Did you forget to thaw the turkey? Or, is the cost of a whole bird overwhelming your holiday budget? These Crock Pot Turkey Legs are a great option for budget friendly holiday meals or everyday weeknight dinners. The brine in this recipe brings out all those holiday flavors in these legs for a fraction of the cost and without having to worry about thawing a whole bird.
Hey y’all! GOODe Ole Boy here!
I told my wife the other night that she had some nice legs. You wanna know her response? “Well then put’em in the crock pot and write me a post!” I’m talking, of course, about the six turkey legs she bought the other day. (But she does have some nice legs of her own too!)
Crock Pot Turkey Legs
A little bit ago I showed you the brined crock pot turkey breast I made. It was BEYOND delicious! It was juicy, tender and so full of flavor. And all that coming from a guy who isn’t the biggest fan of white meat. I’m a dark meat kinda turkey eater. I loves me some legs (remember what I said about my wife?) and I figured I’d give the same brining recipe try with those turkey legs. They did not disappoint!
The brine soaked right into to meat and gave the legs a great holiday flavor for a fraction of the cost of a whole bird.
Now, the one thing about turkey legs is that their not as easy to take off the bone with a knife and fork as a breast may be, so I went all cave man on it…and I was fine with that.
Crock Pot Turkey Legs
Ingredients
- 6 turkey legs
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 4 cups warm water
- 10 oz soy sauce
- ½ cup Worchestershire sauce
- 2 tsp dried celery seed
- 2 tsp Penzeys Country French herb mix or Poultry Seasoning
- 2 Tbsp approx poultry seasoning
Instructions
- In a large stock pot dissolve salt and sugar in warm water.
- Add soy and Worchestershire sauces along with celery seed and Country French herb mix.
- Place thawed turkey legs in pot and cover with water.
- Refrigerate for 24 hours.
- After brining, remove turkey from brine and rinse off with water.
- Place turkey legs in slow cooker and cook on low until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees (about 6-8 hours on low).
- Optional step: For those that want to eat the legs with skin-on, you may want to place your legs on a cookie sheet and place under a broiler for a few minutes, watching very closely and rotating as necessary to brown up the skin.
- Serve and enjoy!
Slow Cooker Recommendation
I once again used our slow cooker that has a built in meat thermometer and set it to 165 degrees. The great thing about this slow cooker is that it comes with a probe to place into the thickest part of the turkey and turns the slow cooker to warm once the set temperature is reached. This type of crock pot is by no means required but definitely comes in handy with meat dishes.
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Do the legs need to be thawed before putting them in the brine?
This recipe is easy to prepare & absolutely delicious. The turkey legs are moist, tender & flavourful, and the broth makes an excellent gravy. Instructions are easily adjusted for fewer pieces of turkey.
Love a man that can cook 😉