When it comes to taste, fun cooking adventures, Christmas get-togethers, and New Year’s Eve, the only thing that pops in my mind is enjoying smoked turkey legs with mashed potatoes in the backyard. Smoked turkey legs are undoubtedly my all-time favourite and will also be yours after this recipe.
If you have tried cooking smoked turkey legs earlier and every time something is missing, your wait is up. Here I’m gonna share a game-changing recipe for juicy, tender, and well-seasoned smoked turkey legs. A recipe that will satisfy all your cravings! Give it a try and thank me later.
Ingredients for the smoked turkey leg recipe
The thing that I like the most about the recipe is that you only need simple household ingredients. These quantities are for 4 turkey legs. If you are trying it for a greater or lesser number of legs, you can increase or decrease accordingly.
- 4 Turkey legs
- Olive oil as needed
For the brine mixture:
- Filtered water, almost 6 cups
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons kosher/ table salt
- 1 teaspoon pink salt for wet curing (optional but highly recommended)
- 2 tablespoons pepper (better to grind fresh peppercorns)
- 1.5-2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1.5 tablespoons onion powder
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 cloves
For seasoning rub:
You can use your favourite seasoning rub. However, for homemade dry rub;
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1.5 tablespoons kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- ¼ tablespoon powdered black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
For honey glaze
- 2 cups local honey
- 1 tablespoon red chilli flakes
- Your favourite sauce as needed
For garnishing (optional):
- Sesame seeds as needed
- Chives as needed
Equipment notes:
- A smoker/grill
- A digital meat thermometer
- An injector
- Wood chips and coals
Steps for cooking smoked turkey legs
If you are cooking smoked turkey legs for the first time, you may be a bit reluctant. But, don’t worry, The Smokingrills make it easier than you think. The only key to perfectly tender and flavorful smoked turkey legs is good brining and slow cooking. Let’s start this amazing cookout step by step:
Step 1: Soak the turkey legs in the brine mixture
Get yourself a sufficient quantity of uniformly sized turkey legs, as this ensures even cooking of the meat. The first and foremost is a good brining of legs as it prevents them from drying during smoking, and you will get perfectly flavoured, tender, and juicy legs.
Preparation of brine mixture
Boil the water with all the ingredients of the brine mentioned above. Allow it to cool properly. Here is something important regarding salt. Both Kosher and table salt can be used in this recipe, but kosher salt is preferred as this is less salty and gives a good hammy flavour. I’m using kosher salt, so,
- If you like saltier and hammier legs, then take 4 tablespoons of kosher salt.
- For moderately salty but still well-seasoned turkey legs, 3 tablespoons are sufficient.
- If you are sensitive to salt, then 2 tablespoons are enough. However, this is not preferable.
If you are using table salt, it is important to reduce by ½ or ¼ of the above as this is more salty as compared to kosher salt. Also, pink curing salt is a real game-changer in my opinion.
Place the legs in brine
Rinse your turkey legs while your brine is cooling. Now, place them in the brine so that they are fully submerged and put the sealed container in the fridge. To get hammy legs, you should brine them for 12 to 24 hours. So, overnight brining is recommended.
However, if you are short of time, you can inject some amount of brine into turkey legs and brine for 5 to 6 hours. To inject legs with brine sounds a bit gruesome, but believe me, you will get flavoured and juicy legs.
Step 2: Sprinkle the seasoning rub
Take the legs out of brine about 3 to 4 hours before serving. Pat your legs with a paper towel to dry them. Spray the legs with olive or any other vegetable oil to make the rub stay.
Now, sprinkle the seasoning rub generously. Well, I prefer the Butt Seasoning Rub as it adds perfect flavour to my dishes. You may use an alternative BBQ rub or the homemade rub mentioned above.
Step 3: Preheat your smoker, gas grill
While your rub takes some time to get settled, turn your smoker and gas grill on. Set the temperature to 250 to 275°F. Put the coals and some wet wood chips to produce additional smoke. Allow them to burn for 15 to 20 minutes until the coals are white hot.
Step 4: Cook the turkey legs
After placing the turkey legs in the grill/ smoker, close it. Put the coals and flip the legs periodically after 20 to 30 minutes. Smoke the turkey legs until the internal temperature reaches 175°F and the legs have a dark, smoky colour.
It is important to maintain the temperature of the grill at 300 to 325°F to allow slow cooking. The greater time the turkey legs take to raise their internal temperature from 160 to 170 F, the tastier they will be.
For a better experience, I recommend the Smokingrills 3 in 1 charcoal smoker box as they are super reliable for use and maintaining temperature with a built-in thermometer.
Glazing the smoked turkey legs
Half an hour before the meat is cooked, take the above-mentioned quantity of honey in a pan. Add chilli flakes and some sauce and mix it well.
Now apply this glaze on the upper surface of the turkey legs using a brush. Close the grill for 2 to 3 minutes. Then flip the side and repeat the procedure.
Step 6: Serve your juicy smoked turkey legs
Pull the smoked turkey legs out of the grill/smoker. Add some sesame seeds and chives for the perfect finishing touch. Chives are onion-like greenish herbs. They form a good contrast of green with red legs.
Wrap them in tin foil and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Then serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or macaroni salad to balance the saltiness.
Conclusion
This is the best smoked turkey leg recipe I have ever tried. However, can adjust the quantity of ingredients, particularly salt, according to your taste preferences. But one thing you shouldn’t compromise on is thorough brining and temperature maintenance for slow cooking.
Frequently asked questions
Q. For how much time should I brine the turkey legs?
The optimal brining time for the smoked turkey leg recipe is 12 to 24 hours. It is recommended to brine them overnight at least. However, for completely tender and juicy legs, 24 hours is good.
Q. How can I check the internal temperature of the turkey leg?
For this purpose, a digital meat thermometer. is required. Push the thermometer into the thickest part of the leg, but make sure that it doesn’t touch the bone. When it shows 175°F, your turkey legs are fully cooked.
Q. Can I freeze the smoked turkey legs?
Yes, the smoked turkey legs can easily be frozen for about a month. Put them in an airtight container or wrap them gently in tin foil and place them in the freezer. To reheat, put them over the grill. Steaming is a better option, though.
Q. What wood chips should I use for smoked turkey legs?
If you want a light smoky flavour, fruit trees like cherry or applewood work best. However, for a strong smoky flavour, you can go for hickory wood chunks.
