A sure way to keep cheaper cuts of turkey moist and tasting great is with butter. Butter Basted Turkey Legs and Thighs with Fresh Herbs guarantee flavour and moistness! These are a great option for those of us who don’t have a large family for dinner. There’s no need to buy a whole turkey!

I grew up in a home where a whole roasted turkey was the norm. Well, maybe not the norm – it’s not like we ate whole roasted turkey every night for dinner, but there was a whole roasted turkey for every celebration. And, in between celebrations, if there wasn’t a whole turkey, then there was certainly my mom’s version of Butter Basted Turkey Legs and Thighs with Fresh Herbs.
Now that I’m older, I’ve come to realize that a special occasion for most families; one that would warrant the work and the effort of roasting a large turkey, is usually Thanksgiving and Christmas. For our family, as well as most Newfoundland families, a whole stuffed turkey was the main on more than two occasions per year.
Make your own online recipe box!
Click the in the lower right corner of your screen
& follow the quick and easy instructions!
ANY EXCUSE TO PREPARE TURKEY
My mom would stuff and roast a twenty-five-pound turkey for not only Thanksgiving and Christmas, but also New Year’s Day and Easter Sunday. I can’t remember any of those days without a turkey while I was young enough to still live at home.
Before mom passed away and still had her strength, she would often roast a whole turkey for a birthday, a get-together, or just because she wanted it and felt like it. It wasn’t uncommon for her to buy three or four turkeys at a time and freeze them until the mood to roast one took over.

SOMETIMES A WHOLE TURKEY IS TOO MUCH
Now though, things are different. I live in Toronto with John.e and McKenna. They’re both vegetarians, and the remaining family members aren’t that far away, but we all have lives and families of our own, so it’s not always feasible to get together for holidays. So, rather than roast a whole turkey for just me, I opt for a few legs and thighs just so that I don’t feel like I’m getting the short end of the stick.
We do limit turkey dinners to Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day though. I’ll never give that up! And, I usually prepare Butter Basted Turkey Legs and Thighs with Fresh Herbs, or a similar version for myself. I’ll roast a store-bought Tofurkey for John.e and McKenna. And, of course, we will all share the sides.
These Butter Basted Turkey Legs and Thighs with Fresh Herbs filled our home with that familiar smell of turkey roasting in my mom’s oven, stuffed with a buttery, savoury stuffing. Even though John.e and McKenna don’t eat meat, they both commented on how good it smelled and how inviting it was.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.
- Turkey – I used 4 turkey legs and 4 turkey thighs. You can use any combination of those you prefer.
- Butter – There’s a lot of butter in this recipe, but you won’t end up consuming all of it. It will keep the turkey super moist, but most of it will drain off.
- Fresh Herbs – Don’t be tempted to use dried herbs here. Fresh makes a huge difference! You will need summer savoury, thyme, and rosemary.
- Onion Flakes – This is a good example of dried onion working better than fresh onion. A fresh onion will most likely burn because of the long roasting time. Dried is better here.
- Salt and Ground Black Pepper
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST BUTTER-BASTED TURKEY:
Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet or pan with parchment paper and set aside. It’s important to note that if you purchase frozen turkey legs and thighs, they must be fully thawed and at room temperature before attempting this recipe! Pat the turkey legs and thighs completely dry with paper towels and set them aside.
Next, combine the butter, summer savoury, thyme leaves, rosemary, onion flakes, salt, and pepper. Whisk it all together until the herbs and seasonings are well incorporated into the butter. Use about two tablespoons of the butter mixture to fully massage each piece of turkey. This is messy, but the best way is to pick up the turkey leg or thigh in one hand, scoop a mound of butter into your other hand, and massage the butter completely around the turkey. It should be thickly coated on there!
Do you have a question or comment?
Would you like to leave a review?
Scroll down to the comment section and write me a message.
I will personally respond as soon as possible!
Transfer the butter-slathered turkey to the baking sheet, being careful to not let the pieces overlap and not to touch the side of the baking pan. Cover loosely with foil, and bake for one hour. Remove from the oven, and baste each piece of turkey with the melted butter and turkey juices in the pan. Cover and return to the oven. Repeat this every fifteen minutes for the next hour. Leave the foil off for the last 15 minutes.
Transfer the turkey to a serving platter, and spoon over some of the butter and herbs. Garnish with more rosemary, summer savoury, and thyme if you wish, and serve. Now, that wasn’t too bad, was it?

