What's on Your Plate
Roasted turkey parts - One turkey, three countries, one sheet pan. Dry brined thighs go to France with herbes de Provence, white wine, and butter. Legs go to Asia with soy, sesame, a warm spice rub, and hoisin. Wet brined wings stay in America with Crystal hot sauce. Everything roasts at 350°F to 160°F in the thigh, then rests up to 165°F while you brush on the sauces.
When you break down a whole turkey for one recipe, the legs, thighs, and wings usually end up in a freezer bag. That is exactly where these were headed after the breast became Turkey Wellington for Part One of International Turkey Day. Instead, each piece got a passport. In this post, you will learn how to give every cut its own seasoning, roast them all together, and bring three flavors to the table from one bird. Cutting up a turkey is not very difficult; follow the natural lines and let your knife slip through the joints. If you would rather not, ask your butcher to do it for you.
Roasted turkey parts are great because everyone gets the pieces or pieces they have been looking forward to. Turkey itself is quite flavorful so making it take on other flavors involves getting the meat into the muscle itself. We solve that by using different bring
Three Countries on One Platter
Each flavor on this platter has a story. Herbes de Provence comes from the herb covered hills of southern France, where cooks have always reached for thyme, rosemary, savory, and oregano. The packaged blend with that name only became popular in the 1970s, and many American versions add lavender. Hoisin takes its name from the Cantonese word for seafood, although it contains none; the sweet, salty sauce is built on fermented soybeans. Buffalo wings arrived in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, where Teressa Bellissimo tossed fried wings in hot sauce and butter. If you love that flavor, try Buffalo Turkey Wings in the Air Fryer next.
Why Roasted Turkey Parts Three Ways Works
First, every cut gets the brine it needs. The legs and thighs take a dry brine of salt, poultry seasoning, and herbes de Provence. Salt draws moisture to the surface, dissolves into it, and then carries the seasoning back into the meat. The wings take a wet brine instead, because Crystal already brings plenty of salt; a dry brine on top would make them far too salty.
Next, an injection seasons from the inside out. A brine works from the surface in, while the needle carries soy and sesame oil, white wine and butter, or Crystal straight into the muscle. The legs then get the same homemade rub from Asian Short Ribs in the Instant Pot, and its brown sugar builds a base for the hoisin.
Finally, temperature does the rest. Pull the parts at 160°F in the thigh and let carryover heat bring them to 165°F, the temperature the USDA recommends for poultry. Because the sauces go on during the rest, the hoisin glazes without scorching.
Common Mistakes and Gotchas
Three flavors means a few extra details to watch. Keep these in mind, and every piece comes out right.
- Dry brining the wings. Crystal is already salty, so the wings need the wet brine.
- Covering the parts in the refrigerator. Uncovered parts dry out on the surface, and dry skin means crisp skin.
- Probing the wrong piece. Thighs take the longest, so the probe belongs in the thickest part of a thigh.
- Waiting for 165°F in the oven. The meat keeps cooking as it rests, so waiting overshoots and dries it out.
- Using salted butter in the thigh injection. Unsalted butter keeps the salt where you control it, in the brine.
Serving and Storage
Serving
Set the Turkey Wellington in the center of a large platter and arrange the legs, thighs, and wings around it so every guest can pick a favorite. The wings love a side of Blue Cheese Dressing. For sides, Brussels Sprouts with Roasted Garlic and Wild Rice Pilaf carry all three flavors well. A crisp, dry white wine echoes the wine in the French thighs.
Storing
Refrigerate leftovers within two hours in shallow, covered containers, and enjoy them within 3 to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze the cooked parts for up to 4 months; the FoodSafety.gov cold storage chart lists the times. Reheat to 165°F. The wings recrisp beautifully in an air fryer.
FAQ
Can I make just one or two of the flavors?
Yes. Each flavor stands on its own, so you can cook only the wings or only the legs. Simply place the probe in the thickest piece you are cooking and pull it at 160°F.
Why do the wings get a wet brine when the legs and thighs get a dry brine?
Wings have very little meat and lots of surface, and Crystal hot sauce already adds salt. A wet brine spreads the salt through liquid, so the wings season gently instead of turning too salty.
Do I have to cut up the turkey myself?
No. Most butchers will happily break down a whole turkey for you. Many stores also sell turkey legs, thighs, and wings in separate packages, which work perfectly here.
