Description
There’s something magical about the smell of smoked turkey legs on a warm Southern afternoon. These juicy, flavorful, and customizable turkey legs are a soulful, smoky favorite made simple at home.
Ingredients
4 large turkey legs (bone-in, skin on)
1/4 cup olive oil or melted butter
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Optional: 1 teaspoon cayenne or chipotle for heat
2 cups apple cider or chicken broth (for spritzing)
Wood chips (hickory, applewood, or pecan preferred)
Instructions
1. Prep the turkey legs by rinsing and patting them dry. Marinate overnight if using a citrus-based marinade.
2. Rub each leg with olive oil or butter, then coat thoroughly with spice rub. Massage well.
3. Preheat smoker to 225°F. Add preferred wood chips.
4. Place turkey legs directly on smoker rack. Maintain steady temperature.
5. After the first hour, spritz with apple cider every 30 minutes.
6. Smoke for 2.5 to 3 hours until internal temp reaches 165°F. Optionally increase heat to 350°F for last 10 minutes.
7. Let rest for 10 minutes tented in foil before serving.
Notes
Pair with cornbread, greens, mac and cheese, or slaw.
Use mustard-based BBQ sauce or homemade gravy.
Leftovers make great sliders, hash, or jambalaya.
Store in fridge up to 4 days or freeze for 3 months.
Reheat in oven at 300°F with broth; avoid microwave for best texture.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Main
- Method: Smoking
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 turkey leg
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 45g
- Cholesterol: 130mg
Keywords: smoked turkey legs, BBQ, southern cooking