Best Smoked Turkey Legs
Smoked turkey legs (drumsticks) are easy to make by brining, coating with a rub, and cooking in a smoker to perfection. They are moist, tender, and more delicious than Disney's, making a great keto main dish for the holidays or your summer BBQ.
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 4 hr
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 6 raw turkey drumsticks (about 1 to 1 ½ each)
- 7 cups water
- 1/3 cup coarse salt (kosher salt. If you only have table salt at home, reduce the amount of salt to 3 tbsp of table salt.)
- 3/4 cup Swerve sweetener brown sugar (or brown sugar if you are not on a keto diet)
- 6 bay leaves
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs (or another fresh herb of your choice)
- 4 cloves
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1/2 cup Swerve sweetener brown sugar (or brown sugar if you are not on a low-carb diet)
- 2 tbsp coarse salt (kosher salt. If you only have table salt, use only 1 tbsp instead.)
- 1 tbsp garlic powder (don't use fresh garlic because it will burn while smoking the meat)
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tbsp fine ground black pepper
- 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil (or another with a high smoking point such as avocado, canola, or sunflower)
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar mixed with ½ cup of water
Instructions
- 1
Prep the turkey: Do not rinse the turkey legs because they will contaminate your surfaces. Place the turkey legs in a large container.
- 2
Bring half the water to a boil (about 3.5 cups), remove from the heat, and whisk in the brine ingredients (salt, sugar, bay leaves, rosemary, cloves, mustard seeds, and peppercorns) and remaining 3.5 cups of cold water.
- 3
Allow the liquid to cool (about 30 to 45 minutes).
- 4
Brine: Pour the brine onto the turkey legs, cover, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours (or closer to 48 hours for best results).
- 5
When ready to smoke, take the legs out of the brine and pat them dry. Make sure to discard the brine.
- 6
Apply the turkey leg rub: Mix the dry rub (sugar, salt, garlic, paprika, and pepper). Brush oil all over the legs and then apply the dry rub mixture generously under the skin and also over the legs.
- 7
Let them come to room temperature and absorb the rub while you preheat the smoker.
- 8
Set up your smoker according to the manufacturer's instructions and preheat it to 225-250 degrees F. Add the smoking wood and chips (maple, mesquite, or applewood for this recipe) as specified by its manufacturer.
- 9
Cook: Then, place the turkey legs on the smoker and close the lid. After 30 to 45 minutes, begin spritzing or mopping the turkey drumsticks every 30 minutes.
- 10
Smoke the turkey legs for about 3-4 hours, or until reaching an internal temperature of 165-170 degrees F taken with an instant meat thermometer. TIP: Measure the internal temperature by inserting a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the leg without touching the bone. I cooked mine in a charcoal smoker!
- 11
Serve: Remove from the smoker and allow to rest, loosely tented with a foil, for 10 minutes before serving.
- 12
Garnish: Transfer to a platter with fresh rosemary springs and some fresh cranberries (if serving for Thanksgiving) or to a tray lined with a piece of parchment paper and a small bowl of bbq sauce as a side (if serving at a bbq party).