Smoking a whole turkey is a great accomplishment. When it’s done right, the process yields plenty of juicy, tender meat.
The problem is that it takes a long time to smoke a whole bird. If you’re craving similar results but don’t have a lot of time to spare, you might consider smoking a batch of turkey legs instead.
Where To Buy Turkey Legs
Around the holidays, you may be able to buy turkey legs at the supermarket. At other times, you can pre-order them from your butcher or a local farm. If you aren’t able to procure them that way, there are several online retailers that sell turkey legs either raw or precooked.
About Turkey Legs
In technical terms, the turkey leg is made up of both the drumstick and the thigh meat. However, most of the time, recipes will call them drumsticks, even though that term refers solely to the section of the leg beneath the knee joint.
Since turkey breast is a more popular option in the US, turkey legs are usually available at a lower price. They’re sold with the skin on and the bone attached, so the total meat yield is fairly low. However, the meat itself is hearty and delicious.
Smoking and grilling are popular preparation methods, but you can also braise turkey legs so that the meat sloughs easily off the bone. This comes in especially handy if you want to use the meat to make tacos or sandwiches.
Turkey legs are more flavorful than chicken legs, which are also much smaller. If the legs came from wild turkeys, the meat will be even richer in flavor, although it may also be tough and gamy.
Store fresh turkey legs in the coldest part of the fridge, toward the rear. The refrigerator should be set to a temperature between 33 and 39 degrees. They should keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, but try to cook them as soon as possible.
If you need to store the turkey legs for longer than a couple of days, transfer them to the freezer instead. When frozen, the meat should retain its best qualities for up to 6 months.
Pros of Smoking Turkey Legs
There’s a reason why smoked turkey legs are a common sight at theme parks and county fairs. In addition to being delicious, they have a ton of eye appeal. They also give off a mouthwatering aroma that would be tough for any carnivore to resist.
Since turkey legs are smaller than whole turkeys, they also take less time to cook. If you were to smoke an 18-pound turkey at 275 degrees Fahrenheit, you could be waiting around for over 7 hours. A batch of turkey legs should take 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours.
Turkey legs offer convenience when you’re cooking for a large crowd. There’s no need to carve the meat into slices after taking it off the smoker. Just let the meat rest for about 5 minutes, then serve.
Cons of Smoking Turkey Legs
One obvious drawback to making smoked turkey legs is the lack of white meat.
Some people, especially young children, are picky about what they eat and would prefer white meat, which is only found on the breast of the turkey. When you smoke only the legs, you’re eliminating that option.
Serving sizes are another potential issue. It’s difficult to divide a turkey leg between two people—you would typically assume that each guest would consume one, if not two.
The problem here is that a single turkey leg can weigh up to 2-1/2 pounds. That’s more than we would typically recommend for a single serving, even when we plan on having a bunch of meat left over.
Fortunately, both of these issues are easy to circumvent. If you suspect that your guests won’t appreciate the novelty of smoked turkey legs, consider buying turkey breast for the smoker instead.
You can also seek out smaller turkey legs. Some specimens might weigh just 1 pound apiece. Of course, it’s easier to be specific about the weight if you shop locally, instead of buying from an online retailer. We’ll discuss this in greater detail later.
Where to Buy Turkey Legs: A Guide
The rise of online shopping has made it easier than ever to procure turkey legs for the smoker. Even if you live in a rural area, you can have fresh meat delivered right to your door.
Farmer’s Fresh Meat sells turkey drumsticks at a reasonable per-pound price. You can even buy them by the case at a slight discount. A single 30-pound case contains 15 to 17 drumsticks, each weighing around 2 pounds apiece.
While shopping online offers convenience, we prefer to shop locally whenever possible. If you can see the turkey legs in person before buying, you’ll be able to tell how large they are, which can help you with serving sizes.
Around Thanksgiving, you should be able to find turkey legs in the meat section of the supermarket. Retailers know that turkey is a popular holiday option, so they’re more likely to keep these products in stock in November and December. The rest of the time, you may have to preorder.
This is yet another reason why you should foster a good relationship with your local butchers. If there’s no specialty meat market near you, find the nearest mom-and-pop grocery store. There should be a butcher there who would be happy to help.
Depending on where you live, you might be able to go a step further and buy your meat directly from a turkey farm. You’ll probably have to place your order in advance, though, so make sure to plan ahead.
Do You Have to Brine Turkey Legs?
Brining is never strictly necessary. You can skip the step and still wind up with delectable smoked meat.
However, we do recommend brining turkey legs to help them retain their natural moisture. Dark meat is more tender and succulent when it’s cooked to 180-185 degrees. When it’s brined, the turkey will be even more juicy and flavorful.
In the recipe below, we’ve provided step-by-step instructions on how to brine the meat. You don’t need to rinse the turkey legs after brining, but if you do, make sure to disinfect the sink and countertops when you’re finished.
How To Smoke Turkey Legs
Ingredients
- 4 turkey legs (preferably 1-1/2 to 2 pounds apiece)
- 5 cups cold water
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Ice cubes (as needed)
Directions
1. Make the brine. Combine 3 cups of the water with the salt, honey, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, and cayenne. Bring the mixture to a boil, then stir in the remaining 2 cups of water.
2. Add ice to the brine, stirring until the mixture cools to room temperature. Place the pot in the fridge until the brine cools to 39 degrees or below.
Note: You can skip the step with the ice cubes and just put the mixture directly in the fridge, but it will take longer to cool that way.
3. When the brine is cool enough, put the turkey legs in gallon-size zip-top bags. You’ll probably need to divide them so that there are 2 legs in each bag, depending on how big they are.
4. Divide the brine mixture between the bags so that the turkey legs are fully saturated. Seal the bags and return the meat to the fridge.
5. Let the turkey legs sit in the brine for at least 8 hours, or overnight. Don’t brine them for longer than 24 hours, or the meat will have a spongy texture once it’s cooked.
6. Remove the meat from the bags and discard the brine. Pat the turkey legs dry with paper towels.
7. Set the smoker to 275 degrees. If you’re using a pellet smoker, or putting wood chips on a gas or charcoal grill, we recommend using apple wood for this recipe.
8. Smoke the turkey legs for 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the meat hits the 180-degree mark.
9. When the meat is finished cooking, remove the turkey legs from the heat. Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Can You Buy Precooked Turkey Legs?
We should point out that there’s no need to smoke the turkey legs yourself if you’re really pressed for time. It’s possible to buy turkey legs that have already been given the royal treatment on the smoker. In this case, all you need to do is heat them up.
The aforementioned Farmer’s Fresh Meat sells cases of precooked turkey drumsticks. They cost significantly more than their raw counterparts—you’re paying extra for the convenience. Also, be aware that they arrive frozen for preservation purposes.
The Bottom Line
As always, it’s a good idea to strike up a friendly relationship with your local butcher. They should be able to help you procure turkey legs the next time you need them. If all else fails, turn to an online retailer for delivery.
Best of luck, and happy grilling!
