# Smoked Turkey Legs!



## wvsmokeman (Jun 16, 2007)

Decided to change the pace a little and smoke some turkey legs. I've always loved the ones I get at the state fair and in Hillsville VA at the big flea market. Bought three packs containing 3 each and each pack weighed about 3 1/2 pounds so they were only a little over a pound a piece. Decided not to brine them and made up a rub of garlic powder, poultry seasoning, Tony's Cajun seasoning and a little Chipotle powder to give it a kick. Cook temperature was 250-275 degrees and I spritzed them with apple juice and turned them over on the hour. Four hours later they reached my target internal temperature of 180 degrees. They turned out great!
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






 I love the ham flavor and appearance  the meat has. Here is the q-view before I removed them from the smoker and foiled them to rest.


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## crewdawg52 (Jun 16, 2007)

Those are what I would (and do) call mighty fine legs!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 Just curious....why not brine.  I find that any turkey/yardbird does come out more moist.  But again, darn good lookin grub.  Twas just a wonderin.....


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## watery eyes (Jun 16, 2007)

Great looking *"Q"   
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	



*


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## wvsmokeman (Jun 16, 2007)

I have been extremely busy and just didn't have the time to brine.....got in late last night. I wasn't too concerned about dryness since the legs are dark meat but I was a little leary. Luckily, they turned out nice and moist! (I had to try one when I took it off the grates 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





) This will be part of my supper before I go to work tonight.


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## crewdawg52 (Jun 16, 2007)

Very BIG CONGRATES on your smoke!


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## ron50 (Jun 16, 2007)

Nice legs!!

Enjoy.


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## beerivore (Jun 16, 2007)

I agree "nice legs".  Thanks for the picture and how you made them.  I will have to try them out.


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## msmith (Jun 16, 2007)

Good looking legs there WV


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## deejaydebi (Jun 17, 2007)

Good job WV! I love trukey kegs smoked! yummmmmmm


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## zapper (Jun 17, 2007)

Throw a couple in with a pot of beans in place of a smoked ham hoc!


I am still looking for the perfect brine, but that doesn't mean that I have ever had a bad brine. Teryaki and garlic seems to be a pretty good start.


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## billyq (Jun 17, 2007)

Those are some sexy legs!


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## ajthepoolman (Jun 24, 2007)

I have a two pack thawing out right now!  I can't wait to try them out!


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## wvsmokeman (Jun 24, 2007)

Keep us posted on the results!


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## gypsyseagod (Jun 24, 2007)

great lookin' legs lol.


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## smokincowboy (Jun 25, 2007)

I am going to give them a try soon looks good


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## deejaydebi (Jun 25, 2007)

The only way I ever find legs is atached to a turkey. Where'd you find all those legs?


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## db bbq (Jun 25, 2007)

Great job!! We were down @ Disney World last year and had a few Legs @ MGM studios, They just use a simple salt water brine and smoke them. They were also Great..Will definitly be trying soon...


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## wvsmokeman (Jun 25, 2007)

Found them in WalMart in the fresh meat section with the Turkey breasts. They seem to carry them on a regular basis.


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## Dutch (Jun 25, 2007)

My son-in-law want some smoked turkey legs for his B-day dinner. I'll be danged if I can find any legs short of being attached to the rest of the bird!  Can anybody point me in the right direction?

Mucho thanks!


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## zapper (Jun 25, 2007)

@ Dutch and Debi

The darn things can be elusive! The more you want them the harder they are to find! They are usually in the fresh meat cooler right next to the other turkey parts, but some times it is like they never even existed and they just can't be found! I usually get them at Publix or Kroger and have seen them at Wally World. I would like to find a commercial/wholesale source to buy like 20 or 30 legs at a pop. They keep well, share well and are cheap and easy (to make that is). My biggest complaint is that the ones that I have seen as of late are kind of on the small side, I suspect that there is a pretty good commercial market for them and the biggest and best go there.


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## squeezy (Jun 25, 2007)

That's a heck of a great idea ... or even a little of both!


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## ajthepoolman (Jun 26, 2007)

These are butterball's from Wal-Mart.  

For those who have attended the Kansas City Renaissance Festival, there is a booth near the entrance that makes wonderful turkey legs.  That is what I am going for.  I think I will try a simple salt brine and perhaps take the same approach as the 3-2-1 ribs (or whatever it was).


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## Dutch (Jun 26, 2007)

Thanks Zapper, we have a Kroger subsidiary store (Smith's) here in UT but they didn't have any. I asked the butcher and he said it's been a while since he's seen any-he said I might have better luck checking out a local chain.  The hunt for t-legs is on!!


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## zapper (Jun 26, 2007)

Just remember, if that turkey tries to sue you, he won't have a leg to stand on!
	

