BARBECUED TURKEY LEGS

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Barbecued Turkey Legs image

Wishing you were at the game? Raise a giant drumstick -- in spirit -- with all the other Hawkeye football fans at the University of Iowa. These massive barbecued bird legs are a tailgating tradition at the black-and-gold school. Now you can make them at home with an easy dry brine that eliminates the need for submerging them in a big pot of salted water.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories     main-dish

Time 11h40m

Yield 8 turkey legs

Number Of Ingredients 9

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons mustard powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne
Kosher salt
8 turkey drumsticks (about 16 pounds total)
Vegetable oil, for oiling the grill grates
1 1/2 cups store-bought barbecue sauce

Steps:

  • The day before, make a dry brine: Put 2 wire racks on 2 rimmed baking sheets. Mix together the sugar, chili powder, mustard powder, garlic powder, cayenne and 1/2 cup salt. Pat the turkey drumsticks dry. Put 2 drumsticks in a large shallow bowl and sprinkle generously with the dry brine, rubbing it into every nook and cranny. Transfer to one of the wire racks. Working in batches, sprinkle and rub the remaining drumsticks with the dry brine and transfer to the wire racks. Sprinkle the drumsticks on the racks with any remaining dry brine. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 8 hours and preferably up to 24 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the drumsticks, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through cooking, until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer measures at least 200 degrees F, about 2 hours. Let cool to room temperature. Transfer the drumsticks to large re-sealable plastic bags. (The turkey can be made ahead up to this point and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
  • Preheat a gas grill to medium-low or prepare a charcoal for medium-low indirect heat: bank one chimney starter-full of lit and ashed-over charcoal briquettes to one side of the grill. Set up a drip pan on the other side to avoid flare-ups. (Be sure to consult the grill manufacturer's guide for best results).
  • Brush the grill grates with oil. Put the drumsticks on the grill (or indirect side if using charcoal) and cook, turning and basting with the barbecue sauce every 5 minutes, until the drumsticks are deep amber on the outside and heated through, about 15 minutes.
  • Let cool for 5 minutes, then wrap the exposed bone-end of each drumstick with foil and serve while warm.

Briar Larson
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I'm always looking for new turkey recipes. This one looks like a keeper.


Kayla Zerf
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This recipe looks delicious! I can't wait to try it.


Lorain Alexander
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I followed the recipe exactly, but my turkey legs turned out tough. I'm not sure what went wrong.


ridoy sskhan
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These turkey legs were a bit dry, but the flavor was good.


dana simon
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I'm not a big fan of turkey, but these legs were surprisingly good. The rub was flavorful and the meat was tender.


Mtshali Menelisi
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These were a great way to use up some leftover turkey. They were easy to make and turned out really tasty.


sanjida Ss
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OMG, these turkey legs are amazing! So juicy and flavorful. I'm definitely going to be making these again and again.


Rakib Hossian
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These turkey legs were delicious! The rub was flavorful and the meat was cooked perfectly. I will definitely be making these again.


Jeet Mollik
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I've made these turkey legs twice now and they've been perfect both times. The rub is amazing and the meat is so tender and juicy. I highly recommend this recipe!


bronwyn constant
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This recipe was a huge hit! The turkey legs were juicy and flavorful, with the perfect amount of smokiness. They were a great addition to our summer cookout.