Sink your teeth into satisfaction with these Smoked Turkey Legs, slow-cooked low and slow until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and infused with rich smoke flavor. Marinated or rubbed beforehand, they cook long enough for the bark to develop and for connective tissues to soften—and they nail that signature BBQ experience with minimal fuss.
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Juicy, tender meat that easily slides off the bone
- Flavorful exterior with crunchy bark from rub and smoke
- Crowd-friendly portability: great for sharing or serving by hand
- Adaptable seasoning: play up heat, citrus, or savory herb layers
Smoked Turkey Legs
Britt Shoffner
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
12
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 3 minutes
Calories
406
Perfect for backyard feasts, game days, or cozy dinners, smoked turkey legs offer bold flavor and conversation-starting presentation. They're portable, protein-packed, and easy to customize with seasoning blends or glaze variations.
Ingredients
-
1 package Cattleman’s Grill Butcher House Brine
- 5 quarts water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup dales meat seasoning (you can also substitute soy sauce or Worcestershire)
- One dozen young turkey legs, or a half dozen large turkey legs
-
Spray Duck Fat
-
BBQ rub of choice - here are a few suggestions
-
Kim's Gourmet Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce, or BBQ sauce of choice
For the brine:
Other optional ingredients:
Directions
To make the brine:
Combine all ingredients for brine until fully dissolved and place turkey legs into brine completely submerged. Allow them to brine for 6 hours minimum or up to 24 hours.
To set your smoker:
- Set up your Yoder Smokers offset smoker to roll at roughly 275°F using hickory wood.
- Attain this by heating up a chimney full of charcoal.
- For more advice on maintaining heat on your offset, check out the video on fire maintenance.
To smoke/finish the turkey legs:
- Before smoking, pat dry (for extra crispy skin dry overnight uncovered in the fridge).
- As an option, spray with duck fat, and coat with BBQ rub of choice. Chef Britt does not use this method in her video, but it is a great way to get extra BBQ flavor.
- Smoke for 2-3 hours, depending on the size of the turkey legs until they reach an internal temperature of 165-170°F. About 10-20 degrees short of the final temperature, glaze the legs with a sauce of your choice (in the video, Chef Britt uses Kim's Gluten-Free Teriyaki Sauce.)
- For that fair festival feel, and as an option, wrap in foil and hold in a warming container (such as a steam table or your smoker that is cooling down) until ready to consume.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Can I prepare the herb butter ahead?
Yes — you can make it a day in advance and keep it refrigerated; bring to room temperature before using.
What if my turkey is larger than 16 lb?
Adjust the roasting time accordingly, and consider tenting with foil halfway through to avoid over-browning.
Can I use dried herbs if I don't have fresh?
Yes — use about one-third the volume of dried herbs (1 tsp dried rosemary for each tablespoon of fresh, for example).
Does the final 155-160°F target get this turkey fully done?
Not on its own — poultry needs to reach 165°F throughout to be safe, and the range given here stops short. Keep the second high-heat stage going until the breast clears 165°F rather than pulling within that 155-160°F window.
Do I need to baste during roasting?
No — but brushing with pan juices or melted butter midway can enhance sheen and flavor.
Can I cook these indoors?
We rate these as a 5 out of 5. Perfect for indoor or outdoor cooking.
Recipe Highlights
24-hour skin dry-out: A full day uncovered in the fridge after brining sets up much crisper skin than roasting straight from a wet bird.
Butter stuffed under the skin: Seasons the meat directly rather than relying on surface rub alone.
Two-stage oven temperature: Starts lower to cook through gently, then jumps to 450°F to finish browning the skin.
Duck fat spray finish: Adds an extra layer of fat right on the skin for color, on top of what the butter already provides underneath.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 8 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 406
- Carbs
- 3 grams
- 1%
- Protein
- 66 grams
- Fat
- 12 grams
- 16%
- Saturated Fat
- 4 grams
- 20%
- Sodium
- 390 milligrams
- 18%
- Sugar
- 2 grams
- Cholesterol
- 173 milligrams
- 58%
