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Big Flavor, Small Effort: Smoked Turkey Legs

Smoked Turkey Legs

As the holiday season approaches, many of us start planning the perfect Thanksgiving centerpiece. But what if there’s a simpler, equally delicious way to enjoy turkey?

This year, I’m swapping out the whole bird for something more manageable: smoked and brined turkey legs. After a successful run with turkey breast last year, I’ve set my sights on a twist inspired by Steven’s Turkey Ham recipe, which combines the rich, smoky succulent of classic smoked ham with the familiar and beloved flavor of turkey. Using Big Tom’s Turkey Roasting Rub and Brine from Sauce Goddess, the goal is to bring out the best in a turkey leg while keeping the process simple and easy.

Smoked Turkey Legs

Turkey legs are a great alternative to a whole turkey for dinner—especially if you’re serving a smaller group this year. Turkey legs are simpler to prepare and cook more quickly than a whole bird. The dark meat of turkey legs is naturally more flavorful and juicier, plus buying turkey legs is cheaper, which can be a great budget-friendly option.

Last year I made Turkey Breast, and it was the first time I had ever used a brine. So, I thought I would try it again since I was the talk of the Thanksgiving table last year. (It was the most popular blog of 2023!) Although I did make a slight modification.

Turkey Legs

This time around I brined the turkey legs with less salt. I submerged the legs in water, 1/4 cup of Big Tom’s Turkey Roasting Rub and Brine, and 1/4 cup of salt overnight. In total the legs brined for about 18 hours give or take. Last year, I really liked Big Tom’s Turkey Roasting Rub and Brine from Sauce Goddess, so I thought I’d use it again this year. This rub is a delicious, low sodium blend perfect for poultry, combining rosemary, marjoram, and thyme with an array of other spices. It’s awesome!

Big Tom's Roasting Rub

After brining, I set up my Weber Kettle for smoking and I added cherry wood chunks to generate the smoker flavor. Cherry has a natural affinity with poultry, but you could use any hardwood you have on hand. I removed the legs from the brine, rinsed the legs off, patted them dry, and applied more of the Big Tom’s rub.

Steven’s recipe calls for the smoker temperature to be around 225 – 250 degrees. I always have a hard time keeping my Weber that low, so I ended up smoking the legs around 300 -320 degrees. The internal temp for the turkey legs needs to be 170-175 degrees and my legs came up to that temperature much faster than I anticipated. I was expecting about 3 to 4 hours and instead it was about 2. Probably because of the higher temperature.

Smoked Turkey Legs on the Grill

The result was amazing! The handsome bronze color, the fragrant wood smoke, and awesome ham-turkey flavor! The meat may have come out a little more tender at a lower temperature, but we devoured the high heat version with gusto.

Using Big Tom’s Turkey Roasting Rub is simply one of my go-to’s when it comes to turkey. Weather it’s legs, wings, or the whole bird, and I highly recommend that you give it a try.

Somked Turkey Legs - Final

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