Have you ever had one of those gigantic turkey legs from one of the Disney parks and wondered how you can do that at home? I’m going to tell you how! These are great in the smoker, as I did them, or you can grill them and even cook them in the oven!
Ingredients:
2 large turkey legs, skin on
Barbecue dry rub
Apple cider vinegar
For the brine:
4 cups boiling water
3 cups ice cubes
3/4 cup kosher salt (or 9 tablespoons table salt)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1/2 Tbsp onion powder
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp crushed black pepper
** The brine helps to infuse flavor into the meat and keep the meat juicy.
Directions:
Place turkey legs in a large pot.
Combine all of the seasonings for the brine in a large bowl.
Pour the boiling water over the seasonings and mix well.
Add the three cups of ice cubes to the mixture. You want the mixture to be cool to the touch. If it’s not, add another cup of ice cubes.
Pour the brine over the turkey legs, making sure the legs are completely submerged. If they aren’t, add enough cold water to the pot to cover them.
Cover the pot and let the turkey legs sit in the brine, refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
Cooking the turkey legs:
Heat your smoker to 225 degrees. (If cooking in the oven, set your oven to 250 degrees)
Remove the turkey legs from the brine and pat dry.
Cover the turkey legs in a barbecue dry rub (any kind you would like). I made my own using the following ingredients…
Dry rub:
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp smoked paprika
3 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp oregano
2 Tbsp Meat Church Honey Hog BBQ rub
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Place turkey legs on the smoker. Spray the turkey legs with apple cider vinegar every 30 minutes to keep the skin from drying out.
Smoke until an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Make sure the turkey is at 165 degrees internal temperature to serve safely. Remove the turkey legs and let rest for approximately 10 minutes. Serve.
About Smoke 'n Thyme with Dania
Dania Beck resides in the Upstate of South Carolina, and is a working mom who has a passion for cooking. Dania is quick to share that she has no culinary training. She likes to say, “I’m just a mom who loves to cook”. Dania hopes that by sharing her love of cooking through pictures and recipes, that she will inspire others. Dania says, “You don’t have to be a trained chef to make really good food. You just have to enjoy food and be willing to try”.
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