Sous Vide Turkey Thighs (Glazed & No-Fail)
You can’t argue with tender, moist, flavorful and stress-free. That sums up sous vide turkey thighs glazed with maple syrup, balsamic, Dijon and orange zest.
I know there are a lot of turkey dark meat doubters out there, but you just might change your mind when you taste these turkey thighs.
What to expect
The soft, juicy turkey meat with its tangy-sweet glaze and sauce is simply delicious.
Roasted turkey thighs or whole legs can be chewy, tough and stringy. The sous vide method solves that – it cooks the meat to the exact temperature and tenderness you want, every time. And the best part is they only take about 20 minutes of hands-on time.
The glaze ingredients play double duty: They are used to make a glaze (for the final broiling step) as well as a sauce for serving.
Brining adds flavor, but it’s optional. Instructions are in the recipe notes.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
- Turkey thighs: Buy boneless turkey thighs if you can find them, with or without skin. If you can’t, here’s a video on how to debone a turkey thigh. Or, ask your butcher to do it.
- Glaze: Maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, orange zest, fresh rosemary, poultry seasoning.
Substitution
- Turkey options (time and temperature are in recipe notes below):
- Bone-in turkey thighs – just note that cooking is less even than boneless and slicing for presentation is trickier.
- Boneless turkey breast. Here’s our go-to sous vide turkey breast recipe for succulent turkey.
Variations
- Glaze/sauce options:
- Maple Mustard: Mix pure maple syrup, Dijon mustard, a splash of apple cider vinegar, and black pepper.
- Balsamic Fig: Simmer balsamic vinegar with fig jam and a touch of olive oil.
Cooking time and temperature
I prefer a cooking temperature of 150F/65.6C for tender, moist thighs. Cook for a minimum 2 1/2 hours and a maximum of 4 1/2 hours. (If thighs are fairly large, I cook them for 3 1/2 to 4 hours).
Step by step instructions
Tip
Watch the broiler closely at the final step. Maple syrup glazes go from golden to burnt fast under high heat – start checking at the 1-minute mark rather than walking away for the full 2-3 minutes.
What to serve with sous vide turkey thighs
I love to serve these turkey thighs with:
- Pearl Couscous With Vegetables and Apricots
- Mashed Potatoes
- Root Vegetable Mash
- Curried Rice with Raisins
- Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish (5 minutes)
- or plain quinoa or couscous
If you’re hosting a Thanksgiving dinner, check out our Thanksgiving side dishes – some traditional, some not.
Recipe FAQs
Sous vide cooking is a technique in which food, sealed in a bag, is immersed in a water bath and cooked at a very precise, consistent temperature using a small immersion circulator (like a wand). This cooks the food to the exact temperature (e.g. medium rare) that you choose. There is little chance of overcooking, meats are amazingly tender, and the whole process is pretty much stress-free.
Yes. Sous vide doesn’t rely on hitting a high instant-safe temperature the way roasting does, where 165F (74C) is the standard target. Instead, it pasteurizes the meat by holding a lower temperature for a longer time – cooking turkey thighs at 150F (66C) for 2.5+ hours in this recipe fully pasteurizes the meat, giving you the same food safety as roasting, with a more tender result.
Yes, you can, but I have tried this recipe with bone-in turkey thighs, and I would recommend removing the bone before you start for more even cooking, easy slicing, and a much better presentation. Here’s a video on how to debone a turkey thigh. Or, ask your butcher to do it.
Set your sous vide immersion circulator to 148F/64C and increase the cooking time to 4- 4.5 hours.
Yes. Just keep the thighs in a single layer in the bag (or split into two bags) and use a large enough container for the water to circulate around the bag(s). Cooking time stays the same regardless of quantity, since sous vide cooks by temperature, not batch size.
Yes, and it’s one of the best things about this method. You can season and bag the thighs a few days ahead and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook, or sous vide them ahead of time, chill in an ice bath, and rewarm briefly before glazing and broiling. See the recipe notes for exact timing on each option.
More turkey recipes you might like
- Sous vide turkey breast (this is my go-to for a turkey half breast now, no matter how many guests I have – perfect for white meat lovers)
- Bone-in turkey breast with pear chutney (a great option for a smaller group)
- Grilled turkey breast (yum)
- Simple shepherd’s pie with turkey (using leftovers)
Love sous vide?
We’ve been experimenting with sous vide for many years. Our Best Sous Vide Recipes and Tips includes recipes, do’s and don’ts of sous vide cooking, as well as experts’ time and temperature charts
If you make this recipe, let us know how it went! A rating & comment below mean a lot to us.
Sous Vide Turkey Thighs
Equipment
- sous vide equipment – oven type or sous vide immersion circulator; vacuum seal bag or freezer safe zipper lock bag.
Ingredients
- 1¾ pounds boneless turkey thighs, with or without skin, Note 1 (1.5-2.0 pounds/0.68-0.9 kg total)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning or thyme
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- OPTIONAL BRINE: salt, peppercorns, sugar, Note 2
Glaze
- 2 tablespoon Maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon good Balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon orange zest, divided
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (or fresh thyme)
- ⅛ teaspoon each, salt and pepper
Turn Glaze into Sauce
- ½ cup turkey juices from sous vide bag (or chicken broth)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- GARNISH: sea salt, chopped parsley, extra orange zest
Instructions
- BRINE TURKEY THIGHS (OPTIONAL): Note 2
- PREPARE SOUS VIDE BATH: Fill water in a large pot, container or sous vide machine as per manufacturers instructions. Set the temperature of immersion circulator (or sous vide 'oven') to 150F/65.6C and allow water to heat to that temperature.
