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Smoked turkey legs

Smoked turkey legs

By Harper Ngo
840’ Prep time
180’ Cook time
1020’ Total time
975 Calories
6 Serving

Summary

These smoked turkey legs are brined overnight and smoked for 2-3 hours. you spritz them every 30 minutes with an easy garlic apple juice spritz that keeps the skin tender and leaves you with flavorful smoked turkey legs.
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Step by Step

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Step 1

Remove the packaging from the turkey legs and discard any extra turkey parts that came with the turkey legs. Set the turkey aside.
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Step 2

First, prepare the turkey leg brine. Add 12 cups of cold water to a large 5 gallon bucket or pot.
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Step 3

Remove 2 cups of water from the bucket and add it to a small saucepan. Add the salt to the water and whisk. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and allow the mixture to boil until the salt has dissolved completely.
Step 4
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Step 4

Add the salt water to the bucket and stir to combine. Add the thyme, rosemary, and half of the white onion to the bucket of water. Place the turkey legs in the bucket of water. Be sure the turkey legs are submerged in water. Refrigerate the turkey legs overnight to brine.
Step 5
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Step 5

The next morning, preheat the smoker to 240ºF and remove the turkey legs from the brine and rinse the turkey legs under cold water. Then, pat them dry with a paper towel.
Step 6
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Step 6

Next, prepare the apple cider spritz. Add olive oil to the small saucepan and over medium/high heat. When the olive oil is fragrant add the garlic. Sauté the garlic until fragrant and golden brown. Pour the apple juice into the saucepan and to a gentle simmer.
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Step 7

Remove the apple juice from the heat and pour it through a fine sieve to remove the garlic from the apple juice.
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Step 8

Let the apple juice cool and then transfer the apple juice into a clean spray bottle.
Step 9
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Step 9

Place the turkey legs on the smoker and smoke the turkey legs for 2 – 3 hours, spritzing the turkey legs with the apple juice spritz every 30-45 minutes.
Step 10
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Step 10

Remove the turkey legs from the smoker when the internal temperature reaches 165ºF. Let the turkey legs rest for 10-15 minutes before eating.

Tips and Warnings

  • Turkey legs can be hard to find outside of the holiday season. You can usually find turkey legs at your local butcher or in the frozen section of specialty grocery stores.
  • We used Traeger Signature blend smoking pellets.

Ingredient

  • Olive oil
    Olive oil
    29.57 ml
  • Apple juice
    Apple juice
    3548.82 ml
  • Large white onion
    Large white onion
    0.5
  • Sprigs fresh thyme
    Sprigs fresh thyme
    5
  • Kosher salt
    Kosher salt
    236.59 ml
  • Sprigs fresh rosemary
    Sprigs fresh rosemary
    5
  • Garlic
    Garlic
    6 pcs
  • Large turkey legs
    Large turkey legs
    6

Nutrition Facts

View nutrition facts
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