How To Cook Turkey Thighs – Best 3 Ways
Are you wondering how to cook turkey thighs for Thanksgiving? Well…I have you covered. For those dark meat turkey lovers out there, I’ll show you how to cook turkey thighs three ways. Roast them in the oven, Air fry them or smoke them on your smoker. Grab those turkey thighs and let’s get cooking!
Cooking turkey thighs in the oven, air fryer or smoker is a great way to make extra dark meat turkey for your upcoming Thanksgiving dinner.
See a video of different ways to cook turkey thighs…
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How to make turkey thighs in the oven
First, let’s check out the classic way to cook turkey thighs in an oven…
Quick look at this recipe for oven roasted turkey thighs
- Dry rub season turkey thighs and add them to a roasting pan.
- Cook turkey thighs in the oven for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees F.
- Broil on high to finish with crispy skin (done at 175 degrees F internal temp).
- Rest and enjoy.
How to make smoked turkey thighs…
These turn out super smokey, though it’s the longest way to cook turkey thighs on this list…
Quick look at this recipe for smoked turkey thighs
- Dry rub season turkey thighs.
- Smoke turkey thighs at 250 degrees F for ~1.5 hours.
- Increase smoker temperature to 400 degrees F until done at 170 – 175 degrees F internal temperature.
- Remove and enjoy.
How to make turkey thighs in air fryers
This one is the fastest way to make turkey thighs, but you can only make 1-2 at a time since the air fryer is smaller than an oven or smoker…
Quick look at Air Fryer Turkey Thighs recipe
- Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees F.
- Pat dry and season turkey thigh with poultry rub.
- Air fry for ~25 minutes until done at 170 – 175 degrees F internal temperature.
- Remove, rest and enjoy.
New recipes and foodie guides….
Grill and smoker recipes…
Meat thermometer recommendations
Every home chef needs a reliable meat thermometer to cook food perfectly.
On Sip Bite Go, you’ll often see me using:
- Meater thermometer – a fancy wireless thermometer that connects to a phone app – gifted to me from a Traeger partnership.
- ThermoPro digital thermometer – which has a wire that connects the thermometer to a display box outside the oven/grill.
It’s like being psychic! The great thing about either of the thermometers above is that I don’t have to take the food out of the oven to know the temperature.
How to use ‘em… What I do is stick the digital thermometer in steak, pork, chicken, whatever… Then put the food in the oven, on the smoker, or grill.
While the meat cooks, it reads the temperature so I know exactly what temp meat is as it’s cooking. Without having to take it out and check. It’s really difficult to overcook food when you know exactly what temp it is inside!
Are you a foodie, too?
Hey home chef, hope that answers all your questions about cooking turkey thighs.
Enjoy cooking and chat soon on Instagram / TikTok / YouTube.
– JennaNext, browse the Sip Bite Go recipe collection…
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