A bath in a sweet and salty brine ensures flavorful, juicy meat that's seasoned throughout. A homemade barbecue dry rub packs on sweet and salty flavors. And a few hours in the smoker gives them that irresistible savory, smokiness. Skip the theme park lines and try this smoked turkey leg recipe today!
6 Turkey Legs 1/2 cup Barbecue Dry Rub Turkey Leg Brine 2 cups hot water 8 cups cold water 6 cups ice ⅓ cup Kosher salt ¼ cup brown sugar 4 bay leaves 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
Cook Time:
3 Hours
Serves:
6
Brine Time:
8 Hours
Prepare the Brine
Heat 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the salt and sugar and stir until dissolved. Turn off heat and add 4-5 cups of ice to cool the mixture. Combine the cooled mixture with the remaining water, ice, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a large stock pot.
Brine
Submerge the turkey legs in the brine and cover, then refrigerate for at least 8 hours, up to 24 hours.
Season
Preheat your smoker to 250°F. Remove the turkey legs from the brine and thoroughly dry with paper towels. Rub a light coat of olive oil on the turkey legs, then liberally coat them with your BBQ dry rub.
Smoke
Add the turkey legs to your smoker and close the lid. Add wood chunks to produce the smoke. Cook the turkey legs for around 2 1⁄2 to 3 hours, until they reach an internal temperature of 170°F. Let rest for around 15 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!!!
These Smoked Turkey Legs are tender, juicy and loaded with flavor.