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Craving the best part of the bird without roasting a whole turkey? These oven-roasted turkey legs deliver crispy skin and juicy dark meat with two foolproof methods (350°F slow-roast or 400°F faster roast). I’ve also included an optional maple-butter glaze for a sweet-savory finish.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You Will Need
- How To Cook Turkey Legs
- Maple-Butter finish (optional)
- How Long To Cook Turkey Legs
- Kellie’s Troubleshooting & pro tips for Turkey Legs
- What are Roasted Turkey Legs?
- What To Serve With Turkey Legs
- More Sides for Turkey Legs
- How to Store Leftovers
- More Easy Turkey Recipes
- Roasted Turkey Legs Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
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, especially when served with Turkey Gravy, The Best Mashed Potatoes and Homemade Cranberry Sauce.
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 You Will Need
- 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.
- Dry Brine – Want to level up your turkey legs even more? Give them a rub in my dry brine like I use for my Best Dry Brine 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!
- Prep. Pat the legs very dry. If time allows, dry-brine using my buttermilk brine. Sprinkle salt evenly and refrigerate uncovered 8–24 hours for deeper seasoning and crisper skin. (This step is optional.)
- Season. Stir salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder, and paprika. Rub legs with oil/butter and season under and over the skin.
- Pan. Set a wire rack on a rimmed sheet; line sheet with foil for easy cleanup. (No rack? Use thick-cut carrot/onion sticks as a bed.)
Maple-Butter finish (optional)
Whisk melted butter, maple, Dijon, and cayenne. Brush generously during the final 10–15 minutes of roasting, then once more right after resting.
How Long To Cook Turkey Legs
| Leg size (each) | 350°F to 165–180°F | 400°F to 165–180°F |
|---|---|---|
| 10–12 oz | 75–90 min | 45–55 min |
| 12–14 oz | 90–105 min | 55–65 min |
| 14–16 oz | 105–120 min | 60–70 min |
Always go by internal temperature: 165°F minimum for safety; 175–180°F yields more tender dark meat.
Kellie’s Troubleshooting & pro tips for Turkey Legs
Convection: If using fan, reduce temp by ~25°F or start checking 10 minutes sooner.
Skin not crisp? Pat legs dry, use a rack, avoid overcrowding, and finish with a 2–3 minute broil (watch closely to avoid burning).
Still pink near the bone? Keep roasting to 165°F when tested with an instant-read thermometer; bone and myoglobin can tint meat pink even when safe.
Tough/chewy? Dark meat turns tender closer to 175–180°F as collagen melts.
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
How to Store Leftovers
Refridgerator: Transfer leftover turkey legs to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
Reheat (oven): Reheat turkey legs on a baking sheet covered with foil at 350°F for 10–15 minutes until hot.
Reheat (air fryer): Reheat leftover turkey legs at 325°F for 6–10 minutes.
Freeze: Freeze turkey legs in a freezer safe container up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.
More Easy Turkey Recipes
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Roasted Turkey Legs Recipe
Equipment
- roasting pan
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
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.
Notes
- Savory herb butter: Swap maple glaze for 3 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp chopped thyme/rosemary + lemon zest.
- Vegetable bed + gravy: Roast over onion/carrots/celery; deglaze pan with stock and whisk in a knob of butter.
- Disney-style smoky: Brush with thin BBQ glaze for the final 10 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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.