	
	
		
		



		
			







They may be a bit seasonal. I know that like the time before last when I was on a quest for them, they were kind of hard to find and or they were not cheap enough or they were on the really small side. Buy up all you find when you do find them. As I recall I don't think that they ended up costing more than a buck a peice (maybe some extra change in there, but I don't think it was much)


Here is some inspiration to help you keep on hunting, just a reminder of what waits at the end of the hunt. Or is this slow torture? Muh ha ha haaa......

Note that the last pic looks kind of like my avatar?


At any rate, good luck in your quest!


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## deejaydebi (Jun 26, 2007)

Zapper is that the before and after Pix? Looks awsome!


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## zapper (Jun 26, 2007)

Well the avatar is definately after.

The meat and the corn uneaten is second to last

And to be honest the rest may have been different smokes?

But here is a before, notice the floating egg in the brine. I think that I started with some teryaki and added garlic salt or powder and then what ever else I had. I added just enough kosher salt to float the egg after all of my other flavors were mixed in, but to be honest, For a day or two in the brine, it may not have to actually be a real egg floating brine, just what ever you think you would like to taste a hint of when you eat it.

I have over salted them before by just a touch on accident. The best part of that incedent was that the beer drinking freinds of mine just loved them that much more!

Salt will definately turn them into little tiny turkey hams, but that is not always a bad thing! Like I said before, throw them in with a pot of beans!


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## zapper (Jun 26, 2007)

Well after all of the talk of them being hard to find I just happened to be walking by the meat cooler when I noticed some turkey legs. So I followed my own advice and bought all that they had. Good thing for my wallet that they only had three packs out, $1.89 a pound. a three pack @2.40 lbs comes to $4.54 or $1.51 per leg. Juuusst a bit more than I thought I usually pay, maybe it is a sale when they are a buck a leg?

At any rate the are in a off the hip brine of teryaki, garlic powder, onion powder a splash of an old bottle of Dales, a little kosher salt and some good ole black pepper. What I really need is a good formula to maybe make a concentrate for turkey leg brine and then just add water! Hmmm? Maybe I am on to something?


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## ajthepoolman (Jun 28, 2007)

My first turkey leg smoke left a little to be desired.  

I didn't have time to brine them and I think that the non-brine was key.  They were very juicy and had a decent flavor, but lacked the deep smoke flavor I was going for.  I think that the brine would of opened the meat up more and let the smoke absorb.

I also didn't use a rub.  I put salt and pepper on them and sprayed them down with apple juice every 30 minutes.  The skin was still pretty tough although the meat inside was at 165.  

One good thing that I did do is switch from wood chips to chunks.  Instead of a smoking inferno for the first 30 minutes, I was able to maintain a constant smoke that was much milder than my previous experience.  Definately less bitter taste.  I don't plan on going back to chips unless I can't find chunks of specialty wood.

I think that a big problem I will continue to have is the fact that I have a stock Brinkman smoker.  I cannot regulate the temperture without doing some minor electrical work.  (which I do plan to do someday)  My suspicion is that the smoker was probably pushing 275 to 300 that day.  We had a very humid 90 degree plus day which I knew wasn't going to help.  So what should of taken about 4 hours was done in 2 1/2 hours.  

Oh well, we enjoyed them regardless.  Very juicy and all in all not too bad.  And I have to confess, I found the best damn store brand baked beans to go with it.  These actually had chunks of pork (like real pork, not that pressed crap) in it.  Found them in the deli and if it weren't for them the dinner would of pretty much been a waste.  I read the recipes on this forum about baked beans and usually feel pretty dirty buying deli brands, but these were really really good.  Millers Baked Beans with Pork should you care to bring some to your next family reunion.

Anyway, lived and learned.  Won't give up on the turkey legs.


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## az_redneck (Jun 28, 2007)

I see them all the time at our local Fry's Market (same as Kroger). I usually get the turkey wings and have Buffalo Turkey Wings for dinner. Same as Buffalo Chicken Wings, only much bigger, meatier and 2 makes a meal.. (Cheaper too!) Now that I have the smoker, I'll have to try the legs. I sometimes get them already cooked and hot from Walmart Deli for $2/ea. Suckers weigh about 2-3# each...Can't beat it for $2

Dutch - Those "butchers" at Smiths can order legs for you. I'm suprised they didn't tell you that..


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## smoking canada up (Jul 6, 2007)

i'm smokin 10lags is 170 good or do i have to go to 180?


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## ajthepoolman (Jul 7, 2007)

A chart I used from this site said to cook to 165 which surprised me.  I figured that they would need to go to 170-180.  I didn't puke after I ate mine!


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