Turkey drumsticks - how to cook?

[Tom Anderson]

Does anyone know how to cook turkey drumsticks like you get at places like Bush Gardens, Disney, etc?  Moist, tender, smokey...delicious!

[bretto]

Find a good brine recipe You like. Salt,Sugar,Thyme, Rosemary and on and on..... Brine them overnight and throw them on the Smoker. I like fruit wood smoke with Turkey.

Let us know how they turn out.

bretto

[Jack Denbow]

Here is a recipe that was in Virginia Wildlife Magazine. It really sounds good to me. Unfortunately no legs have come my way for me to try it out.
Jack

 

[Al Dente]

Wild turkey is very different from the domestic birds you see at the stores.  Like the Enchilada recipe says, I would crockpot the legs and thighs.  That's the only way to get that meat off without a trip to the dentist later.  Those tendons and ligaments are TOUGH.  That bird is doing nothing but walking and running everyday until you kill it.  But domestic birds, while their tendons and ligaments are tough and stringy too, not as bad a wild one.  What Bretto said is spot on.  Brine overnight, then smoke over a fruit wood or hickory.  Oak or mesquite is too strong.  Enjoy!!

[Tom Anderson]

What kinda contraption should I use to smoke them? Right now, the only thing I've got is a charcoal grill.

[Al Dente]

You can still smoke them as long as the grill has a cover.  Just bank the coals on one side of the grill, and place the drumstciks on the other.  You are still cooking "indirectly" because the meat is not directly over the fire.  I have several barrel smokers that I use this way.  They can be big grills or smokers.  Just get the bed of coals, add your wood, place the drums on the grill, and close the lid.

[Ray Hammond]

Big green egg

[doug77]

My wife uses the back,neck,legs and thighs and make soup out of them along with home-made noodles.

doug77

[Tom Anderson]

I'm not looking for recipes for turkey in general - I'm looking specifically for how to cook smoked turkey drumsticks purchased from the the supermarket, not wild ones.

[Mike Vines]

I guess we are lucky.  The only way I have seen turkey drumsticks in our grocery stores is the smoked version of them.

[Webster2]

I suggest you Google smoked turkey legs

Dozens of recipes.

Here is one I particulary like..

   http://wyntk.us/smoked-turkey-legs

[Tom Anderson]

Webster,
What kind of smoker do you use? I've tried using my regular charcoal grill, but can't keep the heat down.  Perhaps I'm using too many coals....

Al Dente, you mention putting wood on top of the coals - do I need to soak them in water beforehand, how much wood do I use, etc.?

[Webster2]

I am fortunate that I can get my BBQ grill down low enough.

I use a cast iron "box" for my wood chips, so they don't burn up.

[bretto]

What grill do You have Tom?

Instead of lighting all of Your coals at once wrap them around the edge of Your grill and light one end. You may have to move Your drumsticks a few times but it will keep Your heat down. You can also adjust Your heat by choking Your dampers down.

You can soak Your wood in water and put it directly on Your coals or put them in a can either way will work.

[Al Dente]

Bank your coals to one side of the grill.  This is the hot or direct side.  The turkey legs go onto the cold side or indirect side.  You can use a few bricks to make a divider and contain them.  I place my wood chunks directly on top of the hot bed of coals.

Lay down a bed of charcoal about 1/2 as high as your grill.  Set up a chimney starter.  Once those coals are all glowing, dump them on top of your bed in the grill.  Add your wood chunks.  Place the grill back, unless you have a split grate, then just put the grill on the cold side, place your turkey legs onto the cold side, and put the lid on.

you only need maybe 2-3 chunks of wood for a turkey leg smoke.  They should be done in about 3 hours, give or take.

[Webster2]

A couple Turkey thighs, I smoked yesterday..

 

[Interseptor]

We just deep fry them like any other turkey.  Peanut oil at 250, 3 minutes per pound, and inject it with a special sauce.  And family and friends make it a point to swing by the house when it is done.

[johnnyk71]

topping this for the enchilada recipe. gonna make this soon.