- PREPARE TURKEY FOR SOUS VIDE: Mix oil and poultry seasoning in a small bowl. Rub mixture all over turkey thighs and tuck edges under to make an even roll. Place small sprig of fresh rosemary under each thigh or sprinkle some dried rosemary on thighs. Don't put in too much rosemary or the flavors will be overpowering.
- SOUS VIDE TURKEY: Place thighs side by side in freezer zipper-lock bag. Slowly lower bag into water. The pressure of the water will press air out of bag. When bag is just above water line and air is mostly out, seal (zip up) bag. This is the water displacement method. Alternatively, place thighs in sous vide bag and seal with vacuum sealer. Cooking time is minimum 2 1/2 hours and a maximum of 4 1/2 hours. (If thighs are fairly large, I cook them for 3 1/2 to 4 hours). Remove from water bath. Take thighs out of bag and remove skin if there is any. Reserve juices for sauce. Pat turkey dry with paper towels.
- MAKE GLAZE/SAUCE: In a small bowl or cup, whisk together all Glaze ingredients including 1/2 teaspoon orange zest. Half of glaze will be used to glaze thighs – the rest to make the sauce. To make sauce, add remaining half of glaze, cornstarch, turkey juices or broth, 1/2 teaspoon orange zest and salt and pepper to taste to a small sauce pan. Heat on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly reduced and thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings (syrup, salt, orange, etc).
- FINISH AND SERVE: To brown for a nice presentation or to get crispy skin (if using thighs with skin), place thighs on foil lined baking sheet, (skin side up if using skin), brush with glaze all over and broil for 2-3 minutes (no need to turn over) 6 inches/15 cm from heat at top. Remove and brush with glaze again. Add garnish of orange zest and parsley if desired. Slice and serve with sauce drizzled on top or on the side.
Recipe Notes
- Turkey thigh options and how to debone:
- Bone-in turkey thighs – just note that cooking is less even than boneless and slicing for presentation is trickier. Set your sous vide immersion circulator to 148F/64C and increase the cooking time to 4- 4.5 hours.
- Boneless turkey breast. Here’s our go-to sous vide turkey breast recipe for succulent turkey.
- Deboning: Here’s a video on deboning a turkey thigh.
- To brine turkey thighs (optional): I buy kosher turkey, already brined, but you can easily brine thighs yourself to add flavor: Fill ziplock bag with 3 cups room-temperature water, 3 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 6-8 peppercorns. Massage to dissolve salt and sugar. Place thighs in bag, seal and let sit in fridge for about 1-2 hours. Don’t brine too long as boneless thighs are not very thick.
- Final step option – pan sear instead of broil: Heat 2 tsp vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet to medium high heat. Glaze thighs and sear on skin side (or rounded side) in hot pan for 1 minute for a nicely browned finish. No need to sear on second side.
- To Make Ahead:
- To prepare ahead: You can vacuum seal (or zipper lock) and refrigerate the thighs for a few days before cooking.
- To cook ahead same day: The sous vide process can be done ahead of time (or just leave the sealed bags in the water an extra 30-60 minutes). Glaze and broil the cooked thighs just before serving.
- To cook it a couple of days ahead, sous vide the turkey, cool it down for 10-15 minutes in a large bowl of ice water, then place bag with the turkey in the fridge. To warm the turkey (retherm it), place in water bath at 140F/60C for 45 minutes to an hour. Then pat dry and sear if desired.
Absolute banger. I didn’t have poultry seasoning so used a different seasoning and it worked fantastically. Paired with white rice and sauteed dinosaur kale and what a magnificent meal.
100% in rotation.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed turkey thigh meal Stephen!
How much time should I add for frozen thighs
Hi Louis, I would add extra 1 – 1.5 hours depending on the size of your thighs.
Pretty easy and results are impressive! I did the optional brining but not sure if it’s necessary. I didn’t have poultry seasoning – used bouquet garni. Yum. And the glaze is really good.
I agree brining does not really add a lot for boneless turkey or chicken. Thanks for leaving a comment – glad you like it!
I couldn’t get boneless thighs; how would you adjust this for bone-in thighs? (Also, i don’t have orange zest. But I do have orange juice. Could I use a minute amount of that for the flavor?) It sounds delicious, and I’m itching to try it!
Here’s what I would do: If you are willing, remove the bone before cooking the thighs. If you can’t or don’t want to, sous vide at 148F and increase the cooking time to 4-4.5 hrs. Instead of making a glaze then the sauce, just make the sauce with 1/4 cup turkey juices and 1/2 cup orange juice and 2 tsp cornstarch. Taste and adjust with the other glaze ingredients as needed. Brush half on while broiling then use the rest when serving. The orange flavor may not be quite as intense but will hopefully still come through. Good luck and hope you like it!
Thank you Gamby!
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