Easy Roasted Turkey Thighs with Coffee Rub
An easy oven-roasted turkey thighs recipe brined overnight to give it extra juiciness; rubbed with a coffee rub, baked in the oven, and glazed with honey-butter.
Servings: 2 turkey thighs
Calories: 136kcal
Ingredients
- 2 turkey thighs (bone-in, approx. ¾ lb each)
Brine
- 3 tablespoons salt
- 8 cups water
- 3-4 large bay leaves
- 4-5 cloves garlic (lightly crushed, or roughly chopped)
Coffee Rub
- ½ tablespoon ground coffee (medium ground *see notes)
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder (not garlic salt)
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ tablespoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon Madras curry powder
- ½ tablespoon cayenne (optional, if you like it spicy)
Honey Butter Glaze
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter (unsalted)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce
Instructions
Brine The Turkey
- In a large bowl, mix together the salt and water until the salt has dissolved
- Add in bay leaves
- Peel and gently crush (or roughly chop) the garlic and put it in the brine
- Add the turkey into the brine
- Brine overnight
Make the Coffee Rub
- Combine all the ingredients in the 'Coffee Rub' section of the ingredients and set aside.
Make the Honey Butter Glaze
- Melt the butter in a small pot or microwave. (If you use a microwave, heat it up in increments of 15 seconds so that it doesn't splatter everywhere)
- Once the butter has melted or is soft, mix in the honey and soy sauce and set aside.
Prepare the Turkey for Oven Roasting
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Remove the turkey thighs from the brine and pat it down with paper towels to remove the excess moisture and brine.
- Sprinkle the coffee rub over the top and bottoms of the turkey thigh and place the turkey in an oven-proof roasting pan. You can choose to rub the coffee rub into the turkey or sprinkle it evenly over the turkey in a thin layer.
- Once the oven has reached 350F, add the turkey in and set a timer for 40 minutes
- Once 40 minutes have passed, use a brush and dab the honey butter glaze over the turkey thighs. If the butter has separated, use a fork to mix everything together until it is a paste again - it doesn't need to be smooth.
- Put it back in the oven for another 20 minutes It should have baked in the oven for a total of 60 minutes. Use a thermometer to check the temperature. The final internal temperature of the turkey should be between 165-170F.
- (Optional) If you like sweet and savoury dishes, try brushing on a ¼ teaspoon to ½ teaspoon of honey on top of the turkey after you have removed it from the oven!
- Save the drippings and serve it with the turkey, and sprinkle it with some chives! Enjoy!
Notes
- Do not use coffee grinds that have already been used for coffee, it will not have any flavour. Use only freshly ground or pre-ground coffee grounds, it has a lot more flavour which will make a better tasting turkey.
- I like using medium or light roast coffee, in medium coarse texture. I find the medium course sticks to the turkey better and dark roast coffee can be too bitter for rubs.
- To keep these turkey thighs juicy and tender, it is very important that you do not skip the brining step.
