Roasted Turkey Legs
An easy Turkey Leg Recipe with sweet and tangy maple mustard glaze. Includes a step-by-step guide for perfectly roasted turkey legs in the oven.
Roasted Turkey Legs With Crispy Skin And Sweet-Tangy Glaze
Turkey legs can serve two opposite-but-important purposes: 1.) You don’t want to roast a whole turkey for Thanksgiving, and you want a smaller amount of meat, 2.) You ARE roasting a whole turkey, but you’re afraid it might not be quite enough for all of your guests (but you know you definitely don’t need two whole turkeys).
Or hey, maybe you just want to roast a turkey leg for a Sunday dinner. Whatever the case, this Roasted Turkey Legs recipe is the answer.
The dark meat stays super juicy, while the deep golden brown skin gets brushed with a sweet and tangy maple mustard glaze.
Why You Will Love This Turkey Leg Recipe
- Easy prep. Just season, roast and glaze. Most of the work happens in the oven.
- Crispy skin + juicy meat – is there a better combination than that?
- Gives you traditional Thanksgiving flavor in a more manageable size for a smaller gathering.
Turkey Legs Recipe Ingredients
A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.
- turkey legs – the recipe below is for 2 turkey legs that are about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds each. Feel free to cut the recipe in half if you just want to make one leg.
- olive oil – helps crisp the skin.
- salt and pepper – for seasoning the roasted turkey leg.
- maple syrup – the naturally sweet backbone of the glaze.
- Dijon mustard and whole grain mustard – so the glaze both tastes and looks like mustard.
- garlic – adds savory depth of flavor the glaze.
- rosemary – fresh if possible, or dried in a pinch. Thyme also works great.
- cider vinegar – balances the sweetness of the glaze.
How To Cook Turkey Legs
- PREP. Line a rimmed baking pan with foil and place a wire rack over the foil. Place the turkey legs on the rack and pat them dry with paper towel. Rub all over with the oil, then sprinkle all over with the salt and pepper. Transfer them to oven and roast for 45 minutes.
- GLAZE. Whisk the garlic, maple syrup, both mustards, rosemary and vinegar until smooth.
- GLAZE AND FINISH. After 45 minutes of roasting, brush the turkey legs all over with some of the glaze. Return them to the oven and cook until the internal temperature of the thickest part of each leg reaches 170 degrees F, brushing with additional glaze every 15 minutes.
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Oven Baked Turkey Legs Home Chef Tips
- Use an instant-read meat thermometer to ensure your drumsticks are cooked to 170 degrees F, even if it takes longer than the recipe card below says it might. Every oven and leg size is different!
- If you don’t have a wire rack, you can bake the turkey legs directly on a foil-lined pan (but the skin on the bottom side might not be as crisp).
- Save the bones to make turkey stock by simmering the bones in water with garlic, herbs, bay leaves and vegetables like onion, celery and carrots for several hours until rich and flavorful. It’s like liquid gold!
Baked Turkey Legs Storage
If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and place them in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until they are fully chilled, then cover them with the lid and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
Leftover meat can also be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months.
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Turkey Legs Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 large turkey legs about 1.5 to 2 pounds each
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 365 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking pan with foil and place a wire rack over the foil.
- Place turkey legs on rack and pat dry with paper towel. Rub all over with oil, then sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to oven and roast 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk garlic, maple syrup, both mustards, rosemary and vinegar until smooth.
- After 45 minutes, brush the turkey legs all over with some of the glaze. Return to the oven and cook for 30 to 45 minutes longer or until internal temperature of the thickest part of each leg reaches 170 degrees F, brushing with additional glaze every 15 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