Step by Step Photos
Roasted Turkey Parts: Asian Legs, French Thighs, Buffalo Wings Recipe
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Ingredients
~~ Parts ~~
- 2 Turkey wing
- 2 Turkey thigh
- 2 Turkey leg
~~ Dry Brine for Legs and Thighs ~~
- 1/4 cup Salt
- 1 teaspoon *Poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
~~ Moist Brine for Wings ~~
- 2 tablespoons Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon *Poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
- 1 tablespoon Crystal
~~ Asian Injection for Legs ~~
- 1/2 teaspoon Ginger powder
- 1/8 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
~~ French Injection for Thighs ~~
- 1 tablespoon Butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon White wine
~~ American Injection for Wings ~~
- 1 tablespoon Crystal
~~ Asian Rub for Legs ~~
- 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Szechuan Peppercorns
- 1/4 teaspoon Anise seed
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon Corriander
- 1/2 teaspoon White pepper
- 1 tablespoon Brown sugar
French Rub for Thighs
- 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence
American Rub for Wings
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
~~ Asian Glaze For Legs ~~
- 1/4 cup *Hoisin sauce
~~ French Glaze for Thighs ~~
- 2 tablespoons Butter
~~ American Glaze for Wings ~~
- 1/4 cup Crystal
Instructions
- 2 Turkey wing, 2 Turkey thigh, 2 Turkey legPrepare the parts
Brines
- 1/4 cup Salt, 1 teaspoon Poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon Herbs de ProvenceMake the dry brine and rub it into the legs and thighs. Put the parts in the refrigerator, uncovered.
- 1/2 teaspoon Poultry seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon Herbs de Provence, 1 tablespoon CrystalMake the moist brine. Put the wings in a vacuum sealable bag with its moist brine, seal and refrigerate.
- Line your half sheet pan with parchment for easier clean up.
- 1/2 teaspoon Ginger powder, 1/8 teaspoon Sesame Oil, 1 tablespoon Soy saucePrepare the Asian injection.
- 1 tablespoon Butter, 1 tablespoon White winePrepare the French injection.
- 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon Szechuan Peppercorns, 1/4 teaspoon Anise seed, 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon Corriander, 1/2 teaspoon White pepper, 1 tablespoon Brown sugarPrepare the Asian rub
Legs
- Slash the legs and inject with Asian injection. Rub with Asian rub and put on half sheet pan with rack.
Wings
- 1 tablespoon Crystal, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepperInject with American injection and American rub and place on half sheer pan with rack.
Thighs
- Inject with French injection. Put on half sheet pan with rack.
Roasting
- Roast for 45 minutes at 350 or until an instant-read thermometer reaches 150 °F (66 °C) degrees.
- 1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence, 1/4 cup Hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons Butter, 1/4 cup CrystalRemove the parts from the oven and brush with their respective glazes. Put back in the oven and roast to 160 °F (71 °C), about 15 minutes.
- Let the turkey rest for 5 minutes and glaze with more glaze before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Transcript of Roasted Turkey Parts: Asian Legs, French Thighs, Buffalo Wings
Transcript
Good afternoon, and welcome to The Good Plate's Kitchen. Today is Part Two of International Turkey Day. When I bought this turkey, I thought, why not send every piece to a different country? The breast went to England for Wellington, and we have Asian legs, French thighs, and American Buffalo wings.
Cutting up a turkey is not very difficult. Follow the natural lines of the bird and let your knife slip through the joints. If you would rather not, ask your butcher to do it for you.
For the legs and thighs, mix a dry brine of salt and herbes de Provence and poultry seasoning, and rub it all over. The salt pulls moisture to the surface and carries it back into the meat, so the turkey tastes seasoned all the way through. Leave the parts uncovered in the fridge to dry the skin. Dry skin means crisp skin.
The wings get a wet brine of salt, poultry seasoning, and herbes de Provence, and Crystal hot sauce. Crystal already brings plenty of salt, so a dry brine would make them far too salty.
Next, every piece gets an injection, because an injection carries flavor straight into the meat. The legs get soy sauce and sesame oil. The thighs get white wine and butter, and the wings get Crystal. Then rub the legs with my homemade Asian rub, the same blend from my Asian Short Ribs. Set everything on a rack and roast at 350 degrees with a probe in the thigh.
At 160, pull everything out to rest. While it rests, brush the legs with hoisin and the wings with more Crystal. Carryover heat brings the meat to 165, the temperature the USDA recommends for poultry, without drying it out.
And here is the payoff. Asian legs, French thighs, and Buffalo wings, all from one bird. Set the Turkey Wellington from Part One in the center, and everyone gets their favorite. Both recipes are at The Good Plate, and the links are in the description.
Thank you for watching. We'll see you next time on The Good Plate. And remember: Forever Forward, Forever Flavorful, YUM YUM!
