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Epicurious

Confit Turkey With Chiles and Garlic

4.5

(39)

Photo of two legs of turkey confit on a serving platter with a fork and a small bowl of sauce on the side.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Megan Hedgpeth, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich

Dry turkey? Not this year. With the texture of duck confit, and extra-rich, deep flavor closer to pork carnitas than your average Thanksgiving bird, these turkey legs beg to fall apart with the push of a fork. Slow-braising in olive oil with whole heads of garlic and dried chiles keeps the meat miraculously succulent—puréeing the chiles with almonds creates  a salsa macha-inspired sauce that gives a punch of flavor and texture to the final dish. Save the (immensely flavorful) leftover cooking fat for roasting potatoes, frying eggs, or making cornbread.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    5½ hours, plus resting time

  • Yield

    4 - 6 Servings

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
2 Tbsp. plus ¼ tsp. kosher salt
2 whole turkey legs (4–5 lb. total)
6 garlic cloves, smashed, plus 2 heads of garlic, divided
8 guajillo, ancho, or New Mexico chiles, stems and seeds removed
4 sprigs oregano or 1 tsp. dried oregano
3–4 cups (or more) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. (or more) crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup unsalted roasted almonds or peanuts
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine brown sugar, black pepper, and 2 Tbsp. kosher salt in a small bowl. Place turkey legs in a baking dish just big enough to fit them or a medium Dutch oven. Sprinkle all over with brown sugar mixture and scatter smashed garlic cloves around. Let sit at room temperature at least 2 hours, or chill up to 12 hours (more time makes a big difference).

    Step 2

    Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 275°F. Cut heads of garlic heads in half crosswise. Nestle around turkey legs along with chiles and oregano sprigs. Pour in oil until turkey is mostly if not completely submerged (shove chiles down since they can burn if above the surface of the oil). You may need a bit more oil depending on your pot and size of turkey legs; don’t worry, this oil can be reused in all kinds of ways so it won’t go to waste!

    Step 3

    Braise turkey, uncovered, until meat has shrunk away from drumsticks dramatically and meat shreds easily with firm pressure, 3–4 hours (a few bubbles is okay, but anything above a lazy simmer and you should reduce the heat). Let meat rest, still submerged in fat, at least 1 hour.

    Step 4

    Pick out chiles from braising oil with tongs and place in a blender; add red pepper flakes and 1 cup braising oil. Let cool slightly, then blend until chiles are coarsely chopped. Add almonds and pulse until largest pieces are no bigger than a red pepper flake. Add sesame seeds and pulse just to combine. Season with remaining ¼ tsp. salt and add more red pepper flakes if desired.

    Step 5

    If eating right away, heat 2 Tbsp. braising oil in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook turkey legs, carefully turning with 2 pairs of tongs, until brown and crisp all over, 8–10 minutes. Serve with the almond-chile sauce.

    Step 6

    Don’t discard the braising oil or the juices below: Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof container. Skim off fat to use for roasting potatoes, or your next confit project. Use juices in another braise, or stir into a pot of beans.

    Step 7

    Do ahead: Turkey can be braised 4 days ahead. Let cool, cover and chill (still in oil). Reheat, uncovered, in a 275°F oven until warmed through, about 40 minutes, before browning.

TagsTurkeyPoultryChileVegetableAlmondNutMainDinnerGluten FreeDairy FreeBraiseThanksgivingFallEpicurious
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Reviews (39)

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  • I made this 2 years ago, and couldn't wait to make it again. I'm making it this year for our Thanksgiving meal. It's a fantastic and flavorful addition to our Thanksgiving table this year. It is SO good!!

    • Hunter

    • Harrisburg, PA

    • 11/24/2022

  • I made this last year for Thanksgiving. It was AMAZING!! I'm back here today to get the recipe for this year.

    • Dyan

    • Los Angeles, CA

    • 11/7/2022

  • The turkey was DELICIOUS! I might have not had enough fat, because the sauce tasted burnt, so I served the turkey without the sauce. It was delicious anyway!

    • KR

    • Oregon

    • 11/7/2022

  • This is such a delicious alternative to a full roasted turkey. I find it harder to find just turkey legs, and they are more expensive, so I just bought a whole turkey and butchered it. I did both legs as well a half the best in the confit and froze the rest. Our family didn't love the almond sauce, so I just skipped it the second year I made this. The turkey is so delicious you don't need sauce or gravy, but I always like it with traditional cranberry relish. The confit oil is great for cooking with later, I strained it into a Mason jar in the fridge.

    • Holcomb44

    • Louisville KY

    • 12/7/2021

  • I made this for Thanksgiving last year, a little fearful that family would not be happy without the whole big bird. No fear. It was the biggest hit ever. Everyone said it was so tasty and so juicy that it was the best Thanksgiving Turkey ever. The leftover confit fat and sauce kept perfectly in refrigerator and was used in other dishes for months to come.

    • Marcia Diaz

    • Berkeley, CA

    • 11/10/2021

  • This recipe was delicious. The chili oil created at the end is great on lots of things. The sesame is so mild and nice with the spice. And having the fat on hand afterwards is such a bonus. I'm still using my leftover fat from Thanksgiving (it's now almost April)! It works great for sautéing greens like kale, dandelion, and broccoli rabe. I read somewhere that the juice on the bottom of the jar will stay preserved as long as there is fat on the top, creating a seal. This seems to be true! I'm thinking it's time to make it again, even if turkey day is 8 months away.

    • Anonymous

    • Brooklyn, NY

    • 3/29/2021

  • Thanks for the yummy recipe. :) Could you please be clearer about what to do with leftover oil/bits/gel etc.? Right now it's in a covered glass dish in my refrigerator. There is a dark jelly substance on the bottom and white fat? on top...not sure what is safe to eat or what to do with it. Also, how long can it be stored and consumed safely? Thank you!

    • Anonymous

    • Brooklyn, New York

    • 12/7/2020

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