Want to learn how to make smoked turkey legs? Read on for an interesting recipe that you can use to make the best smoked turkey legs…
If you are looking to prepare smoked turkey legs then you will be able to find a wide variety of recipes out there. Irrespective of the recipe you go for, know that you have to brine your turkey prior to commencing with the recipe. You will need about one gallon of specially prepared brine for every half a dozen turkey legs.
In order to prepare finger licking smoked turkey legs you need turkey legs as per your requirement, kosher salt, onion, chili and garlic in powder form, paprika, black pepper, cumin, sage and water.
You will start off by rinsing and draining the turkey legs. On the side you need to add all the other ingredients in a large pan and bring the water to a boil. Take it off the stove and allow it to cool down to room temperature making sure the pot is covered. Now pour the brine into a brining container and place it in the refrigerator while ensuring that it is covered. In order to achieve optimum brining for your turkey legs the brine needs to be at about 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
Next, you need to place the turkey legs into the brine and leave them soaked for about six hours. After this, remove them from the container, drain them and rinse well. Use paper towels to dry them off following which they will be ready for the wet rub.
Smoked Turkey Wet Rub
For the wet rub you will require onion powder, paprika, black pepper, sage, cumin and vegetable oil. Once prepared, you need to rub the mixture nicely onto the turkey legs. Following this they should be allowed to stand for about an hour so that the coating absorbs itself in the meat.
You will require a turkey smoker for proceeding to the next step. The coated turkey legs need to be smoked at 225 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do not have an electric turkey smoker then you can make use of light flavored wood to generate the required smoke. If you want a mellow smoky flavor for your turkey then pear, apple and cherry are good choices to go with.
You will need to smoke the turkey for about six hours in order to achieve the desired state. This is because smoked turkey needs to be so tender that the pieces literally fall apart and for this you need to smoke it for a long period of time. The most luscious smoked turkey legs are those that have large strands of connective tissue melting in your mouth.
When they are done, remove them from the source of smoke and let them cool down for about thirty minutes. The left over smoked turkey legs can be shredded and used for sandwiches. Using this recipe you will be able to make finger licking good smoked turkey legs which you can impress your guests with.
