Best Roasted Turkey Legs Recipes

ROASTED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Rinse the turkey legs and pat dry.
• Stand the turkey legs upright (as if the turkey were standing). Press a knife downward into the deep tissue, creating 2 or 3 long pockets. Press a piece of celery into each opening. Pull back the skin on the legs, rub with butter, and season with a little salt. Put the skin back into place, rub with more butter, and season lightly with salt. Lay the legs in a roasting pan.
• Roast uncovered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the legs are golden brown and the internal temperature is 180 degrees F (82 degrees C) when taken with a meat thermometer. Add more water if needed while roasting, and baste occasionally with the juices or butter.

EASY ROASTED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• In a large bowl pour in all of the Turkey Broth/Stock (Could also be Chicken Stock) and marinate the uncooked Turkey Legs overnight, or at least 3 hours, in the refrigerator.
• After 3-8 hours in the refrigerator, take a large roasting pan with a wire rack, remove the refrigerated legs from the bowl of broth---use tongs and place directly on the roasting rack/pan. Sprinkle generous amount of salt, black pepper, and onion powder on each leg. Spread foil across the top of the roasting pan to keep the legs covered while roasting in a pre-heated 350F oven.
• Meanwhile, melt a stick of butter in a saucepan---until it's liquified.
• 8 legs usually take about 1hour and 45 minutes to fully cook. The legs need to be turned/flipped with tongs, basted (brushed with the melted butter) and then re-seasoned with just the onion powder and black pepper--- every 20 minutes during roasting.
• Turkey legs are usually done after insterting a meat thermometer that registers 175F in the thickest part of the leg, however, they do keep cooking even after they're removed from the oven.
• The cooked turkey pan juices and drippings are usually used to flavor gravy and stuffing.

OVEN ROASTED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Place the salt and sugar into a large resealable bag. Pour in enough water to cover the turkey legs, and squeeze the bag to dissolve salt and sugar. Immerse the turkey legs in the brine, and seal the bag. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to brine.
• In a saucepan, stir together the white wine, pomegranate molasses, brown sugar, regular molasses, vinegar, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half. Season with 1 tablespoon of sage and 1 tablespoon of thyme. Taste and adjust sugar, salt and pepper if desired.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Remove the turkey legs from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Cast iron will work well. Fry the turkey, turning frequently, until browned on all sides. Place the pan with the turkey into the oven.
• Roast uncovered for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove and turn legs over. Season with some of the remaining thyme and sage, and spoon some of the sauce onto the legs to coat. Return to the oven for an additional 30 minutes.
• Repeat the seasoning and baste with the sauce again, and return to the oven. Roast for 15 more minutes, then test for doneness. The internal temperature should be 180 degrees F (82 degrees C) when taken with a meat thermometer. Serve turkey with remaining sauce on the side.

DRY-BRINED TURKEY BREAST WITH SLOW-ROASTED LEGS

Steps:

• Dry-brine the turkey: Combine the salt, 2 teaspoons pepper and the chopped thyme and rosemary in a small bowl. Cut off the turkey legs (thighs and drumsticks together). Put the turkey breast and legs on a rimmed baking sheet. Season the turkey breast inside and out and the legs all over with the salt mixture. Stuff the turkey cavity with 1 halved garlic head, the halved lemon, 4 thyme sprigs and 2 rosemary sprigs. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Position one oven rack in the bottom position and one right above it; preheat to 350˚. Combine the remaining halved garlic head, 4 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs rosemary, the sliced lemon, bay leaves and shallot in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add the olive oil and stir to combine. Place the turkey legs skin-side up in the baking dish and cover with foil.
• Roast the turkey legs on the bottom oven rack until just tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 2 hours. Uncover the legs and continue to roast until the skin is golden and the legs are completely tender, 1 to 1 1/2 more hours.
• Meanwhile, for the turkey breast: Set a rack in a large roasting pan. Place the turkey breast breast-side up on the rack; let sit at room temperature 30 minutes. Once the turkey legs have been roasting for about 30 minutes, place the roasting pan with the breast on the rack above the legs; roast until the skin is deep golden brown and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part without touching the bone registers 160˚, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Let the breast rest 30 minutes before carving. (If the turkey breast is done before the legs, move the legs to the higher rack to help them brown. If the legs are done before the breast is done resting, set aside and tent with foil to keep warm.)
• Serve the turkey legs and breast with the roasted garlic, lemon and shallot.