TURKEY IS CLASSIC AND NOSTALGIC
To me, there’s nothing that compares to the familiar smell of a turkey roasting in the oven. It brings me back to my childhood, to a simpler time, to a time when our family would celebrate the holidays together with traditions that will always be a part of who I am. Even though I love Tofurkey, I have to prepare real turkey even if just for the smell. It’s the definition of comfort and good times, at least for me.
This particular meal was made complete with my Herb Butter Mashed Potatoes, Savoury Roasted Carrots, Pan Seared Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms, Baguette Stuffing with Swiss Chard and Caramelized Onions, Easy Oven Roasted Beets, and topped it all off with Vegetarian Mushroom Gravy.
It was quite the meal with lots of leftovers too! And, do you know what leftovers mean? Couldn’ts!!!! Yes, I know it’s not a word, but that’s what it’s called. The stuff you couldn’t eat yesterday, that you must eat today. This is John.e’s favourite part of celebratory dinner.

WHAT DO DO WITH TURKEY LEFTOVERS
I’ll take all the leftovers, put them in a skillet with butter, and fry them up to resemble a breakfast hash. I’ll dice up the carrots, chop up the Brussels sprouts, dice the leftover turkey, toss in the mashed potatoes and the stuffing, fry it until it browns, then pour over the reheated gravy. So delicious!
Another great leftover Butter Basted Turkey Legs and Thighs with Fresh Herbs option is my Leftover Turkey Casserole with Biscuits. I absolutely love this casserole and it’s so easy to make. Use store-bought canned biscuits to make this dish less cumbersome.
Now, in true Newfie fashion, I couldn’t possibly have a turkey dinner without two very popular Newfoundland condiments. You Newfoundlanders will know exactly what I’m talking about. Because gravy is never enough, I also had to have a few pieces of my Pickled Beets, and a generous helping of my Mustard Pickles. Those two will complete any turkey dinner!

Do You Like This Recipe?
You should consider trying these other delicious recipes too!





Butter Basted Turkey Legs and Thighs with Fresh Herbs
Ingredients
- 4 whole turkey legs, skin on; bone in
- 4 whole turkey thighs, skin on; bone in
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon fresh summer savoury, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet or pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- NOTE: If you purchase frozen turkey legs and thighs, they must be fully thawed and at room temperature before attempting this recipe.
- Pat the turkey legs and thighs completely dry with paper towels. Set them aside.
- Combine the butter, summer savoury, thyme leaves, rosemary, onion flakes, salt, and pepper. Whisk it all together until the herbs and seasonings are well incorporated into the butter.
- Use about two tablespoons of the butter mixture to fully massage each piece of turkey with. This is messy, but the best way to do it is to pick up the turkey leg or thigh in one hand, scoop a mound of butter into your other hand, and massage the butter completely around the turkey. It should be coated thick.
- Transfer the butter-slathered turkey to the baking sheet, being careful to not let the pieces overlap and not to touch the side of the baking pan.
- Cover with foil, and bake for one hour.
- Remove from oven, baste each piece of turkey with the melted butter and turkey juices in the pan. Cover and return to the oven. Repeat this every fifteen minutes for the next hour. Leave the foil off the last 15 minutes.
- Transfer the turkey to a serving platter, spoon over some of the butter and herbs. Garnish with more rosemary, summer savoury, and thyme if you wish, and serve.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Upload a photo and tag me so that I can see it!

