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WW Recipe of the Day: Easy Healthy Slow Cooker Turkey Leg Confit/Carnitas
It’s chilly with occasional snow flurries in Mollans-sur-Ouveze, the tiny village in Provence we’ve called home for years. The old house has been filling up with smells of fires, garlic, and winter taste treats.
The other day I was looking through old French cooking magazines looking for inspirations and came across the famous duck confit. It’s easy to make, IF you live in an area where ducks are plentiful and duck parts are easy to come by. It can be more difficult in the States, so I was so pleased to run across this rendition with turkey.
Usually with duck, a whole bird is used and after a meal, I scratch my head, wondering what to do with leftovers.
This version uses just two commonly found ingredients, turkey legs/drumsticks, some spices and water, rather than the traditional fat which cooks the duck. The result is great easy, healthy, low calorie, low carb, paleo, whole30 friendly dish for two people!
Leftovers can be reheated in the flavorful broth that’s left along with a handful of spinach thrown into the pot.
Or, take the leftovers and place them in a dry skillet and warm them up with that handful of spinach. Add two beaten eggs and in minutes a delicious frittata will be on your table.
For those of you living in the southwest, is this really any different than carnitas? That said, the turkey rolled in a warm tortilla and topped with your favorite salsa and a slice of avocado makes a pretty swell lunch too!
How Many Calories and WW Points in Slow Cooker Turkey Carnitas or Confit?
According to my calculations, each 4 ounce (about 3/4 cup) serving of the meat without skin, has 182 calories.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
3 SmartPoints (Green plan)
3 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
3 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
5 PointsPlus (Old plan)
Serving Suggestions
Serve with bread, baked potato fries, a crisp winter salad or tortillas and salsa. You decide!
It’s also easy enough to slice some fresh cucumbers and marinate them in a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and a dash of stevia.
Ways to Use Leftovers
Leftovers can be reheated in the flavorful broth that’s left along with a handful of spinach thrown into the pot.
Or, take the leftovers and place them in a dry skillet and warm them up with that handful of spinach. Add two beaten eggs and in minutes a delicious frittata will be on your table.
Recipe Notes
Use the whole unskinned turkey legs when making this. If you’re concerned about the skin, it will automatically fall off as the bones cook and can be discarded when you shred it.
If you’ve made this Slow Cooker Turkey Leg Carnitas/Confit, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Slow Cooker Turkey Leg Confit or Carnitas Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 turkey legs/drumsticks
- 2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence (affiliate link) (if making southwestern style, then use chili powder)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 8 cloves peeled garlic
Instructions
- Ideal slow cooker size: 4-Quart.
- Place all ingredients in a slow cooker along with enough water to partially cover (about 5 to 6 cups depending on the size of your slow cooker). Cover and cook for up to 7 hours on LOW, or until meat literally falls off the bones easily separating the meat from the tendons and cartilage.
- Shred the meat when cool enough to handle. Save the liquid!
- When ready to serve, heat 1/2 cup of the leftover liquid in a medium sized saucepan. Add the shredded turkey meat and reheat until the liquid has evaporated and the meat is hot and slightly crisp.
Notes
(Must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.) 3 SmartPoints (Green plan) 3 SmartPoints (Blue plan) 3 SmartPoints (Purple plan) 5 PointsPlus (Old plan) Use the whole unskinned turkey legs when making this. If you’re concerned about the skin, it will automatically fall of as the bones cook and can be discarded when you shred it.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you like Slow Cooker Turkey Confit/Carnitas, You May Also Like
- Slow Cooked Turkey Breast with Garlic (Simple-Nourished-Living)
- Five Spice Roasted Chicken Legs (SkinnyTaste)
- WW Crock Pot Turkey Breast (Simple-Nourished-Living)
What am I supposed to do with the wine? It doesn’t look like it is listed in the recipe.
The recipe doesn’t say anything about adding water to the crock. I know those turkey legs can’t cook dry. How much water is added?
Oops! Yes, I checked with Hallie and she added about 5 to 6 cups of water (depending on the size of your slow cooker) to the slow cooker along with the turkey legs, garlic and spices. The water doesn’t have to full cover the turkey legs. I have updated the recipe accordingly. Thanks for letting us know! – Martha