Oven-Baked BBQ Turkey Legs
Oven-Baked BBQ Turkey Legs are tender, juicy, and slathered with BBQ sauce. What’s not to love? Cooked low and slow, the meat is perfectly seasoned and perfect for weeknights or during the holidays. Serve with Creamy Coleslaw with Homemade Dressing, or this Roasted Hatch Chile Baked Mac and Cheese.
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Why This Recipe is So Good
- These sweet and sticky BBQ turkey legs are everything. They are tender and juicy – not dry or tough and sooo flavorful.
- Made with minimal effort, these BBQ turkey legs turn out perfectly every time in the oven. The drumsticks are rubbed with oil and spices, then popped into the oven covered to bake until they are falling off the bone tender. This recipe is delicious and filling and doesn’t take much time in the kitchen to prep.
- Perfect for the holidays! If you are tired of a boring whole turkey that is dry more often than not, then make these BBQ turkey legs for the holidays. They are always a crowd pleaser. Quick to prep and always so delicious to serve with your favorite holiday sides. Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Heavy Cream, Best Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe or Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mushrooms.
Recipe Ingredients
- Turkey legs – You’ll need about 4 turkey legs. Thawed turkey will cook more evenly with a better texture.
- Spices – This is a mix of onion powder, garlic powder, ground paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. It seasons the meat perfectly.
- Water – This is optional. The turkey legs will release their own juices as they bake, but I like to add just a bit more water or broth so the legs are super tender and juicy.
- BBQ Sauce – I use my homemade BBQ sauce recipe from this Air Fryer BBQ Chicken Wings recipe. It’s a tomato sauce-based BBQ sauce instead of ketchup. You can make your own BBQ sauce since these turkey legs take a while to bake, or you can use your favorite store-bought BBQ sauce. Either own will work fine!
How to Make Oven-Baked BBQ Turkey Legs
All ingredients, measurements, and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Season and bake turkey legs
Pat turkey legs dry with paper towels then rub with vegetable oil and seasonings. Arrange in a baking dish, add water or broth, then cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 2 hours, flipping the drumsticks over after 1 hour.
Brush with BBQ sauce, then broil until sticky and charred
Pour BBQ sauce over turkey legs, use a spoon or pastry brush to make sure the whole turkey leg is covered. Broil until the BBQ sauce is sticky and charred.
Allow your baked BBQ turkey legs to cool for a few minutes, then serve with more BBQ sauce and enjoy with your favorite side dishes.
Looking For More Recipes?
- Baked BBQ Turkey Wings
- Cajun Smothered Turkey Wings
- Smothered Turkey Necks
- Turkey Pot Pie with Biscuits
- Smoked Turkey Salad Sandwich
- Ground Turkey Enchiladas
- Chicken Fried Turkey Cutlets
- BBQ Turkey Sandwiches with Coleslaw
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Oven-Baked BBQ Turkey Legs
Equipment
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 3 lb turkey legs about 4 legs, thawed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup water or low-sodium chicken broth or turkey broth
- 1 cup BBQ sauce homemade or store-bought
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Pat turkey legs dry with paper towels then rub with vegetable oil and seasonings. Arrange in a 9×13-inch baking dish, add water or broth, then cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 2 hours, use a pair of tongs to flip over the drumsticks at the 1-hour mark.
- Remove the foil, then pour BBQ sauce over turkey legs using a spoon or pastry brush to make sure the whole turkey leg is covered. Set your broiler to high, then broil turkey legs for 3 – 4 minutes or until the BBQ sauce is sticky and charred.
- Note: If you are using a tomato-based BBQ sauce (like I did for this recipe), it won’t char as well under the broiler.
- Allow your baked BBQ turkey legs to cool for a few minutes, then serve with more BBQ sauce and enjoy with your favorite side dishes.
Notes
How To Store/ Make Ahead
- Store baked turkey legs in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in the oven at 400 degrees until hot and heated through. I sometimes like to reheat the legs with a splash of water or broth so they don’t dry out when reheating. Serve with more BBQ sauce if desired.
- To freeze- wrap baked turkey legs tightly with plastic wrap then store in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 2 months. Reheat turkey from frozen, covered so the meat doesn’t dry out.
Tips and Tricks
- BBQ sauce: Homemade tomato-based BBQ sauce won’t char that well under the broiler. Use a store-bought or homemade ketchup-based BBQ sauce if you want charred sticky turkey legs.
- Season your turkey legs: Since we are adding the BBQ sauce after the drumsticks have finished cooking, seasoning the meat is important. You don’t want the meat to be bland and flavorless before topping it with BBQ sauce.
Homemade BBQ sauce recipe
- 1 (15) ounce can of plain tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard or whole-grain mustard
- 2 teaspoons ground paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
