Originally developed by our aunt (my dad’s older sister), we’ve since updated it with more details on pressing questions ya’ll have asked over the years:
Some commenters have said the turkey legs are too salty—how much salt is optimal in the brine? Can I make these in the oven if I don’t have a charcoal grill or smoker? What if I’m making more or fewer turkey legs than the recipe calls for? Can I freeze these after cooking? What if my legs are very large/small?
We have answers to all these questions, as well as instructions for making these turkey legs indoors in an oven and in a charcoal grill or smoker outdoors. Enjoy!
The Disney turkey leg
When we were young, trips to Disney World were met with much fanfare:
The time off from school! (I’ll skip your multiplication tables and coloring workbooks, thank you very much!)
The rides! (This is the year I ride Thunder Mountain and actually put my hands in the air!)*
The characters! (Mickey Mouse! Goofy! Mustn’t forget my autograph book!)
And. THE FOOD!!!
While the food prices at Disney World were enough to make my parents’ eyes pop with every glance at a menu board, they made an exception for just one food item in particular: The Smoked Turkey Legs. (Because that definitely deserves some capitalization.) Ahhh smoked turkey legs. That deliciously salty, slightly hammy meat, smoked to a dark and glossy perfection… We’d pay the astronomical (in the mid-90s) $8 to $10 for one and pass it around like a meaty peace pipe, tearing off hunks of turkey like the ravenous tourists that we were so okay with being at that moment. Not one for rides or theme parks, this turkey leg was THE main attraction for my mom. Perhaps it was even the reason we got her to walk through those park gates in the first place! *Of course this never actually happened, because when Sarah and I were young, we were weak-kneed scaredy-cats, and by the time we were old enough to not be weak-kneed scaredy-cats, Thunder Mountain was such a snooze fest that it felt like more of a scenic trolley ride than anything else.
A homemade, backyard smoked turkey leg recipe
So imagine our excitement when a couple years ago, my aunt started making smoked turkey legs in a charcoal grill in her backyard! The taste is almost exactly the same, and you can make them in a big batch with relative ease. We headed over to their house in Western New York for the July 4th weekend, and absolutely INSISTED that we eat these and document the process. There are some tastes that make such an indelible mark on your memory that you become a tiny bit obsessed, and this is one of them. If you share my crazed ardor for this form of smoked poultry, read on!
Smoked Turkey Legs Recipe Instructions
Combine the brine ingredients in a large pot, and bring to a boil. Let cool. If you’re short on time, you can also boil the brine with just 2 quarts of water. Then add 64 ounces of ice to cool to about 1 gallon of brine. Every year, the mastermind behind this recipe (my aunt) visits for Thanksgiving, and I take the chance to pick her brain on this recipe—and your pressing questions! While that’s happening, rinse your turkey legs and set aside in a large container (one that will fit into your refrigerator). You may want to use two separate containers. When the brine has cooled, pour the brine over the turkey legs, making sure they are totally submerged. (Our container in the photo below is too small—a large pot works better.) Cover and refrigerate overnight. If you want to expedite the process or simply have very large turkey legs, use a marinade injector. Inject 2-5 full syringes of brine into each turkey leg—however much it will take! (The turkey legs will actually expand as the brine goes in. Sounds a bit gruesome, but it really gets the flavor of the brine into the meat, and marinade injectors are pretty inexpensive!) If expediting, brine the injected turkey legs for 5-6 hours rather than the full 24 hours. If you’re just using larger legs and want to make sure they’re flavorful, you can brine for the full 24 hours after injecting. When the turkey legs are ready, heat your charcoal. Your key tools for this recipe are a charcoal grill, a chimney starter, natural hardwood lump charcoal, and wet wood chips, which provides the smoky flavor. Fill your chimney with charcoal and light the coals with a piece of newspaper. (Note: if using a smoker rather than a charcoal grill, wood chips aren’t necessary.) Let heat for a solid 15-20 minutes or so, until the coals are slightly white hot. Also, take 1-2 handfuls of wood chips and soak them in water while the coals are heating. At this point, if you haven’t already injected your turkey legs with brine, you can do so, injecting them with 4-5 syringes full of brine at various points around each leg, to ensure they’re moist and juicy before cooking. Pour the coals into the grill and scatter the wood chips around the coals. Lay your grill rack over the coals. Place the turkey legs on the grill rack and close the grill. 1 chimney-full of coal is enough to start for an average-sized charcoal grill. Add another chimney of coal every 20-30 minutes, depending on the kind of charcoal you’re using. Periodically add additional wet wood chips to make more smoke as needed. More wood chips makes more smoke, increasing the “hammy” smoked flavor of the turkey legs. You can cater this to your personal preferences. I like my smoked turkey legs hammy with a good smoke ring. My aunt prefers more of a natural flavor. Take your pick! The slow-cooking method is key here. Periodically check the smoked turkey legs, turning every once in a while, and make sure the grill maintains a temperature of 300-325°F (150-160°C). There is some element of trial and error to this if you’re a first-timer. Make observations and adjust amounts of charcoal, wood chips, and heat over the course of the cooking time. Maintain the grill, charcoal, and wood chips, letting the turkey cook for 3½ to 4 hours, until the smoked turkey legs have a nice, dark smoky color that a young Chinese girl once thought only existed within the walls of Disney World. Serve immediately. Wrap your smoked turkey legs with a napkin or butcher paper and get medieval with it! Let your inner caveman / inner Disney World fanatic dig in. :) Brine the turkey legs, fully submerged, for 24 hours. On day 2, use a marinade injector to inject the brine 4-5x in different spots around the turkey leg. The legs will visibly puff up and get bigger. Put the turkey legs on a tall wire rack set in a deep roasting pan. Fill the pan with 1/2 inch (1-2cm) of water. This prevents any drippings from burning. Cover with foil and put in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 1 hour for small 1 pound (450g) turkey legs or 1.5 hours for larger turkey legs. (Previous instructions on this post advised wrapping the turkey legs in foil and cooking for an additional hour, such that they essentially steam and stay moist for a portion of the cooking time, but this is not strictly necessary to cook the turkey through.) At the end of the roasting time, uncover the turkey legs, and set the oven to a low broil. Brown each side of the turkey legs, turning the legs periodically (every 2-5 minutes, depending on your oven) to ensure that they don’t burn. Best to stick close to the oven. Instead of using the broiler, you can also finish them over a gas or charcoal grill to impart more color and flavor. If you want to make these ahead, proceed with the oven instructions, then wrap the turkey legs in foil until you’re ready to finish them in the oven or on the grill for serving.
