Turkey legs can be cooked boneless or bone-in, and are preferred by some over cooking a whole turkey. Soaking in a brine before cooking helps keep the meat moist, and roasting, grilling, and braising are all popular cooking methods.
Turkey legs are a common type of packaged turkey parts and can be available boneless or boneless. Cooking individual turkey legs may be more preferable to some than cooking a whole turkey because different parts of turkey take longer to cook than others, which makes it difficult not to overcook some pieces before other pieces are cooked through. Because turkey legs are dark meat, which tends to be moist and less prone to drying out than white meat, there are a number of methods that tend to be used with success.
To ensure that the turkey legs do not dry out, it is recommended to soak the pieces before cooking, regardless of the cooking method chosen. Brining is a process in which the meat is immersed in a combination of water and salt, which increases the likelihood of the meat absorbing moisture and flavor from other seasonings. Before cooking a turkey leg, it is recommended that you soak it for at least eight hours, or up to 24 hours for best results. For additional flavor, other seasonings, such as garlic or dried herbs, can be added to the brine. To avoid overpowering salinity, it is advisable to rinse the thighs thoroughly after the brine before cooking them.
One of the most common ways to cook a turkey leg is to roast it in an oven. When roasting turkey legs, the pieces are often seasoned and then coated in oil or melted butter to make the skin extra crispy. The exact roasting time may depend on the size of the thighs, but it usually takes about an hour to cook the meat. To keep the meat as juicy as possible, recipes often advise against cutting the legs until they have been out of the oven for at least 15 minutes, which allows the juices to redistribute and settle into the meat instead of percolating. For a one-dish meal, diced potatoes or other vegetables can be roasted with turkey legs.
Another method used to cook a turkey leg is grilling. Grilled turkey legs or whole turkey legs are often served without utensils at fairs and festivals. Although raw turkey legs can be grilled over medium to medium heat, some recipes may recommend boiling or otherwise partially cooking the legs in advance to prevent the outsides from burning before the inside meat is cooked through.
Braising is often recommended for a beginner cooking a turkey leg because the method tends to be less prone to overcooking than other methods that use high heat. This technique calls for covering the thighs in liquids, such as stock or water, and slowly simmering them until the meat is tender until it falls off the bone. Braising often takes at least two hours to cook, but can vary slightly depending on the thickness of the turkey leg. The meat from braised turkey legs is typically removed from the bone before serving, rather than being served on the bone.
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