Linda says
Love this recipe! Perfect for a small family like our family. And that sauce looks so fingerlickin’ good!
Natalie says
I haven’t prepared turkey legs in ages. And my family does love it. I definitely need to make them turkey legs soon. Your recipe sounds and looks absolutely delicious. Meat look tender and flavorful. I honestly can’t wait to try this.
Ashley says
I was looking for a simple turkey recipe and came across this one. So good!
Amanda says
These are the best turkey legs! They come out so incredibly tender and flavorful with those savory herbs. Plus, they’re so easy to make. Thanks for sharing!
Trish Meyer says
I love that you use summer savory; it is THE defining flavor difference in my Memere’s Acadian recipes. Will definitely be trying this, likely turkey parts rather than the whole bird this year, looks SCRUMPTIOUS!
Melissa says
Hi! Salted or unsalted butter?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Melissa – I always use salted butter. 🙂
Laurie says
What is Summer Savory exactly?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Laurie – whenever I’m looking for information on herbs and spices, I refer to this site: https://www.savoryspiceshop.com/savory-summer It never lets me down! 🙂
Lauren says
Do you cook for a total of 2 hours?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Yes.
Sandra Marks says
I want to cook just 2 turkey legs. Cook 2 hours?
Kiki says
Wow I made this and it was so delicious. The turkey leg was really tasty and moist. I’ll repeat it again for sure!
Sandy says
Is summer savory in most grocery stores? I’ve never heard of it.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Sandy – yes, it’s quite common. Look for it in the fresh herb section of the produce department.
pat says
Hello, I am planning on cooking leg/thigh portions of turkey for thanksgiving. Does it have to cook longer if leg and thigh are not seperated? Trying to get an idea of how long to cook for. Thank you,! PS have never tried summer savory, looking forward to using it.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Pat – no, I don’t think it has to be cooked any longer. If you’re worried that it might not be cooked, you can test it with a meat thermometer. Stick the thermometer between the thigh and leg joint. The meat should be at 165 degrees F. If you cook it any longer, it might start to dry out and lose some of that tender, moistness you worked so hard to get!
Lana says
How long would you bake two turkey legs?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Lana – good question! Just an educated guess here. I would cut it back by about half hour.
Maria Sinesi says
Going to make two thighs, two legs, and a small breast…any advice on cooking time with the breast?
Would like to use the drippings for gravy afterwards, would you recommend adding some broth into roasting pan while cooking without parchment paper? Thanks 🙂
Christina says
I want to make this recipe, do you think it can be made in a crock pot??
Linda Cardinal says
i FOLLOWED THIS RECIPE (WITH LESS BUTTER) and it came out GREAT!! wow, I tried to bake a coupele turkey thighs a week ago before seeing this recipe and they turned out horribly. couldn’t even eat them. Then for Thanksgiving I tried this recipe _ AMAZING delish and moist with crispy skin…they looked great and tasted great! Thank you for this recipe! will definitely do again easy enough for any regulars non holiday meal too!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Linda! 🙂
Anne Butler says
Thanks Byron for this recipe. I cooked only one very large turkey leg/thigh for two, in my large cast iron frying pan
following your instructions, and it turned out absolutely delish!
Better than any other recipes. I did brine overnight the frozen leg/thigh, found your recipe the following day……
An absolute KEEPER !
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Anne. 🙂
BEATRIZ says
Not able to find summer savory. Is there another herb I can use?
Marianne says
Five stars for these butter-basted turkey legs and thighs! They were tender, succulent, and tasty. The skin was crispy and delicious. Easy to prepare. Best dark meat turkey recipe we’ve ever tried! The fresh herbs are a must as you noted in the recipe. It was just my husband and myself for a quiet Thanksgiving this year, so I asked the butcher for 2 turkey legs and 2 thighs. He asked if I wanted large ones, and I said yes. So I halved the butter, but kept the same amount of fresh herbs, onion flakes, salt and pepper since they were so large. We’ll have lots of leftovers! Thank you for including the suggestions for leftovers. I’ve already shared this recipe with a friend. This will be a favorite holiday recipe in our kitchen in the years ahead!
GLENDA says
Very delicious!!!