Turkey legs are my favorite part of a turkey, so I love that I can make baked turkey legs without popping an entire turkey in to the oven! This is how to cook turkey legs in the oven – super easy and delicious!
Have you ever been to the Renaissance Festival Before? It’s super fun… but one of my favorite things to do at RenFest? EAT TURKEY LEGS! Actually, any where that sells Turkey Legs, I almost always get it.
Something so fun about devouring a giant drumstick. So cave-woman like! Anyway, you don’t have to wait for a festival to eat one. You can make it yourself! It’s actually super duper simple.
I guess I can’t write about this recipe without thinking of the FIRST time I’ve ever had Turkey Legs before. It was at Disney. And it wasn’t called Turkey Legs. It was called Alien Legs! I had my doubts it was actually Alien Legs at the time – but part of me wanted to believe. LOL
Ok, now we can look at the recipe. It’s not exactly like RenFest or Disney World, but it’s easy to make and yum!
Where to buy Turkey Legs?
A lot of super markets actually sell Turkey Legs, and it’s usually around the poultry section next to Chicken. I actually got mine at Publix.
What goes with Turkey Legs?
If you’re having a mini and easy Thanksgiving, here are some awesome simple side dish ideas!
How long do you cook turkey legs in the oven?
This does mostly depend on how big your turkey legs are but on average for me it’s about 1 hour separated in to 15 mins, 15 mins, and then 30 mins (the recipe tells you exact steps).
How to reheat Turkey Legs?
You can reheat turkey legs in the oven! I recommend taking the turkey legs out of the fridge to bring them to room temp. Then place on a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil and heat for about 30 minutes.
How to make Turkey Legs in the Oven?
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in skin-on medium turkey drumsticks
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Brush legs with melted butter. Then rub them salt, garlic powder, and paprika.
Place on a baking dish. I like to put a layer of aluminum foil on the baking dish for easy clean up, but that’s totally up to you.
Now, pop them in the oven uncovered for 15 minutes. The skin should brown.
Remove from heat and using tongs, flip them over so that the bottom side is now on top. Place back in oven for another 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and loosely cover with aluminum foil (try not to burn yourself!).
Roast in oven for another 30 minutes, or until juices run clear and instant-read thermometer reads 165°F.
Remove from oven for the last time, and let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Also can we take a look at my dog being excited about this Turkey Leg LOL:
Can Dogs Eat Turkey?
I get asked this a lot so I thought I’d add this section – technically dogs can eat turkey. In fact it’s often times used as an ingredient in dog food.
However, if you’re going to give your dog some turkey, you want to make sure it is cooked plain. This unfortunately means Thanksgiving turkey is often not good for dogs because it’s usually rubbed with butter or oil, seasoned heavily, and perhaps stuffed with onion and garlic (both NOT safe for dogs).
Oven Roasted Turkey Legs
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in skin-on medium turkey drumsticks
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Brush legs with melted butter. Then rub them salt, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Place on a baking dish. I like to put a layer of aluminum foil on the baking dish for easy clean up, but that’s totally up to you.
- Now, pop them in the oven uncovered for 15 minutes. The skin should brown.
- Remove from heat and using tongs, flip them over so that the bottom side is now on top. Place back in oven for another 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and loosely cover with aluminum foil (try not to burn yourself!).
- Roast in oven for another 30 minutes, or until juices run clear and instant-read thermometer reads 165°F.
- Remove from oven for the last time, and let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1 legAmount Per Serving: Calories: 241Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 698mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 20g
The nutrition information for this recipe is an approximate total per serving. Please double check the nutrition information for your exact ingredients and brands for more precise nutrition information.
Pin for later!
Yummo! Looking for more oven roasted deliciousness like this Oven Roasted Turkey Legs recipe? Check out all my recipes made in the oven roasted/baked recipes here!
If it’s more delicious Turkey recipes you’re looking for, then I got you also! Here’s all my delicious Turkey recipes!
Trish
Thursday 23rd of November 2023
I just bought a case of turkey thighs (I know,crazy right? Lol) Would they be cooked the same? They look delicious 😋
TinaTsai
Friday 24th of November 2023
Haha - that's awesome! You can do the same with turkey thighs but oven should be 350 F, and roast for 50-60 minutes (or until internal temp is 165F).
Gabby
Friday 13th of October 2023
What if the turkey breasts are larger than medium? Would you cook for longer if that’s the case ?
TinaTsai
Monday 16th of October 2023
Turkey legs you mean? You will want to cook it a bit longer if they're bigger than mine. Just make sure to cook until the deepest sections of the turkey legs reach an internal temperature of 165°F - that's when it's done.
Tatiana
Monday 5th of December 2022
Love the recipe I will make this for Christmas Thank you for sharing
Joshua Mitchell
Friday 1st of July 2022
Does the covering with tinfoil mean wrapping tinfoil around each leg loosely, or to cover the baking dish with tinfoil loosely?
TinaTsai
Saturday 2nd of July 2022
Great question - Just cover the baking dish loosely
Amanda
Wednesday 30th of March 2022
Hello. I followed your recipe. I’m sure it’s good. The turkey legs came out dry & chewy😢 Any suggestions?
TinaTsai
Thursday 31st of March 2022
Oh no! Sorry to hear that - It could be that your oven is more efficient than mine (Mine is super old) and actually takes a shorter amount of time. If a turkey is cooked too long, the muscle proteins coagulate and cause dryness. So maybe instead of that last 30 mins, try 20 mins, and check if it is done (juices run clear and instant-read thermometer reads 165°F) and pop it back in if not, and cook at 5 mins increments until its done!