Stuffed turkey legs

This festive turkey leg recipe is a great alternative to the whole roast turkey.

Stuffed turkey legs

If you’re not keen on carving, then these boned and stuffed turkey legs are perfect for Christmas Day and they serve a small group with no waste!

 

  • Serves icon Serves 4
  • Time icon Takes 20 minutes to make, 1½ hours to cook, plus cooling

This festive turkey leg recipe is a great alternative to the whole roast turkey.

If you’re not keen on carving, then these boned and stuffed turkey legs are perfect for Christmas Day and they serve a small group with no waste!

 

Nutrition: per serving

Calories
543 kcal
Fat
29.4g
Protein
68.4g
Carbohydrates
1.4g
Salt
1g

Ingredients

  • 2 turkey legs, boned (ask your butcher to do this if they don’t already come this way)
  • Olive oil, for frying

For the stuffing

  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 20g butter
  • 100g large field mushrooms, diced
  • 2 rashers smoked streaky bacon, chopped
  • 1 small free-range chicken breast, skin removed and chopped
  • 1 medium free-range egg, beaten
  • 70ml double cream
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
  • Handful spinach leaves, blanched and chopped

 

Sticky screen? No thanks! Tap to prevent your screen from going off while cooking.

Method

  1. To make the stuffing, fry the shallot in the butter in a large sauté pan over a medium heat, until lightly coloured. Add the mushrooms and fry until softened. Season, then add the bacon and fry until golden. Set aside to cool.
  2. Put the chicken in a food processor and purée. Add 1 tbsp egg and the cream and whizz again. Put in a bowl, fold in the tarragon, spinach and mushroom mixture, and season.
  3. Lay the boned turkey legs between layers of cling film and, using a rolling pin, bash out a little to flatten evenly. Spoon in the stuffing and reshape into a turkey leg, making sure the skin covers the meat. Tie with butcher’s string to secure.
  4. Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan170°C/ gas 5. Heat a large frying pan, add a glug of oil, then add the turkey and cook to colour on all sides. Transfer to a rack in a roasting tin and season.
  5. Roast for 1¼ hours. Insert a skewer into the middle of a leg – if the juices run clear, it’s cooked. Serve with mashed potato, Brussels sprouts and roasted parsnips.

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
543 kcal
Fat
29.4g
Protein
68.4g
Carbohydrates
1.4g
Salt
1g

delicious. tips

  1. A rich white – like a decent French Chardonnay – stands up to this. Or go for a juicy, softish red, such as Australian Pinot Noir.

Buy ingredients online

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 trimmings, sides and sauces

Turkey crown in prosciutto

This easy recipe for turkey crown in prosciutto will ensure...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

December seasonal

Turkey cushion with fruity sausagemeat stuffing

On a budget? With a few simple techniques, this turkey...

Save recipe icon Save recipe icon Save recipe

Christmas turkey

Classic roast turkey with pancetta

Searching for the best turkey recipe? This is it. A...

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.