Fair-Style Smoked & Grilled Whole Turkey Legs
Big, smoky fair-style whole turkey legs brined overnight, coated with a bold BBQ rub, smoked until juicy and deeply colored, then finished hot on the grill to crisp the skin and add fire-kissed char. These smoked and grilled turkey legs have that classic state fair-style bite with backyard BBQ flavor, crispy edges, and juicy dark meat.
Equipment
- Smoker or pellet grill
- Charcoal grill, gas grill, or grill grates for finishing
- Large food-safe brining container or brining bucket
- Sheet pan
- Wire rack
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Instant-read thermometer
- Leave-in meat probe
- Long grill tongs
- Basting brush
- Paper towels
- Black nitrile gloves, optional
- BBQ gloves
- Butcher paper or foil for serving, optional
Ingredients
For the Turkey Legs:
- 4 whole turkey legs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard optional binder
- For the Brine:
- 1 gallon cold water
- 1/2 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 4 garlic cloves smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon curing salt optional for deeper fair-style color and cured flavor
For the BBQ Rub:
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
For the Butter Baste:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce optional
Instructions
- Make the brine. In a large food-safe container, combine cold water, kosher salt, brown sugar, black peppercorns, smashed garlic cloves, bay leaves, smoked paprika, onion powder, and optional curing salt. Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved.
- Brine the turkey legs. Add the turkey legs to the brine, making sure they are fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
- Remove and dry. Take the turkey legs out of the brine and discard the brine. Pat the turkey legs very dry with paper towels.
- Air dry the skin. Place the turkey legs on a wire rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered for 1 to 2 hours if time allows. This helps the skin dry so it can color better in the smoker and crisp better on the grill.
- Season the turkey legs. Lightly coat the turkey legs with olive oil, melted butter, or yellow mustard. Mix the BBQ rub ingredients together and season the turkey legs evenly on all sides.
- Preheat the smoker. Set the smoker to 275°F using apple, cherry, pecan, hickory, or oak wood.
- Start smoking. Place the turkey legs directly on the smoker grates. Insert a leave-in meat probe into the thickest part of one turkey leg without touching the bone.
- Smoke until almost done. Smoke the turkey legs for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the skin is deep golden brown to reddish mahogany and the internal temperature reaches about 160°F to 165°F.
- Preheat the grill. While the turkey legs are finishing in the smoker, preheat a charcoal grill, gas grill, or grill grates to 400°F to 450°F for direct heat.
- Make the butter baste. In a small bowl, mix melted butter, honey, BBQ sauce, and optional hot sauce.
- Grill finish the turkey legs. Move the smoked turkey legs to the hot grill grates. Grill for 8 to 15 minutes, turning every 2 to 3 minutes, until the skin tightens, lightly crisps, and gets charred in spots.
- Baste during the grill finish. Brush the turkey legs lightly with the butter baste during the last few minutes of grilling. Do not baste too early over direct heat or the sugars can burn.
- Cook to final temperature. Continue grilling until the turkey legs reach 175°F to 185°F internal in the thickest part of the meat. Turkey is safe at 165°F, but dark meat eats better in the higher range.
- Rest the turkey legs. Remove the turkey legs from the grill and rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
- Serve fair-style. Serve whole with butcher paper wrapped around the bone, or slice the meat off the bone for sandwiches, bowls, mac and cheese toppers, or loaded baked potatoes.
Notes
Do not skip the brine. The brine gives these turkey legs their juicy, seasoned, fair-style bite.
The grill finish is what crisps the skin and adds char. Smoking alone gives great flavor, but poultry skin can stay rubbery without a hot finish.
Curing salt is optional. It helps create a deeper pink color and slightly cured fair-style flavor, but the recipe still works without it. Use only the proper amount and do not overdo it.
Turkey is safe to eat at 165°F, but whole turkey legs have dark meat and connective tissue that eat better around 175°F to 185°F.
If the skin looks wet after brining, let the turkey legs air dry uncovered in the fridge before seasoning.
Turn often during the grill finish so the skin crisps without burning.
If the skin starts getting too dark before the turkey reaches temperature, move the legs to indirect heat and keep cooking until done.
For less heat, skip the cayenne pepper and hot sauce.
For a sweeter fair-style finish, add an extra tablespoon of honey to the butter baste.
For an oven and grill version, bake the brined and seasoned turkey legs on a wire rack at 325°F until they reach about 160°F internal, then finish on a hot grill until they reach 175°F to 185°F.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Reheat wrapped at 300°F with a splash of broth or melted butter until warmed through, then uncover near the end to help the skin tighten back up.