Sweet And Spicy Smoked Turkey Legs Recipes

SWEET AND SPICY SMOKED TURKEY WITH SMOKED GRAVY

Steps:

• Rub the Sweet BBQ Rub all over both sides of the turkey. Transfer to a disposable aluminum pan breast-side up and refrigerate overnight, uncovered, to dry brine.
• The day of roasting, let the turkey sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Add the carrots and peppers to the pan and put the turkey on a wire rack above the vegetables.
• Preheat a gas grill, charcoal grill or smoker to 350 degrees F. If using a gas or charcoal grill, set up a smoke box or small disposable aluminum pan with fruit wood chips. Once the smoke is rolling, put the turkey and vegetables on the grill in the pan, close the lid and smoke for 1 hour.
• After 1 hour, rotate the turkey and add the stock to the pan to deglaze. Continue smoking until the breast meat registers 160 degrees F and the thighs hit 165 degrees F, another 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Let the turkey rest 45 minutes to an hour while you make the gravy. Remove the carrots and peppers from the pan and set aside. Strain the drippings from the pan using a fat separator.
• To make the gravy, melt the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk well to make a roux. Slowly add the strained drippings and whisk. Let simmer to reduce to the desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• Slice the turkey and serve over a medley of the smoked carrots and peppers with the gravy on the side.
• Combine the turbinado sugar, granulated sugar, salt, chili powder, paprika, granulated garlic, onion powder, cayenne, cumin and pepper in a bowl. Store in an airtight container.

COUNTY FAIR TURKEY LEGS WITH SWEET AND SPICY BBQ SAUCE

Steps:

• For the turkey legs: Set the turkey legs on a baking sheet and wrap the bone end with foil. Mix the paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt, thyme, garlic powder and pepper together in a small bowl, then sprinkle over the turkey legs liberally. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Roast the turkey legs until golden brown with an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, 40 to 45 minutes. Turn the oven to the broil setting. Brush the legs with the honey and return to the oven to broil until the skin is caramelized, 1 to 2 more minutes.
• For the sweet and spicy BBQ sauce: Meanwhile, mix the BBQ sauce, honey, hot sauce and soy sauce together in a bowl. Serve alongside the turkey legs.

SWEET AND SPICY SMOKED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Ingredients: ½ gallon water, 1 quart buttermilk, ¾ cup coarse kosher salt, and ½ cup dark brown sugar (light will work).
• Place the water into a gallon sized pitcher.
• Add the salt and stir until the salt dissolves
• Add the buttermilk and brown sugar and stir again for about 30 seconds to combine.
• Set the brine aside while you get the turkey legs out of the package.
• Remove the turkey legs from the package and place them into a ziptop bag or a lidded plastic/glass container.
• Pour enough brine over the turkey legs to cover them completely.
• Place a lid on the container then refrigerate the brining container for about 10 hours.
• When the turkey legs are finished brining, remove them from the brine and rinse them really well under cold water.
• Drizzle olive oil over the drumsticks then spread it all over with your hands or a brush.
• Sprinkle Jeff's rub on all sides of the turkey drumsticks
• Set up your smoker for cooking at about 225-240°F.
• If your smoker has a water pan, use it.
• Once the smoker is going and maintaining the proper temperature, place the turkey legs on the grate.
• It is best to monitor the temperature using a digital probe meat thermometer.
• Once the turkey legs reach 165 °F in the thickest part, they are done and should be removed from the heat right away.
• Immediately wrap the smoked turkey legs in foil individually and let them sit and rest for about 10 minutes before serving them.
• Where can I find the giant turkey legs? Unfortunately, I have not been successful at finding the really big ones like you see at state fairs and amusement parks. The folks who do have them, do not give up their suppliers so, for the purpose of use lowly backyarders, I think we are going to have to stick with the smaller ones found at our local supermarkets.
• Should I dry the skin on the turkey legs? Some folks dry the skin (in the fridge) after brining them and before smoking them. This is to make the skin end up more crispy. I don't normally administer this step but it does not hurt anything if you want to try it out. Simply brine the legs as usual, then pat them dry and place them on a rack. Let them air dry in the fridge for several hours before putting my rub on them and smoking them.
• Can these turkey legs be injected instead of brined? Of course you can, but, in my opinion, the flavor is not the same. When I eat a turkey leg, I am looking for a slightly salty and highly flavorful taste. In my opinion, injecting just does not do the job like brining does. The next time you do a batch, inject one of them and brine the rest. You will be able to see the difference and make a decision as to whether injected smoked turkey legs are for you.
• Can the turkey legs be smoked at a hotter temperature? Turkey, like most other poultry, does not benefit greatly from low and slow cooking other than the fact that it gets more time in the smoke. If you need to smoke them faster, you can certainly do that just be aware that if you take it past about 260°F, the sugar in the rub will burn and char. I tend to do them lower to give them more smoke flavor and to make sure my rub maintains it's great flavor without burning.