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+ servings
Smoked turkey leg in mashed potatoes.

Smoked Turkey Legs

Throw some turkey legs on the grill and serve them at Thanksgiving, at a summer barbecue, or just for the family on a weeknight. These smoked turkey legs are brined and sprayed with an apple cider spritz.
Prep 14 hours
Cook 3 hours
Total 17 hours
Fat 46
Carbs
Protein 132
Yield 6

Ingredients

  • 12 cups water
  • 1 cup kosher salt
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 5 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • ½ large white onion chopped
  • 6 large turkey legs ~6 lb. total or 1 lb. per drumsticks
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1.5 cups apple juice

Instructions

  • Remove the packaging from the turkey legs and discard any extra turkey parts that came with the turkey legs. Set the turkey aside.
  • First, prepare the turkey leg brine. Add 12 cups of cold water to a large 5 gallon bucket or pot.
  • Remove 2 cups of water from the bucket and add it to a small saucepan. Add the salt to the water and whisk. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and allow the mixture to boil until the salt has dissolved completely.
  • Add the salt water to the bucket and stir to combine. Add the thyme, rosemary, and half of the white onion to the bucket of water. Place the turkey legs in the bucket of water. Be sure the turkey legs are submerged in water. Refrigerate the turkey legs overnight to brine.
    Smoked turkey brine in a bucket with turkey legs.
  • The next morning, preheat the smoker to 240ºF and remove the turkey legs from the brine and rinse the turkey legs under cold water. Then, pat them dry with a paper towel.
    Smoked Smoked turkey legs on a paper towel. Legs
  • Next, prepare the apple cider spritz. Add olive oil to the small saucepan and over medium/high heat. When the olive oil is fragrant add the garlic. Sauté the garlic until fragrant and golden brown. Pour the apple juice into the saucepan and to a gentle simmer.
    The apple cider spritz for smoked turkey legs.
  • Remove the apple juice from the heat and pour it through a fine sieve to remove the garlic from the apple juice.
  • Let the apple juice cool and then transfer the apple juice into a clean spray bottle.
  • Place the turkey legs on the smoker and smoke the turkey legs for 2 - 3 hours, spritzing the turkey legs with the apple juice spritz every 30-45 minutes.
    Smoked turkey legs on the smoker.
  • Remove the turkey legs from the smoker when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Let the turkey legs rest for 10-15 minutes before eating.
    Smoked turkey legs on a platter.

Tips & Notes

  • Turkey legs can be hard to find outside of the holiday season. You can usually find turkey legs at your local butcher or in the frozen section of specialty grocery stores.
  • We used Traeger Signature blend smoking pellets.

Watch it

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 975kcal | Protein: 132g | Fat: 46g