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–+ servings
Smoked Turkey Legs glazed and ready to eat.
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5 from 3 votes

Smoked Turkey Legs

If you're hosting a small crowd this Thanksgiving, consider making my tasty Smoked Turkey Legs instead of a whole bird. The result is juicy and tender meat that falls off the bone!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Brine4 hours
Total Time8 hours 30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Author: Derek Wolf

Ingredients

Turkey

  • 4 Bone-in Turkey Legs
  • ⅔ cup Big Bad BBQ Ale
  • Canola Oil as needed
  • Sesame Seeds for garnish
  • Chopped Chives for garnish

Brine

  • 5-6 cups Warm Water
  • ¼ cup Brown Sugar
  • 3 tbsp Kosher Salt
  • 2 tbsp Black Pepper
  • 2 tbsp Garlic Powder
  • 1.5 tbsp Onion Powder
  • 1.5 tbsp Dried Thyme

Hot Honey Glaze

Instructions

Brine

  • Add to a food safe bowl or bag your warm water and the rest of the brining ingredients. Stir for a couple of minutes until the sugar and salt has dissolved. Add your raw turkey legs to the brine, seal the container and place in the fridge.
  • Let brine for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.

Turkey Legs

  • Pull out the turkey legs from the brine and completely pat dry. Discard the used brine. Slather with oil and generously season with my Big Bad BBQ Ale or your favorite BBQ Rub.
  • Preheat the smoker for 250F cooking indirectly. Add wood chips or wood chunks for added smoke flavor.
  • Add the turkey legs to cook for about 2-2.5 hours until reaching an internal temperature of 175 degrees F.
  • Hot Honey Glaze
  • In the last 30 minutes, warm up your honey in a hot cast iron skillet and add the chili flakes and my FYR RED Hot Sauce. Mix well and glaze the outside of the turkey legs 2-3 times right before pulling them off.
  • When the turkey legs are at temperature, pull them off and let them cool for 5 minutes.
  • Add more hot honey to the turkey legs if desired, they garnish with sesame seeds and chopped chives. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

How to Maintain the Smoke
Remember, the smoke is a crucial element in achieving that signature smoky flavor. Therefore, if you notice the smoke diminishing, add more wood chips to maintain that consistent smoky flavor you crave.

Nutrition

Serving: 18Oz | Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 72mg | Sodium: 75mg | Potassium: 735mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 671IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 657mg | Iron: 17mg