Caveman Thanksgiving (Smoked Turkey Legs)
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and that means Turkey. Although the traditional roasted turkey is great for a large gathering, it can be a little excessive for a smaller group. Let’s ditch the whole bird and smoke some turkey legs! They’re a delicious snack while waiting in line at an amusement park, but why not try making some for Thanksgiving?
Smoked turkey legs are great because they take far less time to cook than a whole turkey and they are fun to eat. This recipe is a great way to use our apple or cherry wood chips in your smoker. Both kinds of wood impart a nice sweet flavor that compliments the turkey without over-powering it. If you don’t have a smoker, don’t worry: we have you covered with our line of smoking boxes for gas grills.
We know Thanksgiving can often be stressful, so take it easy instead. With turkey legs, there’s no need for silverware: just grab a leg and enjoy. This recipe is by weight which helps ensure very precise and accurate amounts. I also included the use of InstaCure #1 this gives the meat its hammy flavor but if you prefer to leave it out that’s fine too. Just make sure to increase the kosher salt by 1 ounce or 1 tablespoon if you aren’t weighing your ingredients.
Ingredients
- 3 quarts water
- 8 ounces kosher salt (3/4 cup)
- 6 ounces brown sugar (1/2 cup packed)
- .4 ounces whole allspice (1 tablespoon)
- .6 ounce black pepper (1 tablespoon)
- .96 ounce InstaCure #1 (3 1/2 teaspoons)
- 4 turkey legs
Combine the salts, water, brown sugar, and spices in a large container. Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved. Add the turkey legs to the container and make sure that they are totally covered by the liquid. Place the brine and turkey legs in the fridge for 24 hours.
Set up your grill or smoker for indirect cooking and preheat it to 275°F. Discard the brine liquid and rinse the turkey legs. When the smoker has come up to temperature, pat the turkey legs dry with some paper towels and transfer them to the smoker.
Cook the legs until an internal temperature of 160 is reached, about 1 hour. Remove them from the grill and enjoy.
