When you don’t want to cook a whole Thanksgiving turkey, this roasted turkey legs recipe is the perfect answer — and it’s packed with flavor. If you have multiple family members who love dark meat, you don’t have to fight over it anymore! Learning how to cook turkey legs is incredibly easy, as baked turkey drumsticks are very similar to baked chicken legs. It’s an easy main for smaller Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for this turkey leg recipe, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Turkey Legs – Choose bone-in, skin-on turkey drumsticks that weigh about 12 ounces each. Other sizes will work for roasted turkey legs, but you’ll need to adjust the baking time. If you have turkey leg quarters instead (which include both the turkey thighs and drumsticks attached to each other), you can cook those in a similar way, but they will take longer to cook through. Olive Oil – Oil helps to crisp up the skin. I used olive oil, but you can also use any neutral oil, such as avocado oil. Melted butter can work as well, but is more prone to burning, so you may need to tent the top with foil sooner during baking.Seasonings – Paprika, garlic powder, rosemary, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper.
How To Cook Turkey Legs
This section shows how to cook turkey legs, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below. Try Italian seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, or Cajun seasoning instead of the herb and spice blend here. Poultry seasoning is also a classic choice that’s great for Thanksgiving!
Storage Instructions
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.Reheat: Warm this dish gently in the microwave at 50% power so they don’t dry out, or in a 350 degree oven until heated through. Leftovers also taste great cold!Freeze: Allow the roasted turkey legs to cool to room temperature, then place onto a baking sheet in the freezer for 1 hour, until solid. Transfer to a zip lock bag and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
What To Serve With Roasted Turkey Legs
So many traditional and delicious sides can pair with baked turkey legs!
Holiday sauces – Gluten-free gravy and sugar-free cranberry sauce would pair perfectly with this turkey.Roasted vegetables – Try this roasted turkey leg recipe with roasted sweet potatoes, roasted green beans, or smashed brussels sprouts.Seasonal salads – Baked turkey legs taste great with a butternut squash salad, kale crunch salad, or French carrot salad.
More Holiday Turkey Recipes
Like more white meat with your whole turkey legs? Try more festive ways to cook turkey here: Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too – I’d love to see it!
