- November 12, 2024
- Chicken
Smoked Turkey Legs Recipe
Whether you’re celebrating the holidays or feeling nostalgic for your favorite theme park treat, these smoked turkey legs are brined, seasoned, and slow smoked to perfection. Perfect for a hearty meal or fall gatherings, each leg is juicy on the inside with beautifully crisp, flavorful skin.
Why This Recipe Works
Perfect Balance of Flavors: The apple cider brine will infuse the meat with a subtle sweetness while ensuring each bite stays incredibly juicy, even through the long smoking process. When paired with a well-seasoned dry rub and periodic butter basting, the result is a seriously flavorful balance of sweet, savory, and smoky that makes these the perfect smoked turkey legs!
Foolproof Technique: The two-phase cooking process – slow smoking followed by a high-heat finish – ensures perfectly cooked meat with super crispy skin. It’s a method that works every time! Plus, you can make this smoked turkey legs recipe ahead of time, giving you the flexibility you need especially around the holidays!
Theme Park Copycat: Ever go to Disney or a renaissance fair and get a large, perfectly cooked turkey leg? Well, now you can make them at home! These copycat Disney turkey legs are fall-off-the-bone, melt-in-your-mouth good!
Supplies Needed
- Meat Thermometer
Ingredients
- Turkey Legs: Make sure they are fully thawed before using!
- Apple Cider Brine: My apple cider brine infuses loads of flavor until the turkey, and keeps it moist throughout the smoking process. This is key to getting those theme park inspired turkey legs!
- Olive Oil: To help the dry rub stick!
- Dry Rub: Use your favorite poultry dry rub or any BBQ dry rub that you prefer.
- Butter: To baste the turkey legs for maximum flavor and moisture.
Preparation
Wet Brining
- Prep the Brine: Prepare the wet brine according to the instructions in a large pot on the stove. Let it fully cool before using.
- Brine the Turkey Legs: Place the turkey legs in a large container or bag and add the wet brine. Place into the fridge and brine for 2-12 hours.
Seasoning
- Pat Dry: Remove the turkey legs from the wet brine and discard the brine mixture. Pat the turkey legs dry with paper towels.
- Season: Lightly oil each turkey leg and then season evenly on all sides covering each leg and under the skin with the BBQ dry rub.
Smoking
- Preheat: Preheat the smoker to 225 F. and set for indirect heat.
- Smoke: Place the turkey legs directly onto the grill grates and smoke for 45 min.
- Baste: After 45 minutes, begin basting with melted butter and continue to smoke until the legs reach an internal temperature of 155 F., about 1.5-2 hours.
- Increase Temperature: Increase the grill temperature to 425 F. to allow the skin to get crispy and for the legs to finish cooking to 175 F. internal.
- Remove, Rest & Enjoy: Remove the turkey legs from the grill and let them rest for 10-15 minutes. Serve with this cranberry BBQ Sauce or make ahead turkey gravy and enjoy.
Expert Smoking Tips
- For extra crispy skin, let the brined turkey legs air-dry in the refrigerator after wet brining for an hour before smoking!
- Don’t skip the brine! The brine is where we build lots of flavor in these turkey legs, setting them apart from your average turkey. It is worth taking the time to brine them before smoking them!
- Have your meat thermometer handy! While time estimates are great to go off of, it is best to have your thermometer handy to check the internal temperature of the turkey legs as they cook. That way, you know exactly when to turn the temperature up on the smoker and when to take them off!
- When checking temperature, insert your thermometer into the thickest part of the leg, avoiding contact with bone to get an accurate measurement.
What To Serve With Smoked Turkey Legs
Sometimes cooking a whole turkey is just too much work, right? These easy smoked turkey legs give you all those amazing Thanksgiving flavors without the hassle. Whether you’re hosting a smaller holiday gathering or just want to make a cozy weeknight dinner, these turkey legs have got you covered. When serving a crowd, I recommend serving them with some of my favorite side dishes:
- Cranberry BBQ Sauce
- Acorn Squash Pot Pies
- Smoked Stuffing
- Loaded Sweet Potatoes
- Smoked Scalloped Potatoes
- Smoked Butternut Squash
More Recipes To Try
- Smoked Cornish Hens
- Cheesecloth Herb Butter Turkey
- Smoked Chicken Legs
- Smoked Turkey Breast
- Turkey Pastrami Recipe
Smoked Turkey Legs Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 large Turkey Legs
- 1 batch Apple Cider Brine
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Poultry Dry Rub or other BBQ Dry Rub
- 1/4 cup Butter melted
Instructions
Apple Cider Wet Brine
- Prepare the wet brine according to the instructions in a large pot on the stove. Let it fully cool before using.
- Place the turkey legs in a large container or bag and add the wet brine. Place into the fridge and brine for 2-12 hours.
Preparation for Smoking
- Remove the turkey legs from the wet brine and discard the brine mixture. Pat the turkey legs dry with paper towels.
- Lightly oil each turkey leg and then season evenly on all sides covering each leg and under the skin with the BBQ dry rub.
Smoking Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 225 F. and set for indirect heat.
- Place the turkey legs directly onto the grill grates and smoke for 45 min.
- After 45 minutes, begin basting with melted butter and continue to smoke until the legs reach an internal temperature of 155 F., about 1.5-2 hours.
- Increase the grill temperature to 425 F. to allow the skin to get crispy and for the legs to finish cooking to 175 F. internal.
- Remove the turkey legs from the grill and let them rest for 10-15 minutes. Serve with this cranberry BBQ Sauce or make ahead turkey gravy and enjoy.