EASY OVEN ROASTED BARBECUE TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Mix the flour with salt, pepper and chili powder.
• Dredge/coat the turkey legs with the flour mixture.
• In a large skillet, brown the turkey legs on all sides.
• Transfer the browned legs to a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
• In a medium bowl, combine the BBQ sauce, fresh garlic (if using), water, onion, green pepper and the bouillon cube; spoon over the turkey.
• Cover the pan with heavy foil.
• Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 1 hour.
• Uncover; and bake for 1 hour, basting occasionally or until the turkey legs are tender.
• ***NOTE*** the ingredients for the sauce may be doubled if desired.

ROASTED BARBECUED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Place the turkey legs into a 4 quart pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Pour in just enough water to cover them. Sprinkle chicken bouillon granules over the water, and stir to dissolve a little. Place the lid on the cooker, and bring up to full pressure. Cook for about 5 minutes.
• While the turkey is cooking, preheat your oven's broiler. After the time is up on the turkey, remove from the heat. Run cold water over the top of the cooker to help release the pressure, and open the lid. Place the turkey legs on a broiling pan or roasting pan.
• Broil the turkey legs for 10 to 15 minutes, until the skin is brown and crispy. Brush the legs with barbeque sauce towards the end of cooking. Serve with remaining sauce on the side.

POT ROASTED TURKEY LEGS OR WINGS

Steps:

• Ingredient amounts are any amount you wish to use.
• This is a method more than a recipe since the amounts you use will depend upon how many you are serving and whether you want to have turkey to freeze for future casseroles/salads.
• Generally speaking, roast 6 legs/wings at a time, usually enough for supper and lots left for freezing Ask your butcher to cut the turkey legs crosswise for you, dividing each one of them into three pieces, a bony part at the bottom which is saved for broth making and two equal portions from the fleshy part of the leg.
• Place the fleshy parts of the legs in an uncovered roaster, and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.
• Sprinkle the legs with sage, salt and pepper, add water to roaster, cover and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
• Remove the roaster from the oven, add the potatoes, onions and carrots, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, cover roaster and roast for another hour or until veggies are tender.
• (Those troublesome tendons in the turkey legs which cause so much trouble are very easy to remove after the meat is tender.) Serve the turkey and veggies, counting exchanges for the portion used.
• After the unused turkey is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and freeze in portions to use for future casseroles or salads.
• Calculate the exchanges used according the the amount used.
• Low sodium diets- omit salt.
• low cholesterol diets, may be used as is.

ROASTED SMOKY TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Mix the salt, brown sugar, liquid smoke and water together until all is dissolved and pour the briny mixture over the turkey legs.
• Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for 24-hours to 72-hours.
• Rinse the brine off the turkey, pat dry with paper towels and roast at 350°F for about 45 minutes.
• By this time, the turkey will almost be done, but the skin will still have a pale color, so I crank the oven up to 500°F and roast the legs/wings until they are a rich mahogany color, then I flip them over and roast the other side until it is also deep brown.

ROASTED POTATOES AND SMOKED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or an oven-proof pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion, garlic, and chile pepper; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Place turkey legs on top; cover with diced tomatoes. Cover Dutch oven with lid.
• Bake in the preheated oven until potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Turn turkey legs around to coat with tomato mixture. Stir cabbage and baked beans into the pot; season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Replace lid.
• Continue baking until turkey legs are tender, about 45 minutes. Pull turkey meat off the bones and cut into bite-sized pieces. Mix into the pot.

ROASTED TURKEY LEGS WITH GHEE

Steps:

• Toss turkey drumsticks and thighs with salt and place in an airtight container. Chill, covered, 8-24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 500°F. Arrange onion in roasting pan and top with rack. Remove turkey from container, pat dry, and transfer to rack, skin side up. Drizzle with 3 Tbsp. ghee.
• Roast 15 minutes. Turn pieces and baste with 1 Tbsp. ghee. Roast 15 more minutes, then turn pieces and baste again with 1 Tbsp. ghee. Roast 5 more minutes, baste with 1 Tbsp. ghee, then continue cooking until the thickest part of meat registers 155°F on an instant-read thermometer, 5-10 minutes more. Let rest at least 10 minutes (the internal temperature will rise to 165°F).

ROASTED TURKEY LEGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. rinse the turkey legs and pat dry.
• Stand the turkey legs upright (as if turkey were standing). Press a knife downward into the deep tissue, creating 2 or 3 long pockets. Press a piece of celery into each opening. Pull back the skin on the legs, rub with butter, and season lightly with salt. Lay the leges in a roasting pan.
• Roast uncovered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until legs are golden brown and the internal temperature is 180 degrees F when taken with a meat thermometer. Add more water if needed while roasting and baste occasionally with the juices or butter.