Spicy Turkey Legs Recipes

COUNTY FAIR TURKEY LEGS WITH SWEET AND SPICY BBQ SAUCE

Steps:

• For the turkey legs: Set the turkey legs on a baking sheet and wrap the bone end with foil. Mix the paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt, thyme, garlic powder and pepper together in a small bowl, then sprinkle over the turkey legs liberally. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Roast the turkey legs until golden brown with an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, 40 to 45 minutes. Turn the oven to the broil setting. Brush the legs with the honey and return to the oven to broil until the skin is caramelized, 1 to 2 more minutes.
• For the sweet and spicy BBQ sauce: Meanwhile, mix the BBQ sauce, honey, hot sauce and soy sauce together in a bowl. Serve alongside the turkey legs.

CAJUN-INJECTED SPICY TURKEY

Steps:

• Make the marinade by combining the Worcestershire sauce, crab boil, apple cider, honey, beer, salt, allspice, Creole seasoning, cayenne, olive oil, and minced garlic in a blender and process until very smooth, about 5 minutes. Fill a large syringe* and inject turkey in the breast and thigh area, as well as the back, wings, and legs, with at least 2/3 of the marinade. You will have to fill the syringe numerous times.
• Preheat the oven to 420 degrees F and line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil.
• Season the injected turkey well both inside and out with the kosher salt and black pepper. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan lined with aluminum foil and pour the remaining marinade all over the turkey. Bake the turkey uncovered for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the roasting pan, and continue to bake the turkey until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part between the thigh and the leg registers 165 degrees F. (If the turkey begins to brown too much, tent loosely with aluminum foil until it is done. Also, add more broth as necessary to keep the bottom of the roasting pan from burning.)
• When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and set aside to rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

SPICY TURKEY THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, beat together butter, Old Bay, and lemon juice. Rinse turkey thighs and pat dry with paper towels. Gently slip your fingers between skin and meat to loosen skin. Evenly spread butter mixture under skin of each thigh. Season thighs with salt and pepper.
• Place turkey thighs in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and roast until skin is crispy and brown and juices run clear when meat is pierced with a knife (an instant-read thermometer should read 165 when inserted in thickest part of a thigh, avoiding bone), 35 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

ROASTED TURKEY DRUMSTICKS WITH STAR ANISE AND SOY SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water, soy sauce, honey, sherry, scallions, ginger, star anise and garlic. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Whisk in the oil. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade.
• Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Pat the drumsticks dry; season with salt and pepper and place on prepared pan. Brush turkey all over with half the remaining marinade (leave as much of the solids in the saucepan as possible). Scatter star anise over drumsticks (some will fall on baking pan, and that's fine). Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Roast drumsticks, turning and basting with more of the marinade occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Drizzle with reserved marinade before serving.

SPICY ROAST TURKEY

Steps:

• Mix the spices into the mayonnaise until thoroughly blended.
• Tuck back the wings and slather the spicy paste all over the turkey, massaging it into the bird.
• (Rub inside the bird, outside the bird and make sure to spread it under the breast skin).
• Roast on lowest rack of the oven at 500°F for 30 minutes.
• Remove the turkey from the oven and cover the breast with a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil folded into a triangle (leaving the legs and dark meat uncovered), insert a thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return it to oven.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
• Roast until the turkey temperature reaches 161°F (14 to 16 pound bird only needs a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting).
• Remove the turkey from the oven and let it rest, loosely covered for at least 15 minutes before carving.