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This hearty turkey and rice casserole is a one-dish meal with juicy, whole turkey legs baked on top of herby, savory rice. It’s easy to make for family dinners and impressive enough for the holidays!
Looking for a Thanksgiving turkey recipe? See my step-by-step guide on how to roast a turkey with helpful tips and tricks, and this roast turkey breast for smaller crowds.
This turkey rice casserole is made with juicy turkey legs (or a single turkey leg), fluffy rice, and a flavorful herbed broth. Like my turkey and wild rice casserole, everything bakes together in one casserole dish. In other words, it’s a main course and a side dish all in one! This easy turkey leg casserole is perfect for cold-weather meals or even Thanksgiving.
What Makes This Turkey Rice Casserole So Good
- Whole turkey legs. There’s no need to shred or chop the turkey for this casserole. We’re baking juicy, whole turkey legs right on top of the savory rice!
- Easy clean up. Apart from heating the broth, everything bakes in the same pan.
- Juicy, tender meat.
- Great for any occasion. If you’re looking for a meal that serves a smaller crowd at Thanksgiving, this turkey leg casserole is a great option.
What You’ll Need
These are the key ingredients for this turkey leg and rice casserole. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for the full list with measurements.
- Turkey Legs – I used one large turkey leg this time, as you can see, but I often use two smaller ones. The cooking time may vary slightly depending on the size and number of turkey legs you use.
- Olive Oil – For cooking the onion. You can use another cooking oil if you wish.
- Onion – I used medium-sized onions. They can be white or yellow onions; either works.
- Garlic Cloves – Minced, for extra flavor in the broth. Substitute 1 tablespoon of jarred garlic per clove, if needed.
- Herbs and Spices – Combine fresh or dried parsley, dried thyme, and ground nutmeg, plus salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
- Long Grain Rice – I used white rice, like basmati or jasmine rice, but you could definitely try this recipe with brown rice or wild rice. I don’t recommend instant or minute rice for this recipe, as it will become mushy.
Recipe Tips
- How to tell when a turkey leg is done. If you’re using a meat thermometer, it should read 165ºF (try not to go too far over that or the turkey will dry out). Otherwise, the casserole is done when all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice.
- Use chicken legs instead. The cooking time will be slightly shorter. Check that the internal temperature of the chicken legs reaches 165ºF.
- Different protein. Try a variation of this recipe with shredded or ground turkey, chicken, or sliced or ground sausage mixed into the rice.
What Else Can I Add to This Casserole Recipe?
If you feel like changing up this turkey and rice casserole, here are a couple of suggestions on what you can add in:
- Bacon. Bacon bits make everything better, including this dinner!
- Vegetables. Feel free to add in peas, bell pepper, or any other vegetable you think would fit in with the rice.
- Cheese. If you want to top your rice with some shredded/grated cheese (like parmesan), that’s not a bad idea at all!
Serving Suggestions
Since rice is already a large part of this turkey leg casserole, I often feel that side dishes aren’t necessary. If I’m cooking for a crowd, I’ll serve this casserole with steamed broccoli or broccoli and cheese, a big salad, and crispy garlic breadsticks or Macedonian dinner rolls (kifli) on the side.
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Turkey Leg and Rice Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 Turkey Legs
- Water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium-sized onions, diced
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 cup long grain rice
Instructions
- Boil the turkey legs. Place the turkey legs in a 4-quart soup pot and cover with water; bring to a boil over medium-high heat and continue to cook for 45 minutes.
- Cook the onions. Pour the olive oil in a casserole dish and place it in the oven; turn the oven on to 425ºF. Dice the onions; take the casserole dish out of the oven and add in the onions and the salt. Put back in the oven and continue to cook until soft, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Make the broth. Take out the casserole dish, take the broth from the soup pot, and pour it over the onions. Stir in the minced garlic, parsley, thyme, and nutmeg. Taste for salt and pepper.
- Assemble the casserole. Mix in the rice. Place the turkey legs on top.
- Bake. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make a Turkey Leg and Rice Casserole
My easy turkey rice casserole needs only 15 minutes of prep to get it ready for the oven. Here’s how it all comes together:
- First, boil the turkey legs. Boiling creates a base for the turkey broth, and it also gives the turkey a head start so that it can finish cooking at the same time as the rice in the casserole. Place your turkey legs in a 4-quart soup pot, covered with water. Bring that to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 45 minutes.
- Cook the onions. Meanwhile, add olive oil to a casserole dish, and place it into the oven at 425ºF. Let the oil heat, then add the diced onions, season with salt, and bake for 5-8 minutes.
- Make the broth. Once the turkey legs have boiled, pour the leftover broth into the casserole dish with the onions. Stir in the minced garlic, parsley, thyme, and nutmeg, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Assemble and bake. Stir the rice into the broth, and nestle the turkey legs on top. Bake at 425ºF for 45 minutes, or until all of the water has absorbed. Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Store the leftover turkey legs and rice covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat. Microwave the leftovers, or pop the casserole back in the oven for a few minutes to warm through.
- Freeze. You can freeze this turkey rice casserole for 2-3 months. Make sure to let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Can’t find anywhere in this recipe any mention of HOW MUCH WATER.
I know…I just attempted this recipe, and I think it might be too much water. I will know for sure in about 45 minutes!
It’s interesting to know that most of us in the group had the similar problem with turkey. We didn’t grow up eating it. But it’s so wonderful to see how everyone creatively pulled this month’s event together. Those turkey legs looks absolutely delicious in the rice casserole. Great photos as well. It’s very nice meeting you through World on a Plate.
Ooh, this looks so yummy! I’ve just recently come to like turkey legs even better than the breast. Great concept for a cooking group….and Macedonia is a bit more exotic than say, Indiana 😉
Love the simplicity of this homey dish!
mmm..this look so good Kate! I love turkey, but much like you growing up we ate chicken, pig or lamb 🙂 Turkey was really rare occasion. Love the combo, and I usually add some potatoes with the rice. Very yummmy meal!
I love nutmeg in a white casserole!
Turkey in Macedonia is more of a Christmas tradition. My grandmother used to purchase a live turkey a few months before the holiday along with a large bag of walnuts.(some of which were used for her delicious baklava) Our old family tradition was to care and feed the turkey every day with one whole walnut all the way till Christmas. I remember watching her do that too… Maybe that would be considered animal cruelty now… her secret recipe was very simple, the turkey was unbelievably unforgettably tender and tasty.
The rice dish was prepared with leeks and marinated cabage… makes a delicious and different stuffing! Love your post!
I had no idea that turkey was a Christmas thing by us. Honest. I thought it was a totally new concept. I remember pig roast for Christmas and Lamb for Easter. 🙂 If you have the exact recipe for the turkey, I’d loooove to try it!!
This looks great, Kate. Looking forward to seeing more recipes from Macedonia. 🙂
Oh my! That looks delicious!!!! Great first appearance!