Smoked Turkey Legs

If you are looking for an easy recipe to make in your smoker, make these turkey legs. The seasonings are simple and the results are tender and juicy turkey legs that will be a family favorite.

You may also love this Smoked Whole Turkey Recipe, Smoked Turkey Injection Recipe or Smoked Turkey Breast Tenderloins.

Why We Love This Recipe

If you have gone to Disney World theme parks, chances are you have probably gotten a turkey leg. Now you can easily make it at home and skip the expensive theme park.

You will love the smoky flavor and the simple seasoning to make your favorite turkey leg recipe.

Ingredients

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.

Smoked Turkey Leg Variations

• Seasoning – Feel free to change the spices to what you prefer. You can also just drizzle oil or use fresh herbs.
• BBQ Sauce – Once the turkey legs are finished cooking, baste it with BBQ Sauce.

How to Cook Smoked Turkey Legs

• Step 1 – Heat Smoker – Preheat a smoker with a water pan to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. 

• Step 2 – Mix Rub Ingredients – Mix the rub ingredients together in a small bowl.

• Step 3 – Dry Turkey Legs – Pat the turkey legs dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture from the turkey.

• Step 4 – Rub with Melted Butter – Rub the melted butter on all sides of the turkey legs. 

• Step 5 – Season the Turkey Legs – Season the turkey legs with the rub mixture by rubbing the mixture into the sides of the turkey legs with your hands.  

• Step 6 – Place Turkey Legs in Smoker – Then place the turkey legs directly on the grill grates in the smoker. Close the lid of the smoker to begin cooking.

• Step 7 – Smoke Turkey Legs – Cook the turkey for 1 ½ to 2 hours until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

• Step 8 – Serve and Enjoy – Remove the turkey legs from the smoker.  Let them sit for 20-30 minutes (so that the juices can settle) and then the turkey legs are ready to serve and enjoy.

Recipe Tips

• Wood Chips – Make sure to add chips to the smoker every 15 minutes if your smoker does not have an automatic feature.  Feel free to use a combination of hickory, cherry or apple wood.
• Before Cooking Turkey Legs – Before placing the turkey legs in the smoker, make sure they are at room temperature.
• Rest Turkey Legs – After remove the turkey legs from the smoker, allow them to rest for about 30 minutes before serving.
• Pre Smoked Turkey Legs – If you have pre smoked turkey legs, simply rub with olive oil and place on grill. Grill on medium heat and make sure the thickest part of the leg reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. You can also place in the oven, air fryer, or slow cooker.
• Brine Turkey Legs – Brining turkey legs is not necessary in this recipe. But if you prefer you can brine them with salt and cold water for 24 hours.
• Seasoning the Turkey Legs – When adding the dry rub to the turkey legs, make sure it fully covers the drumsticks.

How Long to Smoke Turkey Legs

Once you have placed the turkey legs in the smoker, it takes about 2 hours to smoke the turkey legs.

Use an instant-read meat thermometer to make sure that the turkey is cooked to a safe temperature. The temperature should reach 165 before removing it from the smoker.  

Can you Bake Turkey Legs?

Yes, you can bake turkey legs. This is a great way to enjoy turkey legs if you do not have a smoker.

• Prepare the turkey legs as directed in the recipe.
• Rub the turkey legs with the dry rub and place in a deep roasting pan.
• Add a little water to the bottom to prevent any of the drippings from burning.
• Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in a preheated oven at 325 degrees. Place turkey legs in the oven.
• Cook the turkey legs for about an hour. You may need to cook longer, depending on the size of the turkey legs.
• Once they have cooked, remove the foil and turn your oven to broil. Check the internal temperature of the turkey legs.
• Broil the drumsticks for a few minutes to create a golden brown, crispy skin.
• Instead of broiling the drumsticks you can place on a gas or charcoal grill to finish cooking.

How to Get a Crispy Turkey Skin

My favorite part of making these turkey legs in the smoker, is the crispy skin. The smoker really helps to achieve a crispy skin because of the drying effect. The brown sugar in the dry helps also to achieve the crispy texture on the skin.

Make sure to maintain the correct temperature in the smoker to achieve the perfect crispy skin on the turkey legs.

Serving Suggestions

This turkey leg recipe can be served with many side dish recipes. We love to make our side dishes in the smoker because of the flavor and everything gets done about the same time. Here are some of our favorites.

• Smoked Hasselback Potatoes
• Smoked Mac and Cheese
• More Smoked Side Dishes