Smoked Turkey Legs

Jamie and Brittney
Sep 27, 2017
2 min read

Smoked turkey legs are not only delicious, but they are cheap and extremely easy to make! They remind me of going to the fair and Disneyland! I love getting turkey legs at both places, they are the best food they both have, even though they can be a little messy. They feed a lot of people though so I am okay with a little mess. Plus, the flavor is out of this world so a little mess does not really seem to matter after I start to dig in.

You can brine your turkey legs if you want, but you do not have to. I have done it both ways and honestly I cannot tell the difference. Because they are dark meat and I leave the skin on, they stay moist, they do not dry out at all. Plus, I really do not think the meat needs any seasoning, it does just fine on it's own. But if you would like to put them in some brine, mix water and whatever seasonings you like (I used garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder and seasoning salt). Let the legs sit in the brine overnight then rinse them before you put them in the smoker. You can then season them more if you would like, you can use the same seasonings above or go for something different like mesquite.

As I mentioned above, I always get turkey legs at the fair and Disneyland, with an ear of corn you have a huge meal. I usually share with at least a couple of people. The nice thing about making them at home is you can control the size of the turkey leg. I have bought huge ones and smaller ones, just depending on how many people are eating and if we want leftovers. They are both easy to cook, but the huge ones take a lot longer. But they also get a nice crispiness to them.

Turn your smoker on a low heat, about 225 - 250, you want to slow cook the legs so they stay moist and tender. If you cook the small ones about 4 - 5 hours and the huge ones about 7 - 8 hours, they should be perfect, but be sure to check them with a thermometer to be sure. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees. Be careful to not touch the bone when you are checking the temperature.

Don't forget to check the wood chips and refill when necessary! Pick the flavor wood chips you like best, I like apple and Jack Daniel's best for turkey legs. The assorted wood chips below would be great for trying new flavors but not being stuck with a huge bag.