How to Barbeque Smoked Turkey Legs

This article is about cooking smoked barbeque turkey legs. I think more people should try smoked barbeque turkey legs. Why?, have you ever been to Disney World and tried their turkey legs? They're very good and one of my favorite treats at Disney. I liked them so much that I told my wife that we have to duplicate those legs at home.

The secret is brining. You have to marinate the legs in brine before you put them on the smoker. Achieving juicy turkey legs is almost foolproof if you take this step.

The other trick of great barbeque turkey legs is crisp skin. To get crisp skin you must have dry skin (the moisture of the brine will make the skin mushy). The turkey leg skin must air dry uncovered for at least two hours to evaporate water just below the surface of the skin.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Smoker grill
• Lump charcoal
• Turkey Legs
• Kosher salt, pepper and sugar
• Poultry rub
• Olive oil
• Plastic sealable container
• Wood chunks
• Instant read meat thermometer

1. Prepare a brine using 1/2 cup of kosher salt and 1/2 cup of sugar in 1 quart of water. Prepare 1 quart of brine for every one pound of turkey legs.

2. Using a sealable plastic container, immerse the legs in the brine. Let the legs marinate for 1 hour per pound of legs.

3. Take the legs out of the brine, wash off and pat dry. Let the legs air dry under refrigeration for at least 2 hours. Rub the legs down with olive oil and season. You can season with simple salt and pepper or you can use a rub. There are several poultry rubs that make a tasty turkey legs.

4. Prepare your smoker with lump charcoal and stabilize the temperature in the range between 230 to 250 degrees.

5. Soak apple or cherry wood chunks in water for at least one hour. The smoke is milder and imparts a slight sweetness to the turkey legs. Add 2 or 3 wood chunks to the hot coals.

6. Place the turkey legs in the smoker and close the lid. It takes about 35 minutes per pound of turkey legs to cook to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

7. Check the legs with an instant read meat thermometer to determine doneness. Be sure to check several locations and avoid touching bone.

8. When done let the legs rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Tips & Warnings

• You can add additional flavors to the brine by adding fruit juices, spices, and sweeteners like honey.
• Don't let the legs stay in the brine too long (they will become overly salty).
• Avoid Mesquite or conifer wood types. Mesquite has a slightly bitter taste and the resin from conifers will render your legs inedible.
• As a precaution remember to wash and disinfect anything that comes in contact with raw poultry. Salmonella poisoning is no joke so be careful.
• Avoid opening the lid of you smoker grill. It takes 10-15 minutes for the temperature to recover which lengthens cooking time.

Resources

• Learn to Barbeque with a Smoker

[desolator144]

on 4/28/2009 I've tasted turkey legs prepared this way and they're incredibly delicious! Compared to chicken drumsticks, these last like 50x longer cuz they're huuuuuge plus they're way better.