Cajun Roasted Turkey Thighs

These Cajun Roasted Turkey Thighs with beautiful brown crispy skin are moist, delicious and a perfect alternative to making a whole turkey

4.67 from 3 votes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Calories: 792kcal

4 lbs turkey thighs (bone-in) (decide based on the number of people you'll be serving)
3 tbsp unsalted butter (softened )
2 tsp kosher salt
3 tsp Cajun spice blend
t tsp black pepper
½ small onion (sliced)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile soften butter. Make a batch of homemade Cajun spice blend or use your favorite store brand. You'll also need 4 medium sized slices of onion (not 4 onions). Set aside
Wash turkey thighs and pat dry with paper towels making sure they are completely dry.
Divide soften butter and rub over entire surface of each turkey thigh. Season each side of each thigh generously with kosher salt, the Cajun spice blend, and black pepper.
Add sliced onions in skillet then lay turkey thighs on top of bed of onions.
Place thighs in the oven to roast for 1hr and 30 minutes to 1hr and 45 minutes. Oven temperatures may vary which can result in your thighs roasting upward to 2 hours. Baste thighs with pan juices every 30 to 40 minutes during cooking process.
You can check for done-ness by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. If the thermometers reads 180 degrees, they are done. You can also check by gently pressing the thighs with your fingers after recommended cooking time. If the juices run clear, the thighs are most likely done.

Recipe Tips:

It's important that the thighs are dried as much as possible before adding the softened butter

You can allow the butter to soften ahead of time by placing it on the counter top for at least 20 to 30 minutes

You can soften butter quickly by placing it in the microwave for 5 second increments (watch closely as you do not wanted the butter to melt and become liquidy)

Placing the thighs on top of the bed of sliced onions before roasting, adds incredible flavor to the pan juices

Please baste the turkey thighs throughout the cooking process (every 30 - 40 minutes) and when they're done, spoon the pan juices over the top of each thigh

If you have fresh herbs on hand, chopped them up and combine with your softened butter to create a butter- herb blend and rub the butter-herb blend over the entire surface of turkey thighs before adding kosher salt, the Cajun spice blend and black pepper.