Maple Butter Roasted Turkey Legs Recipe
These Maple Butter Roasted Turkey legs are SO easy to make, but no one would ever know by tasting them! Impress your friends and family for dinner by whipping up a batch of these mouthwatering turkey legs. They’re savory, sweet, and oh-so delicious to eat.
If you’re looking for a fun way to shake up Thanksgiving dinner, look no further! This turkey drumstick recipe is a great alternative to your roast turkey, and it’s still rich with classic fall flavor. I also recommend making roast turkey legs for potlucks and parties – this dish is the ultimate crowd pleaser!
This recipe is definitely kid friendly, too. If your little one doesn’t like to eat meat off the bone, that’s okay! This tender turkey is cooked to perfection and falls right off the bone. So whether you’re making a batch of these bad boys for Thanksgiving or just a weeknight dinner, they’re sure to be a huge hit.
In fact, I made them for a little football party recently and received a crazy amount of compliments! I had no idea that turkey legs would elevate the party more than my baked buffalo wings ever did.
Ingredients
- Fresh Turkey Drumsticks – Bone-in, skin-on turkey drumsticks work best. You can substitute whole turkey legs for the drumsticks or use large chicken legs if turkey legs are not available.
- Seasoning – We use a simple poultry seasoning but your favorite dry rub works great, too. You can also make your own spice mix with spices you have in your kitchen. You can also simply season with kosher salt and black pepper.
- Butter – Salted butter, melted for easy basting.
- Pure Maple Syrup – Because the flavor is concentrated, use pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup. If you prefer to use brown sugar, it’s a fantastic substitute. Just make sure it’s fully dissolved before brushing the butter on the turkey.
For the full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.
How To Cook Turkey Legs
The simplicity of this turkey legs recipe is almost unbelievable! That’s why I recommend making these for small holiday dinners – it takes a lot of stress off your shoulders. There’s nothing more anxiety inducing than having to get yourself, the kids, and a huge entreé prepared in a short amount of time. And it’s so much simpler than an entire turkey.
So fret not, friends! With just 4 simple ingredients and a few easy to follow steps, you’re going to have the most scrumptious turkey legs ever!
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
- Then, you’ll need to prepare the turkey legs, make sure they’re dry by patting them down gently with paper towels. Then, arrange them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper or in a roasting pan. This will help make cleanup a total breeze!
- Rub the dry rub all over the turkey legs. Be sure to get under the skin too, that way you can really infuse the flavor into the meat.
- Whisk the butter and maple syrup to combine in a small bowl. These ingredients should be fully incorporated, giving the mixture a beautiful golden brown color.
- Brush the syrup and butter mixture over the turkey legs, coating them completely. Make sure all legs are evenly coated, so they’re all equally delicious.
- Roast the turkey legs in the oven for 20 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to 300˚F and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes, or until the turkey legs register an internal temperature of 165˚F on an instant-read thermometer. That’s another huge bonus of this recipe – for such juicy meat, the cook time is so short!
- Remove from the oven and allow the dish to rest for approximately 10 minutes before serving. It’ll be tempting to dive right in, since the smell of butter, maple syrup and turkey is downright intoxicating and that crispy skin is calling to you! You definitely want to wait though, that way no one burns their mouth.
If your turkey legs are small, reduce the cooking time by 5-10 minutes to prevent overcooking.
What are Roasted Turkey Legs?
If you’ve ever been to a theme park or county fair, chances are, you’ve indulged in a turkey leg! However, you’ve probably never made them at home with ingredients like melted butter and sweet, sticky maple syrup.
I’ve always thought turkey legs were good, but they were never what I reached for first at the dinner table. I knew so many people loved them, though, so I eventually became determined to make the perfect turkey drumstick recipe. And trust me – I really think I have! It’s a fantastic option for dark meat lovers.
Savory and sweet is probably the best flavor combination of all time, and it’s fully mastered in this quick and easy recipe. They, also, make the best turkey recipe for small Thanksgiving gatherings. Just garnish the platter with fresh herbs, like fresh rosemary and sage, and cranberries to make it festive.
What To Serve With Turkey Legs
When it comes to fall favorites, there are so many incredible side dish options! You could go for the tried and true green bean casserole, or southern candied yams if you’re feeling more decadent.
Or you can keep things super simple and make these Smashed Red Potatoes! No matter what you go with, serving these tender turkey legs as your main course is sure to steal the spotlight.
More Sides for Turkey Legs
- The Best Mashed Potatoes
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Best Scalloped Potatoes Recipe
- Green Beans Almondine
- Crispy Smashed Brussels Sprouts
How to Store Leftovers
Transfer leftover turkey legs to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up 3-4 days.
More Easy Turkey Recipes
For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see what else we’re sharing!
Get the Recipe: Maple Butter Roasted Turkey Legs Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in skin-on medium turkey drumsticks, about 10 oz each
- 1/4 cup Poultry Seasoning, BBQ Dry Rub
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
Equipment
- roasting pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Pat the turkey legs dry with a paper towel and arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil. (This will help make cleanup a breeze.)
- Rub the dry rub all over the turkey legs being sure to get under the skin to help infuse the flavor.
- Whisk the butter and maple syrup to combine.
- Brush the butter mixture over the turkey legs to coat completely.
- Roast the turkey legs in the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and continue roasting for an additional 15 minutes or until the turkey legs register 165˚F on an instant read thermometer.
- Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
8 Comments on “Maple Butter Roasted Turkey Legs Recipe”
Cooking time is much longer, the legs were still bloody, still roasting? I did 20 min on 400 and 15 min on 300 not even close………….what am i doing wrong? And i mixed the poultry seasoning and bbq rub cuz i thought that’s what the recipe was saying – we’ll see how it turns out, won’t rate it til I taste them! 🙂
Hi Kelly! I’m sorry this took awhile but it really depends on how big the legs are.
Do you use 1/4 cup of poultry seasoning and 1/4 cup dry rub or is it just 1/4 cup of your dry rub?
Hi! It’s just a 1/4 cup dry rub OR poultry seasoning….not both.
Did you make the dry rub? If so, with what?
I did! You can use the Chicken Rub on my site. https://thesuburbansoapbox.com/the-best-dry-rub-for-chicken/
Do you think this recipe can be used on chicken legs (drumsticks)?
Yes! Absolutely will work on chicken legs just cook them for half the time.