Pellet Smoked Turkey Legs
Everyone loves smoked Disney turkey legs and we searched the inter webs for the best Disney style recipe. We found most recipes to vary from each other and it started to seem like nobody really knows the recipe, just like KFC’s secret herbs and spices. So we’re not going to claim this recipe to be the actual Disney formula, but it is a mashup of a few good ones with our own spin on the spices and steps. This recipe is easy but it does take some time from start to finish. You will need to make a brine and soak the turkey legs overnight in that mixture. This adds a great level of flavor to the meat and helps to keep the meat moist. After the brine, you should dry out the turkey legs in the refrigerator overnight to give the skin a less chewy texture. This last step is optional but plan for 1 to 2 days of prep work before the actual cook.
Man That’s Cooking
Ingredients
- 4 turkey legs
Brine
- 1 gallon water
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 1 tbsp dried sage
- 1 tbsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp allspice
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
Directions
Boil 1 gallon of water along with all of the listed brine ingredients. Allow the brine to boil for a few minutes then turn off the heat. Remove the pot from the burner and allow the liquid to cool for 1 hour. You can add ice in a large zip seal bag to speed up the cooling process but do not add ice directly to the brine because this will dilute the solution. When the liquid reaches a medium warm temperature, add it to an 8 quart container and place it in the refrigerator for several hours.
When the brine reaches refrigerator temperature (around 32F) then add the turkey legs to the brine. Place the brine back in the refrigerator overnight or at least 12 hours.
After the brine phase, wash off the turkey legs then place them on a sheet pan with a cooling rack. Pat the turkey down with paper towels to absorb as much liquid as possible. It is important to dry off the skin as much as possible to prevent rubbery skin texture. If you have time, place the turkey legs back in the refrigerator overnight and this will circulate air around them which dries off the skin.
When you are ready to cook, preheat your smoker to 230 using apple wood pellets. Spray the turkey legs with duck fat to act as a binder and skin browner. Apply smoked paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and kosher salt on all sides.
Place the turkey legs on an upper rack in your smoker and let them cook for an hour. After an hour, flip them over and then spray them down with duck fat. Check the temperatures and move around any legs from hot areas to cool areas if needed. Repeat these steps until you get close to 165 F, then increase the heat to 300F. Higher heat will help tighten up the skin. Continue cooking until the turkey legs reach around 175F. This should take around 3 hours.
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Grilled Turkey Burgers
Grilled Turkey Burgers
Turkey burgers can be delicious as well as healthy and this recipe will have you forgetting all about those beef burgers. This recipe includes healthy stuff like baby spinach, sun dried tomatoes and lean ground turkey. Add to that some feta cheese for extra bits of flavor and now you have a tasty turkey burger combination. These burgers are perfect on the grill but they are also yummy cooked in the air fryer. This recipe will yield 3 7oz burger patties and you can simply double the ingredients to make more.
Man That’s Cooking
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- ¼ cup parmesan bread crumbs
- 1 cup baby spinach finely chopped
- ¼ cup diced sun dried tomatoes
- ½ cup feta cheese in small bits
- 2 minced small garlic cloves
- ¼ tsp mustard powder
- ¼ tsp sage powder
- ½ tsp fresh rosemary
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
Directions
First, mince about 1/2 teaspoon of fresh rosemary. Next, mince 2 garlic cloves. Dice about 1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes. Break down the 1/2 cup feta cheese into smaller chunks. Finally chop 1 cup of baby spinach.
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix everything together by hand until all the ingredients are incorporated. Form 3 large turkey burger patties from the mixture in the bowl. For best results, use a scale to measure the meat and create 3 even weight patties. Use a burger press to form the burger patties in an even shape.
Pre-heat your grill and spray down the grill grates with oil or fat to prevent sticking. Cook the turkey burger patties for 5 minutes per side, then continue to cook and flip until the internal temperature reaches close to 165F. You can remove them early, around 163F to allow for carry over cooking to reach the safe temp. Place the turkey burgers on a bun with honey mustard, mayonnaise, or any condiments of your choice. Top with more feta cheese and baby spinach.
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Turkey Carcass Soup
Turkey Carcass Soup
Do you have a leftover turkey carcass and maybe you are worried about raccoons pulling it from your trash can? Well for this reason and many more, you should turn that carcass into a delicious hot soup. You only need a few more dollar’s worth of ingredients to put together over a gallon of goodness. This recipe does take some time and you can split up the steps across several days. But once it comes together, you will be glad you didn’t toss that turkey carcass.
Man That’s Cooking
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey carcass
- 6 celery stalks
- 6 carrots
- 2 white onions
- 4 cloves garlic
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 4 sprigs sage
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 12 oz egg noodles
- 4 qt water
Directions
The first step is to make a broth. You can do this days in advance and store the broth in refrigerated or frozen jars. Or you can take a nice lazy weekend and create the broth and soup at the same time. If you choose this path we recommend that you chop all the vegetables for the broth and soup at the same time.
