  • 2 turkey legs (see Know-how)
  • 1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 rosemary sprigs
  • About 1kg duck or goose fat, at room temperature
Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

  1. Toast the peppercorns and caraway seeds in a dry frying pan for a few minutes until fragrant. Lightly crush with a pestle and mortar, then stir in the salt flakes. Put the turkey legs in a lidded container and rub the salt mixture all over them. Seal the lid and leave at room temperature for 2 hours or in the fridge for up to 24 hours to lightly cure.
  2. Brush the salt brine off the turkey legs, then sit them in the slow cooker. Nestle the garlic, bay and rosemary around the legs, then submerge in the liquid fat (you may not need it all, depending on the size of the legs/cooker). Cook on low for 5 hours or until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone.
  3. Remove the turkey legs and pull the meat from the bones. Enjoy straightaway or keep in the fat in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can also squeeze out the garlic cloves to enjoy alongside.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
669kcals
Fat
44g (14g saturated)
Protein
64g
Carbohydrates
3g (0.7g sugars)
Fibre
1.7g
Salt
1.9g

Buy ingredients online

Recipe By:

Emily Gussin
Food producer and sustainability lead, delicious.

Subscribe

Fancy getting a copy in print?

Subscribe to our magazine

Rate & review

Rate

Reviews

Share a tip

Or, how about...?

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Christmas turkey recipes

Stuffed turkey legs

This festive turkey leg recipe is a great alternative to...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Christmas leftover recipes

Braised turkey legs with creamy madeira mushrooms

Gently cooking turkey legs in madeira and stock (or even...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Roast turkey crown with pancetta, date and sage stuffed legs

Our roast turkey crown with stuffed legs is a clever...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Michel Roux Jr’s confit turkey charlotte

This turkey recipe from a true masterchef will create a...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

September seasonal recipes

Confit duck leg with shoestring fries and plum ketchup

Meltingly tender duck and a tangle of crisp potatoes (fried...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Air fryer recipes

Air fryer chips

It’s the reason why many of us bought an air...

Subscribe to our magazine

Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.

Subscribe

Unleash your inner chef

Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter

We treat your data with care. See our privacy policy. By signing up, you are agreeing to delicious.’ terms and conditions. Unsubscribe at any time.