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You don’t need to wait for the State Fair to enjoy juicy Smoked Turkey Legs! Start with a simple, flavorful brine, then add the legs to your smoker for a couple of hours. They’re smoky, delicious, and meltingly tender. If you have a smoker, this is a recipe you won’t want to miss!
Smoked turkey legs are an absolute joy to eat and the height of summer cooking. I fire up the grill as often as I can, but smoked meats are a whole new level of awesome outdoor cooking.
And since most people don’t own a smoker, serving smoked meats is always impressive. “It tastes like that barbecue restaurant in town!” they say. Little do they know, smoking turkey legs is as easy as anything else.
So if you can’t handle the crowds of the State Fair, or you have a craving you just can’t crush, I hope you’ll love these Smoked Turkey Legs as much as I do!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Pink Curing Salt #1: Also known as Prague Powder or Insta Cure No. 1, this contains both sodium chloride (94%) and sodium nitrite (6%). It is used to preserve and cure meats such as bacon, ham, sausage, and corned beef, and gives cured meats a distinctive pink color. Pink Curing Salt is not safe to use as a table salt substitute. (Ingredient information adapted from The Art of Charcuterie.)
- Turkey Legs: Select bone-in, skin-on raw turkey legs for this recipe. Turkey legs typically weigh between 1 and 2 pounds each; aim for 5 pounds for this recipe.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the water, brown sugar, kosher salt, and curing salt until dissolved. Add peppercorns and bay leaves. Add turkey legs to the bowl, adding additional water if needed to cover, and top with a plate to ensure they remain submerged in the brine. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees. Remove turkey legs from brine and pat dry. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Add turkey legs directly onto grate in the smoker. Close smoker and smoke until turkey legs are tender and reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
- Remove from smoker, tent with foil, and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 juicy Smoked Turkey Legs. The recipe easily doubles or triples for a crowd, so make a lot!
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Make ahead: Reheat smoked turkey legs in a 325-degree oven covered with foil until heated through and reaches 165 degrees on a digital thermometer, about 20 to 30 minutes
- Freezer: Pack in a freezer-safe container, label, date, and freeze smoked turkey legs for 3 to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Recipe FAQs
Pink Curing Salt is a commercial product comprising of sodium chloride (94%) and sodium nitrite (6%). It is used to preserve and cure meats such as bacon, ham, sausage, and corned beef, and gives cured meats a distinctive pink color. It also slows rancidity, prevents stale taste, and is the only substance approved to prevent botulism in cured and smoked foods.
Yes. Pink Curing Salt is safe to consume when proper guidelines are followed. 1 level teaspoon of curing salt is used per 5 pounds of meat. Do not use curing salt as a substitute for table salt. Store in a cool, dark place and out of the reach of children.
Yes! Brine as directed, omitting the curing salt. The flavor will be less sweet, and the meat will be a more gray color than pink.
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Smoked Turkey Legs
Ingredients
- 4 cups water cold
- ¼ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pink curing salt #1 (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 turkey legs (see note 2)
- olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the water, brown sugar, kosher salt, and curing salt until dissolved. Add peppercorns and bay leaves.
- Add turkey legs to the bowl, adding additional water if needed to cover, and top with a plate to ensure they remain submerged in the brine. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees. Remove turkey legs from brine and pat dry. Rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Add turkey legs directly onto grate in the smoker. Close smoker and smoke until turkey legs are tender and reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Remove from smoker, tent with foil, and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Pink Curing Salt #1: Also known as Prague Powder or Insta Cure No. 1, this contains both sodium chloride (94%) and sodium nitrite (6%). It is used to preserve and cure meats such as bacon, ham, sausage, and corned beef, and gives cured meats a distinctive pink color. Pink Curing Salt is not safe to use as a table salt substitute.
- Turkey Legs: Select bone-in, skin-on raw turkey legs for this recipe. Turkey legs typically weigh between 1 and 2 pounds each; aim for 5 pounds for this recipe.
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 juicy Smoked Turkey Legs. The recipe easily doubles or triples for a crowd, so make a lot!
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.