Roasted Turkey Legs Recipe - Healthy Recipes Blog

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These roasted turkey legs are perfect anytime and work especially well for small Thanksgiving gatherings. Baking them at a high temperature ensures crispy skin and juicy meat and takes just a little over an hour.

Two turkey legs are served on a white plate.

Not everyone wants to roast a whole turkey for Thanksgiving. Perhaps yours is a small gathering, or maybe your family members prefer white or dark meat. Roasting just turkey legs, turkey breasts, or turkey wings means a shorter roasting time and a better-tasting bird. Roasting just parts of the turkey prevents the issue of the white meat becoming too dry by the time the dark meat is fully cooked.

Ingredients and Variations

The ingredients needed to roast turkey legs.

See the recipe card for exact measurements. Here are my comments on some of the ingredients.

Avocado oil spray: I use it to grease the rack and spray the turkey pieces after seasoning them.
Medium-sized turkey legs: Bone-in and skin-on, weighing about 10 ounces each.
Melted butter: I use salted butter in this recipe, but unsalted is fine. You can use ghee as an alternative to butter.
Seasoning mix: Sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, dried thyme, and paprika. Sometimes, I use smoked paprika instead of regular paprika for a smoky flavor. And I sometimes add ½ teaspoon of onion powder or ground cumin.

Instructions

The detailed instructions and step-by-step photos are included in the recipe card. Here's a quick overview.

Mix the spices in a small bowl. Pat the turkey pieces dry with paper towels. Brush them with melted butter and sprinkle them with the seasoning mix.

Place the turkey drumsticks on a greased rack fitted into a rimmed baking sheet. Spray them with avocado oil. The oil helps keep the spices and herbs moist and helps prevent them from burning in the hot oven.

Roast the turkey uncovered for 20 minutes in a preheated 450°F oven. Loosely cover with foil and keep roasting until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. Let it rest, still covered in foil, for 10 minutes, then serve.

Fully cooked turkey legs on a baking sheet.

Used this recipe one time and frantically searched for it again tonight because it was that good. It's easy and I rarely follow a recipe exactly as it says but I did in this case and it came out perfectly. I made sure to save it this time.
Michelle
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Recipe Tip

You'll need to adjust the oven temperature and time to the size of the turkey pieces. The method of roasting for a short time at a high temperature is perfect for medium legs weighing about 10 ounces each. If yours are much bigger - around a pound each - bake them for longer at a lower temperature.

Turkey legs weighing 1 pound should be baked in a 350°F oven for at least 90 minutes and up to two hours. Cover them loosely with foil once the tops are deeply browned, which should happen after 60-75 minutes.

Always check with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the leg and not touching the bone to make sure it has reached 160°F. After a 10-minute rest, it should climb to 165°F.

Here is the delicious result of using this method on a one-pound turkey leg - look at the dark, crispy skin and perfectly cooked, juicy meat:

A large turkey leg is served on a white plate.

Recipe FAQs

Should I roast turkey legs at 350°F or 450°F?

It depends on their size. As long as they're not too large, baking them relatively quickly at a high temperature yields the best results: crispy, well-browned skin and juicy, succulent meat. If the legs are huge - around a pound each - it's best to bake them for at least an hour and a half in a 350°F oven.

How do you keep the turkey from drying out?

The secret is to pick medium-sized legs and roast them relatively quickly at a high temperature. Then, let them rest for a few minutes before digging in to allow the temperature to climb a bit more and the juices to settle.

Why do you rest the turkey for 10 minutes?

The resting period accomplishes two goals. The first is allowing the temperature to climb and reach 165°F. The second is enabling the juices to settle, ensuring juicy meat.

Can I keep the leftovers?

Yes. You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave at 50% power. Much like leftover chicken drumsticks, they are delicious when eaten cold!

Serving Suggestions

At Thanksgiving, I serve turkey legs with these classic holiday items:

When I make them throughout the year, I like to serve them with a side dish I can roast in the same 450°F oven. Here are a few of my favorites:

Recipe Card

Turkey legs are served on a white plate with a garnish of parsley.

4.96 from 82 votes

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Juicy Roasted Turkey Legs

These roasted turkey legs are so delicious and satisfying! Baking them at a high temperature ensures crispy skin and juicy meat.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Resting time10

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 432kcal

Author: Vered DeLeeuw

Video

Ingredients

▢ Avocado oil spray
▢ 4 turkey legs - medium-sized, bone-in, skin-on, about 10 ounces each; see notes
▢ ¼ cup butter - melted

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup, fit it with a rack, and spray the rack with avocado oil.
Pat the turkey legs dry with paper towels. Brush them all over with melted butter and rub them with the seasoning mix. Place them on the roasting rack and lightly spray them with avocado oil.
Place the turkey in the oven. Roast it, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until the skin is browned.
Loosely cover the turkey with foil to avoid scorching the top, and continue roasting until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork and an instant-read thermometer not touching the bone registers 160°F, about 30 more minutes.
Remove the turkey drumsticks from the oven and allow them to rest, still covered in foil, for 10 minutes before serving. Do not skip this step - it will enable the internal temperature to climb and the juices to redistribute and settle.

Notes

Roasting time:

You'll need to adjust the oven temperature and time to the size of the turkey pieces.

The method of roasting for a short time at a high temperature is perfect for medium legs weighing about 10 ounces each. If yours are much bigger - around a pound each - bake them for longer at a lower temperature.

Legs weighing 1 pound should be baked in a 350°F oven for at least 90 minutes and up to two hours. Cover them loosely with foil once the tops are deeply browned, which should happen after 60-75 minutes.

Always check with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the leg and not touching the bone to ensure the internal temperature has reached 160°F. After a 10-minute rest, it should climb to 165°F.

Leftovers:

You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently in the microwave at 50% power, or enjoy them cold.

Nutrition per Serving

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Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.

Roasted Turkey Legs

Ingredients and Variations

Instructions

Recipe Tip

Recipe FAQs

Serving Suggestions

Recipe Card