Tender Oven-Roasted Turkey Legs
Many of us at Silver and Gold have grown up enjoying delicious turkey legs at the Exhibition or other fairs. They are juicy, meaty, sweet and tender, and so delectable!
Here's what you need:
When made at home – if you're not experienced – turkey legs can turn out tough, as the meat is quite fibrous. With this recipe, Silver and Gold will show you how to make a deliciously soft and tender turkey leg recipe that will not only satisfy that meat craving but make a great meal that is inexpensive.
When slow-baked, turkey legs turn out fantastic! They are juicy and full of flavour. Our turkey leg recipe is one of our favourites because you can typically still find turkey legs for about $5 to $7 for TWO of them, and even for events like Christmas or Thanksgiving, this means we can have delicious turkey for supper without having to make a whole turkey! Let's face it, turkey is much more than poultry... it's tradition! Turkey legs are the dark meat that keeps on giving!
Here's what you'll need to make super good, tender, fall-of-the-bone oven-roasted turkey legs (YUM!):
-
turkey legs, rinsed, patted dry, skin on (typically one turkey leg will feed one person, but it's a good idea to have some extra baked - just in case that extra guest drops by!)
-
2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
-
2 Tbsp. butter
-
salt, pepper, sage, garlic powder, thyme, paprika, to create a rub (approx. 1/2 tsp. of each). Choose the spices that you prefer, and omit those which you don't like! No biggie.
-
Your favourite bbq sauce – we prefer something smokey, like those which are usually used for making ribs.
-
juice of 1 lime or lemon.
Method:
-
Preheat oven to 275°F (yes, low and slow; kind of like when you make ribs!).
-
Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.
-
Rub turkey legs with the dry rub mixture. Place a large roasting pan on the stove, heat to medium/low and add both butter and oil, heating until almost smoking.
-
Brown turkey legs, turning until browned on all sides (approximately 5-7 minutes).
-
Turn stove off and immediately cover legs with bbq sauce (1/2 bottle covers about 6 legs) and squeeze the juice of the lime over top. No need to add any other juice or liquid.
-
Cover tightly with lid and bake in the oven for 2 hours – No need to uncover or turn in between.
Before serving, remove the skin off (what's left of it!) and serve with smashed sweet potatoes, Quinoa Salad or alternate side dish. The remaining juices of the pan make a delicious gravy, just the way they are. Simply amazing!