Roasted Turkey Legs

Having a small Thanksgiving this year but still want to cook turkey? These Roasted Turkey Legs are baked turkey legs with a tangy mustard glaze, juicy dark meat, and golden brown crispy skin. No broiler required! Serve these oven roasted turkey drumsticks for your Thanksgiving for two.

Only two more weeks left until Thanksgiving! Let’s talk turkey.

Whether you’re new here or been here awhile, it’s no secret my blog is dedicated to small batch recipes, especially around the holidays.

My Thanksgiving for two menu is very useful when you’re cooking a small Thanksgiving.

One of the biggest challenges is the meat. Obviously roasting a whole turkey is too much food, so I offered alternates such as stuffed Cornish hen, turkey tenderloin, and stuffed turkey breast.

One thing I’m missing? Dark meat from the turkey.

Sure there’s nothing wrong with white meat from the turkey breast, but personally I prefer dark meat because it’s moister and more forgiving if you overcook it by a few minutes.

That’s why I made Roasted Turkey Legs brushed with a sweet and tangy mustard glaze then baked until golden brown and crispy.

It’s an easy turkey recipe because not only do drumsticks cook faster, you don’t have to worry about carving a whole turkey.

Even if you are hosting a crowd this holiday season, you may find yourself with guests who won’t eat enough turkey to justify serving a whole bird.

Roasting turkey legs means you can satisfy those who love turkey while everyone else eats stuffed butternut squash or butternut squash lasagna.

The best part? Thanks to the mustard glazed brushed on the outside, you don’t even need a broiler! The brown sugar from the glaze helps crisp up and caramelize the skin.

I don’t have a working broiler and crispy turkey skin is an absolute must without needing a blowtorch.

Ingredients For Roasted Turkey Legs

Here’s what you need to make your oven roasted turkey drumsticks:

• Turkey legs: Sizes vary a lot, which will affect the bake time. Mine were roughly 12 ounces each
• Olive oil: I chose olive oil instead of butter because it crisps up the skin better
• Salt and pepper: Seasonings for your turkey
• Brown sugar: Sweetens the glaze as well as helps caramelize the skin for a nice golden brown color
• Dijon mustard: Adds acidity, tanginess, and of course flavor to balance the sweetness. Mustard is also a good meat tenderizer.
• Rosemary or thyme: Adds freshness to a rich and heavy meal.

Where to Buy Turkey Legs

I must admit I had some trouble locating turkey drumsticks outside of Thanksgiving season. After using a few store locators, I finally found a big box store in my parents’ neighborhood.

You want to look for raw turkey legs, not smoked. Smoked means they are fully cooked and won’t work for this roasted turkey leg recipe.

It’ll definitely save time (and frustration!) checking online and making a few phone calls to local stores before you go shopping.

Some local butchers may require a preorder since turkey drumsticks aren’t a popular request.

How To Roast Turkey Legs

Making oven roasted turkey legs is so easy, you’ll find the waiting to be the most challenging part! Here’s how to cook turkey legs:

1. Line baking sheet with foil, add a wire rack on top, then grease with cooking spray so the turkey doesn’t stick.
2. Whisk together brown sugar, olive oil, mustard, salt, pepper, and thyme until smooth and thick like a paste.
3. Brush half the glaze onto both turkey legs.
4. Roast at 400F for 20 minutes. Brush again with the remaining glaze then continue roasting for another 20-25 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 175F.
5. Rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to settle then serve.

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.

You can use leftover turkey meat in chicken pot pie or chicken pot pie soup.

Can you still make turkey gravy with turkey legs?

Turkey legs may be much smaller than a whole turkey, but you can still make gravy from the drippings!

You’ll notice when you pull your baking sheet out of the oven, there will be juices moving around on the foil. Those are the turkey drippings.

Carefully gather them then check out my recipe for turkey gravy from drippings.

If for some reason you don’t have any or don’t have enough, you can always make my gravy without drippings.

What To Serve With Roasted Turkey Legs

Chances are if you’re making baked turkey legs, you’re in the mood for some Thanksgiving sides. Here are my favorite Thanksgiving recipes you can serve with turkey:

• Mashed Potatoes For Two
• Stove Top Scalloped Potatoes
• Au Gratin Potatoes For Two
• Cranberry Stuffing
• Green Bean Casserole Without Canned Soup
• Homemade Cranberry Sauce
• Small Pumpkin Pie
• Small Pecan Pie
• Small Pumpkin Cheesecake