As a child, did you ever attend to a fair or a carnival? Some come for the rides, some for the activities, but I came for the food, especially the smoked turkey legs!
There’s something amazing about going about with a massive piece of smoked pork in your hand and feeding your face in between rides, games, and other attractions.
With Thanksgiving approaching, I thought it would be a good opportunity to teach you how to smoke your own turkey legs at home and relive some of your childhood memories with family and friends.
Contents
- Smoked Turkey Legs
- Where to buy turkey legs
- Brining turkey legs
- What kind of wood is best for smoked turkey legs?
- How to smoke turkey legs
- A note about poultry safe eating temperature
- FAQs
- Are Disney turkey legs healthy?
- Are smoked turkey legs healthy for you?
- What is the secret of Disney turkey leg?
- Does smoked turkey leg taste like ham?
- Are turkey legs healthier than chicken?
- Are turkey legs high in cholesterol?
- Is smoked turkey considered processed meat?
- Is smoked turkey better than roasted?
- Is smoked turkey leg processed meat?
- What are the big turkey legs at Disney?
Smoked Turkey Legs
The majority of smoked turkey leg Disney imitation recipes will instruct you to inject the legs with a curing solution.
This will contain a unique curing salt known as Prague Powder #1, which is used to create cured ham and gives the turkey legs their distinctive pink hue.
There is no harm in employing a curative brine injection.
It does give the turkey legs a very salty, almost ham-like flavor, so I chose to stick with more traditional barbecue ingredients for this dish.
Where to buy turkey legs
If you want to prepare the super-sized, caveman-friendly turkey legs seen at Disneyland, you must get male tom turkey legs. Each of them may weigh between 1.75 and 2 pounds.
These are difficult to come by. You will almost certainly need to arrange a special order with your butcher.
Smoking the smaller hen legs is the best choice. They should be widely accessible at most supermarkets. In addition, they cook quicker and are a better size for most people.
Brining turkey legs
When I’m preparing a whole turkey, I usually brine it for 24 hours. It is particularly vital for preserving moisture and taste in the breast, which is prone to drying out.
To be honest, nothing is worse than dried turkey.
Fortunately, turkey legs are not as lean and have a higher fat content, which allows them to retain more taste and moisture throughout the cooking process. That is why I opted not to brine for this cook, but if I were making a complete turkey or just the breast, I would absolutely do it.
You may use our chicken wing brine recipe to brine your turkey legs.
What kind of wood is best for smoked turkey legs?
For smoking turkey, you may use a variety of woods. Some have a strong taste, while others are light.
I used pecan wood for my turkey legs because I like a smokey taste with sweet undertones. Fruit woods are also excellent choices since they are sweeter and gentler than other woods. Apple and cherry are usually good options for poultry.
I would avoid woods like hickory or mesquite since the smoke taste is generally too strong for chicken and may quickly overshadow it.
Also, if you discover that wood chunks produce too much smoke for your tastes, consider using wood chips to reduce the amount of smoke you produce.
How to smoke turkey legs
1. Oil and rub the turkey legs
Remove the turkey legs from the box and massage them all over with oil. This will function as a binder, allowing the seasoning or rub to stick uniformly to the legs.
Avocado oil is one of my favorite cooking oils because of its high smoke point, taste, and health benefits.
Sprinkle on a fairly uniform coating of spice after applying the oil to the turkey legs.
I used Kosmos Q Dirty Bird BBQ Rub for this recipe. This is one of my favorite chicken spices since it has a wonderful mix of tastes, but if you want to create your own, try our BBQ Turkey Rub recipe.
I normally let the spice soak on the turkey legs for 5-10 minutes before putting them on the smoker.
2. Smoke the legs
I used my Large Big Green Egg with Fogo Charcoal for this meal.
Preheat your smoker to 225F-250F. When your smoker has reached temperature, add your smoke wood.
After you lay the turkey legs on the smoker, you will smoke them until the internal temperature reaches 140F. At this time, I raise the temperature in my smoker to 350°F.
The reason I do this is because the high heat helps to crisp up the turkey skin. These turkey legs have no rubbery skin!
I also like to spray the turkey legs with water many times throughout the cooking process. Not only does spritzing protect the turkey from drying out, but it also aids in the formation of a bark on the skin.
If you find that the bottom of the leg is cooking considerably quicker than the top or is burning, cover it in foil to preserve the flesh.
3. Glaze the legs
When the internal temperature of your turkey legs hits 165°F, they are done. I like to brush the turkey legs with barbeque sauce just before pulling them from the smoker.
Although not everyone who smokes turkey legs adds sauce, I believe it’s a lovely addition that adds another depth of taste.
Sweet Lady Love, I used Best Damn BBQ Sauce. Use our basic BBQ sauce recipe for a simple DIY alternative.
I cooked the sauce on the smoker and applied many applications. I allow the sauce to adhere to the turkey legs for approximately 5 minutes before removing them to rest for 10 minutes.
If you have it, put a layer of newspaper or butcher paper over the bottom of each leg to make it easier to handle without getting your hands dirty.
Check out our other Thanksgiving turkey recipes below for additional ideas:
- Cranberry and Port Glazed Smoked Turkey Breast
- Spatchcocked Smoked Turkey with Pan Stuffing
- Recipe for Smoked Turkey: The Best Method for Juicy BBQ Turkey
A note about poultry safe eating temperature
The safe internal temperature for eating fowl is 165F. When I’m cooking a full turkey or bird, I’ll sometimes pull it from the smoker around 160F and let it rest. The beef will reach 165°F while resting.
When cooking turkey legs, however, there is more wiggle space since the flesh does not dry up as soon. When the internal temperature of the turkey reaches roughly 175F, I remove the legs. You may do anything you want as long as the interior temperature is above 165F.
When I’m cooking dark meat like legs, wings, or thighs, I often leave them on for even longer and they still keep a lot of moisture.
A decent quick read thermometer is essential for ensuring that your food is cooked to the proper safe temperature. There are several on the market, but I suggest the Thermapen ONE from Thermoworks because of its precision and quickness.
