Roasted Turkey Legs Recipe - The Spruce Eats

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Roasted Turkey Legs By Linda Larsen Linda Larsen Linda Larsen is a journalist, quick-cooking and slow-cooking expert, and accomplished cookbook author with over 30 years of experience in testing and developing recipes. Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process Updated on 11/15/22 Tested by Renae Wilson Tested by Renae Wilson Renae has certifications in both Pastry Arts and Culinary Arts from the Institute of Culinary Education and works as a private chef and caterer, recipe tester and developer, and food writer. Renae has written and developed recipes for Rachael Ray In Season, the Kitchn, Food52, and more. Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process (237) Save Write a Review Print Prep: 15 mins Cook: 95 mins Total: 110 mins Servings: 4 to 6 servings Yield: 4 to 6 drumsticks 237 ratings Write a Review Add a comment SaveRecipe

Roasted turkey legs are a great choice at Thanksgiving for smaller families where dark meat is the favorite. These large drumsticks have tender and moist meat with rich, delicious flavor, making for a satisfying meal. Around the holidays, you can usually find turkey legs in the supermarket, but other times of the year, you may have to ask the butcher for them.

Your Frequently Asked Holiday Questions, Answered

This recipe is very easy, calling for just a few simple ingredients and an unattended cooking time in the oven. A homemade compound herb butter is spread all over the turkey legs, and chicken broth is added to the pan to keep the meat nice and moist while roasting. The flavored butter is made with poultry seasoning, a combination of herbs usually including sage, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, salt, and pepper. You can buy it in the supermarket or make your own. Feel free to include more seasonings, add some minced garlic or onion, or change the herbs and spices.

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"Disneyland isn’t the only place to enjoy turkey legs! A compound butter makes these legs super flavorful. No fuss. Going forward, only turkey legs for Thanksgiving." —Renae Wilson

A Note From Our Recipe Tester Keep Screen Awake

• 4 to 6 turkey legs or drumsticks (bone-in, skin-on)

• 1/4 cup butter, softened

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/2 cup chicken broth (or turkey broth)

1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Pat the turkey legs dry with paper towels and place them in a large roasting pan. Avoid rinsing poultry in the sink; that will just spread bacteria around your kitchen.

3. Create a compound butter by mixing the softened butter, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and thyme in a small bowl.

4. Rub this mixture over the turkey legs. You can also rub it on the flesh under the skin for even more flavor.

5. Pour the chicken broth into the pan around the turkey legs. This will help keep the legs moist.

6. Roast the turkey legs for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 170 F. Remove the roasting pan from the oven, cover it with foil, and let stand for 10 minutes.

7. You can serve whole legs or slice the meat off the bones and serve it that way.

Recipe Variations

Mix up the flavor by making these roasted turkey legs with one of these compound butter recipes:

• Beurre Maître d'Hôtel: Combine 1/2 cup butter with 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice. Add fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• Basil Butter: Use about 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves for every 1/2 cup butter. Add a clove of minced garlic if you like, and/or a grating or two of lemon zest as well as fine sea salt to taste.
• Cilantro Lime Butter: For each 1/2 cup of butter, use 2 or 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves and 2 teaspoons lime zest. Add a bit of green chile sauce (or green Tabasco) if you're so inclined.
• Garlic Butter: Combine 1/2 cup butter, 1 clove minced garlic, fine sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. You can also add minced parsley for a bit of color.​
• Lemony Butter: Combine 1/2 cup butter with 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest (just the yellow part of the peel, being sure to avoid the bitter white pith beneath when you grate).

• Main Dishes
• Turkey Mains
• American Food
• Turkey Recipes
• Thanksgiving Recipes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
328	Calories
20g	Fat
0g	Carbs
35g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label ×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	328
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g	26%
Saturated Fat 8g	41%
Cholesterol 191mg	64%
Sodium 631mg	27%
Total Carbohydrate 0g	0%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 35g
Vitamin C 0mg	1%
Calcium 28mg	2%
Iron 2mg	12%
Potassium 367mg	8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

• Turkey
• dinner
• american
• christmas

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