This recipe includes both brining and smoking the turkey legs. The brining process is very important and I highly recommend that you do it. Don’t let the unfamiliar word scare you. It is simply a solution of salt and other flavoring that the turkey legs soak in for a few hours causing the flavors to get into the meat of the turkey and make them out of this world delicious.

So with that said.. let’s get started brining our turkey!

Brining Turkey Legs

Brine Ingredients

1 gallon water
1 cup kosher salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 TBS garlic powder
2 TBS onion powder
2 TBS red pepper flakes
2 TBS Cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere’s works great if you can find it)
2 TBS Tabasco hot sauce
1 TBS poultry seasoning

Place gallon of water and all dry ingredients into a very large pot on medium to high heat. Stir occasionally until mixture comes to a boil. Once boiling occurs the heat can be turned off and the brine can be left to cool to room temperature.

Once brine has cooled to room temperature, pour brine into a very large plastic container or two medium size plastic containers and place in fridge for further cooling.

The brine must reach 40 degrees F before adding meat to brine.

When brine chills to required temperature, add 4-6 turkey legs to brine.

Leave turkey legs in brine for 9 hours stirring around several times throughout the process.

After nine hours, remove turkey legs from brine and rinse well under cool water.

Getting Turkey Legs Ready to Smoke

About 30 minutes before you are ready to smoke them, Coat the turkey legs with olive oil and sprinkle on a little cajun seasoning for good flavor. Try to get the seasoning up under the skin wherever possible as this is where the flavor will be the most tasty.

Once you are finished, leave the legs on the counter and go get the smoker ready. I like to prepare the smoker for about 240 degrees with a mix of oak and pecan. Sometimes I use mesquite or other fruit wood just depending on what I am in the mood for and what I have on hand.

Please  note that I normally use a wood fired smoker but these can just as easily be done on propane, electric or charcoal as long as the temperature is right and you have smoke flowing, they will taste great.

Smoking the Turkey Legs

Once the smoker is going and the temperature is at 240 degrees F or so, get the turkey legs and place them right on the grate leaving about 1 inch between them to allow the smoke to be able to flow freely all around the meat.

Occasionally.. about once every hour or so, I like to brush on some olive oil or you can use the spray olive oil to make it real easy. This will help to keep them moist and will help to crisp the skin while they smoke.

If you are using an electric, propane or charcoal smoker then I recommend that you keep replenishing the smoke for  at least the first 2 hours.. I like to do it the entire time but I like the smoke to be very prominent.

If you like the smoke to be extremely subtle then you may want to go 2 hours and then finish with just heat.

The turkey legs will take about 3-4 hours to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Finishing Up

Remove the turkey drumsticks from the smoker once they are at temperature and wrap them individually in heavy duty foil. They can be placed in the oven to keep them warm or eaten immediately if you so desire.

How to Re-Heat

They heat up really well.. just pop them in the oven at about 275-300 degrees for 30 minutes or until they are as warm as you like them.

The smoked turkey legs at the fair or at Disney world do not hold a candle to these babies.

I do not recommend a turkey over 12 pounds for the smoker since the low temperature of the smoker would keep it in the danger zone for way too long.

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Danger Zone = 40 to 140 degrees – This is the area in which bacteria can freely thrive and while the smoke will inhibit the growth to some degree it is still smart to play it safe.

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Try to start with a fresh, never-been-frozen turkey that is labeled “MINIMALLY PROCESSED” for best results. This will be a turkey that is not pumped full of solution and is about as fresh as you are going to get just short of raising one and killing it yourself.

I highly recommend brining the bird for 12 hours in a saltwater solution of 1 cup sugar and 1 cup kosher salt for every 1 gallon of water. Since a 12 pound bird will require about 2 gallons of water you will need:

2 gallons Water
2 cups Kosher Salt
2 cups Sugar

Mix the solution in a clean 5-gallon bucket and place the turkey in the solution for 10 to 12 hours before smoking the turkey.

The turkey must stay between 33-39 degrees while brining and the best way to accomplish this is by taking out the bottom rack in your fridge and setting the bucket right in there. If this is not an option, you can keep the brine iced down to maintain proper temperature however, just so you know, it will dilute the brine a little over time as the ice melts.

Once the turkey is done brining.. rinse it really well under cool water especially around the wings and legs where the brine will have had the greatest effect.

At this point you can rub the turkey down with butter or olive oil.. try to get some butter up under the skin where possible for great results.

Set the turkey aside and prepare the smoker for 225 degrees and whatever type of wood you plan to use for smoke. I have had my best results from mesquite, apple, and plum but any good smoking wood will taste great.

When the smoker is beginning to smoke and is maintaining 225 degrees, place the bird in the smoker breast side down and let the process begin.

I like to mop the bird with apple juice every hour or so while it is smoking. You can also use butter, vinegar, beer, olive oil, and other liquids as well for a mopping fluid.

If you are smoking with charcoal and using wood chunks/chips, just apply smoke to the bird for the first 3 hours or so and after that the heat alone will be sufficient. The only exception to this rule may be if you are using a very mild wood such as pecan in which case you may desire to apply smoke the entire time.

The turkey will require about 6.5 hours however the wings may begin to get too brown prior to this.. wrap the wings in some foil at about the 5 hour mark to keep them nice and moist while the rest of the turkey finishes up.

Use a digital probe meat thermometer to monitor the temperature of the smoker and be sure to remove the smoked turkey from the smoker when it reaches 170 in the thickest part of the thigh. You can also test temperature in the breast however, it will reach temperature sooner than the thigh and in my opinion the thigh will give you the safest readings.

Once the turkey is done smoking.. allow it to rest for 15 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute throughout the bird.

Carve the smoked turkey and enjoy the praises of all those lucky souls who are fortunate enough to be present at your table.