Cook Turkey Drumsticks

Turkey drumsticks are a flavorful alternative to chicken. They are best known for their savory dark meat and crispy brown skin. Drumsticks are much easier to prepare than cooking a whole turkey, so they're a great choice for weeknight cooking. Learn how to bake, grill, slow-cook or boil turkey drumsticks to perfection.

Steps

Baking Turkey Drumsticks

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF/175ºC.
  2. Peel back the skin. Grip the skin near the bone and gently peel it toward the top of the drumstick. Don't pull it off entirely; just peel it back, so you can tuck butter and seasonings underneath. [1]
    • Turkey drumsticks are much larger than chicken drumsticks, so you'll only need one per person (two at most).
    • Recent studies have shown that rinsing poultry isn't necessary, and in fact disperses bacteria around the kitchen surfaces. No need to rinse your turkey after removing it from the packaging.
  3. Rub a tablespoon of butter over the meat of each drumstick. This will keep the meat moist while the drumsticks bake. For larger drumsticks, you can use up to three tablespoons of butter.
    • To make the butter easier to spread, bring it to room temperature before applying it to the turkey.
    • Use olive oil in place of butter if you're calorie conscious.
  4. Season the turkey. With the skin still pulled down, sprinkle salt and pepper all over the turkey legs. For more flavor, try rubbing a tablespoon of chopped herbs onto the buttered turkey meat while the skins are still pulled back. Rosemary, thyme and sage make great seasonings for turkey.
  5. Pull the skin over the meat and rub it with butter. Stretch the skin back over the meat and rub another tablespoon (or up to three) of butter over the skin of the turkey. This will help the skin crisp up as it bakes.
  6. Sprinkle the skin with salt and pepper. Use a liberal amount of both salt and pepper to bring out the best in the turkey's flavor.
  7. Lay the turkey legs in a roasting pan. Use a pan large enough to easily hold all of the legs with no overlap. If you want to catch the drippings, use a metal roasting rack over a drip pan.
  8. Bake the turkey drumsticks. Place them in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Turn them over and cook for another 45 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. They are ready when the internal temperature reaches 180ºF/82ºC.
    • To ensure that the turkey stays juicy, you can baste it every 20 minutes with a turkey baster or spoon. Use the drippings as your basting liquid, or baste with extra melted butter.
    • Larger drumsticks may take a total of two hours to finish cooking.
  9. Let the meat rest for fifteen minutes before serving. This gives the juices time to reabsorb into the flesh, making the meat juicy. Serve whole or remove the meat from the bone.

Grilling Turkey Drumsticks

  1. Heat your gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. Turkey drumsticks require almost an hour on the grill, and it's important to maintain a steady heat of about 300 degrees Fahrenheit so they don't burn or end up undercooked.
  2. Season your turkey drumsticks. Sprinkle the meat all over with salt and pepper. If you want to add spices and other seasonings, spread mixed spices all over each drumstick to coat the skin. Try these delicious combinations:
    • For hot and spicy drumsticks: combine 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • For herb-encrusted drumsticks: combine 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt
  3. Cook the drumsticks in indirect heat for one hour. Lay them on a part of the grill that isn't getting a stream of direct heat, since this will cook them too quickly.
  4. Turn the drumsticks every ten minutes. This will ensure they cook evenly on all sides. Keep going as each side turns golden brown and crispy.[2]
  5. Test the internal temperature of the drumsticks. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. The drumsticks are ready when the internal temperature reaches 180ºF/82ºC.

Using a Slow Cooker

  1. Remove the skin from the drumsticks. Use as many drumsticks as you can fit in your slow cooker. Since the skin won't get crispy in the slow cooker, it's best to remove it before cooking.
  2. Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Place your drumsticks into your slow cooker. Since the drumsticks are so large, you might have trouble fitting more than two. You can lop off the ends of the bones if necessary.
  4. Cover the drumsticks with chicken broth. The liquid is necessary to flavor the turkey and help it cook evenly and slowly in the slow cooker. Fill up the slow cooker until the turkey legs are completely submerged.
    • For extra flavor, add a packet of onion soup mix to the pot.
    • Or add the following: 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
  5. Cover and cook on low heat for eight to nine hours. Plan ahead so you can time the drumsticks to be ready for your dinnertime.
  6. Let the drumsticks cool. Transfer the drumsticks to a plate or other heat-proof surface and allow to cool for five to ten minutes.
  7. Pull the meat off the bones. The turkey meat is delicious served with your favorite sauce over noodles or rice. You can also add it to a casserole or soup.

Boiling Turkey Legs

  1. Place the turkey legs in a large stockpot. Make sure it's big enough to comfortably hold all of the drumsticks you want to cook.
  2. Cover the drumsticks with water or chicken broth. Fill the pot to within a few inches of the top of the rim, rather than right up to the edge. The drumsticks should be completely submerged.[3]
  3. Season the water or broth. Add a teaspoon of salt, a half teaspoon of pepper, and any other seasonings you desire. The seasoned water will penetrate the turkey meat to flavor it as it cooks.
  4. Boil the turkey legs for about 60 minutes. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil, then reduce it slightly to a low boil that won't splash. After an hour, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. The turkey legs are ready when the internal temperature reaches 180ºF/82ºC.
  5. Drain the turkey legs and let them cool. Pour them over a colander to drain out the water, then let the meat cool for about ten minutes before you try to handle it.
  6. Remove the skin and pick the meat. Be careful to make sure small bones are removed. Use the meat to make barbecue, soup, or a casserole.
  7. Finished.



Things You'll Need

  • Roasting pan, grill, large stockpot or slow cooker
  • Meat thermometer
  • Turkey baster or large spoon

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Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://allrecipes.com/recipe/roasted-turkey-legs/
  2. ↑ http://www.primalpalate.com/paleo-recipe/grilled-turkey-drumsticks/
  3. ↑ http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-best-tips-for-boiling-chicken-legs.htm

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