For the broth, rough chop 3 celery stalks, 3 carrots, 1 white onion, and 2 garlic cloves. You can add the tops of celery with the leaves to the broth. Add 2 whole sprigs of rosemary, thyme and sage.
For the soup, finely chop 3 celery stalks, 3 carrots, 1 white onion, and 2 garlic cloves. Mince 2 sprigs of rosemary, thyme and 2 sprigs of sage.
Place the broth veggies and the turkey carcass into a large pot or dutch oven. Include the turkey neck and any bones you might have saved. Next submerge everything with 4 quarts of water adding more if needed. Set the burner heat on high until the contents starts to boil (about 30 minutes). Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours stirring occasionally. Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool down. Remove the turkey and large vegetables from the broth. Using a strainer with cheesecloth, pour the broth into another pot to remove small bits and some fat.
Add the broth back to the pot. Pull all the meat from the turkey carcass and put it in the pot. Add the soup veggies, seasonings, and herbs. Bring the soup to a simmer and let it cook for 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Skim off any foamy fat that might form on the surface. Add the egg noodles and cook for at least 8 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and serve.
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Oven Roasted Turkey
Oven Roasted Turkey
Any time is a great time for turkey and when it comes to the holidays, it’s a big deal. This is nothing to worry about and if you follow this recipe, your turkey will impress all of your guests. This recipe uses a brine which is an optional step but highly recommended. Most store bought turkey is frozen in a solution to make the meat juicy. Because of this pre processing, a brine is not necessary however it will enhance the overall outcome. And if you sourced your turkey from something other than the grocery store (hunting, backyard farm or otherwise) then a brine is an excellent enhancement. If your turkey is frozen, you will need at least 48 hours of thaw time with the turkey in the refrigerator. The brine is easy to prepare and you can do this any number of days ahead and keep it in the refrigerator. The turkey should be brined for 4 to 6 hours max and then washed off and dried with paper towels. Then you should let the turkey dry out in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This will help the skin to become crispy and delicious.
So let’s step through this, assuming this will be a Thanksgiving Thursday turkey and you work 9 – 5 like all of us. Sunday at noon place the turkey in the refrigerator to thaw out. On Monday evening, make the brine and place it in the refrigerator. By Tuesday evening the brine will be cool and the turkey will be thawed and ready to brine for 4 – 6 hours. Tuesday night remove the turkey from the brine, wash off the brine, then dry it with paper towels. Place the turkey on a cooling rack over a foil layer on a cookie sheet. Place the turkey in the refrigerator from Tuesday night to Thursday morning (a little over 24 hours, no biggie). Thursday morning / afternoon season the turkey and roast in the oven. This recipe will cook at 325 F and turkey will require 15 – 17 minutes per pound when cooked at 325 F. So a 12 pound turkey at 16 minutes per pound = 192 minutes total time (12 x 16) which is 3.2 hours (192 minutes / 60 minutes per hour).
Man That’s Cooking
Ingredients
- 10 – 15 pound whole turkey
Brine
- 1 gallon water
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 lemon
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 3 sprigs sage
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
If your turkey is frozen, allow it to thaw for 48 hours prior to brine or cooking. For this recipe if you target Thanksgiving Thursday, start the turkey thawing on Sunday.
Prepare the brine several days ahead of the cook. For Thanksgiving, this would be Monday evening. Allow the brine solution to cool down, then place it in the refrigerator to cool it further overnight. The next evening (Tuesday) soak the turkey in the brine for 4 to 6 hours. You can use 1 gallon XL zip seal bags to brine the turkey if you don’t have any containers large enough for the task.
After this, wash the turkey and place it on a cookie sheet and cooling rack setup. Dry it inside and out with paper towels and place in the refrigerator.
On Thursday, remove the turkey from the refrigerator and brush it down on all sides with melted butter. If you use salted butter, then apply less salt on the surface in the next step. Salt and pepper the turkey on all sides.
Move the turkey to a roasting rack breast side up. Tuck the wing tips under the body of the turkey. Add fresh thyme to the turkey skin. Do not truss the turkey legs unless your grandma makes you do so. This is an old technique that is debated endlessly at this point.
Preheat the oven to 325 F and cook for 1 and a half hours.
Open the oven, slide out the turkey or remove it and brush it down with melted butter. Take the temperature of the turkey and do the math for the remaining cook time. Turkey will require 15 – 17 minutes per pound when cooked at 325 F. The target temp is 165 F in the breast and 175 F in the thigh.
When the turkey breast reaches 165 F in the thickest part of the breast, it is safe to remove it from the oven. Allow the turkey to rest for 30 minutes and do not cover it with foil. If you cover it with foil, condensation will form and will drip back on the skin making it less crispy.
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