Roasted Turkey Legs Recipe (2024)

Oven Roasted Turkey Legs Recipe

When turkey is on the menu, are you always fighting over the dark meat? Why not skip the whole turkey this year and make Roasted Turkey Legs instead?

Dark meat lovers will rejoice when they are served up with a plump, juicy turkey leg that has been rubbed down with a piquant blend of seasonings.

We're cooking the turkey legs in the oven to get a beautiful golden brown color on them. They're deliciously moist on the inside, and so satisfying.

I am able to buy turkey legs from my butcher, but you'll often find them available at most grocery stores around the holidays. They can also order them up for you.

This recipe is a perfect holiday meal option for those who don't want to cook a whole turkey, and prefer dark meat to the more commonly served turkey breast.

I'm also sharing a simple yet amazing pan gravy option that I think you will love.

Let's talk about how to make roasted turkey legs, shall we?

How to Roast Turkey Legs - the Recipe Method

The Spice Mix. Mix the oil and spices together, then rub down the turkey legs. Get it all rubbed in there, even under the skin if you can manage it.

This is our flavor builder. The selection of spices is very important.

The First Roast. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 C) and bake the turkey legs in a roasting pan with a roasting rack at the bottom. This will allow the turkey drumsticks to cook evenly, and let you save the drippings.

You can also roast them on a wire rack with a baking sheet set below to catch the drippings.

Roast the turkey drumsticks for 25 minutes, until nicely browned.

The Second Roast. Next, loosely cover the turkey legs with aluminum foil and cook the turkey legs until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74C), 20 to 30 minutes or so.

Since turkey legs can vary in size, it is best to use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature, as cook times can vary.

I like to use my Thermapen meat thermometer from ThermoWorks (I'm an affiliate). Works great! Looks like it is done cooking!

Rest the roasted turkey legs and serve them up! Do you want gravy with them? Check it out!

TURKEY LEG GRAVY OPTION

Strain the Pan Drippings. Strain 1 cup of the drippings from the roasting pan into a small saucepan or pot and heat it up.

Thicken the Gravy. Swirl in the bouillon cube (if using) and cornstarch slurry over heat tot thicken it up to your liking. Whisk in a bit of butter at the end.

Boom! Done! Your baked turkey legs are ready to serve. Do you want mashed potatoes and gravy with this? Or will you serve them with your favorite side dish? I'd love to hear! Feel free to get crazy!

Recipe Tips & Notes

• Crisp Skin Turkey. For crispy skin, remove the aluminum foil then bake a few minutes more at the end, or use your broiler.
• Basting the Turkey. Consider basting the turkey legs with the pan juices during roasting to keep them moist and flavorful.

Serving Turkey Legs

What can you serve with roasted turkey legs? We love serving them with mashed potatoes and pouring over the easy gravy made from the pan drippings. But here are a few other ideas.

• Scalloped Potatoes
• Potato Salad Recipe
• Hoppin’ John
• Cajun Corn Maque Choux
• Papas con Chile – Cheese Tex-Mex Mashed Potatoes
• Mashed Sweet Potatoes
• Sausage Stuffing
• Cornbread Dressing

Cookbook Recommendation

If you enjoy spicy cooking, I hope you'll check out my cookbook! 75 easy recipes with big, bold flavor.

• The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook, by Mike Hultquist (affiliate link, my friends!)

Recommended Products

• Knorr Chicken Flavor Bouillon Cubes (Amazon Affiliate links, my friends!)

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