How to Roast Turkey Legs: A Step-by-Step Guide for Juicy, Flavorful Results

Discover the simple method for making perfectly roasted turkey legs that requires neither flipping nor foiling. Just coat the turkey legs in a mixture of oil, salt, and homemade spice blend, and bake them at 400°F until the meat is perfectly cooked and the skin becomes crispy.

About roasting turkey legs

Turkey legs are the ideal option if your family finds an entire turkey to be too much or if you just prefer the darker meat.

As a big fan of bone-in poultry parts like chicken wings, chicken legs, and of course, turkey legs. I often enjoy experimenting with various methods for preparing these delicious and juicy cuts.

This recipe for air fryer turkey thighs, which I shared with you last year, is also a family favorite.

I usually make 2 turkey legs for three of us (including one kid). But if you plan on serving them to your guests, prepare at least 1 whole drumstick per person.

I like to take a more straightforward approach that doesn’t involve handling the hot pan repeatedly by flipping, covering, and uncovering them with aluminum foil.

To reduce cleanup, I just use a high-sided glass dish or roasting pan covered with parchment paper to roast turkey legs. It makes a deep, shallow cavity that allows the legs to bake evenly and exposes the skin for the ideal level of crispiness.

Naturally, the size of the legs will affect how long they take to roast because some of them can be very large. However, I also discovered that whether or not you cover the meat and the type of pan you use—deep or conventional baking pan—will also affect how long the meat takes to cook.

From my experience, a regular baking sheet pan takes the least time. But the meat might turn out dry. That’s why I like to roast them uncovered in a deep dish; it’s simple, juicy, and the skin is deliciously crispy.

You can find the quantities for each ingredient in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Turkey legs: fresh turkey drumsticks with the skin on. If you have frozen ones, let them defrost in the fridge overnight. You can also use this recipe to make turkey wings or thighs.

Olive oil: I use extra virgin olive oil. You can also use melted butter or a combination of both.

My preferred homemade spice blend, consisting of salt, paprika, dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried sage, dried oregano, black pepper, and a tiny bit of optional cayenne, was used.

If you use fresh rosemary (which is optional), your home will smell amazing while you roast the meat because it adds an additional piney, woodsy scent. You can also use other fresh herbs, such as sage, thyme, and Italian parsley.

1). Remove the legs from the fridge at least 15 minutes before baking them. Very cold meat will coon unevenly. Carefully, pat dry the legs on both sides with paper towels to get rid of access moisture. Especially, if they were thawed.

2). In a small bowl mix, salt, and the dried herbs. Brush each leg with some olive oil on both sides. You can also use melted butter. Rub the meat generously with the spice mix on all the sides.

3). Line a deep glass baking dish (or a roasting pan) with a large sheet of parchment paper. Place the legs in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with some fresh chopped rosemary on top. I usually break it into smaller pieces with my hands.

4). Roast turkey legs in a preheated oven (400°F) for about 60-70 minutes. After 60 minutes, carefully remove the pan and begin using the instant meat thermometer to check the doneness of the meat by inserting it in the thickest part. If the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F, the meat is cooked.

Otherwise, place it back in the oven and check again in about 10 minutes. Let the meat rest before serving for about 10 minutes.

• You can substitute store-bought poultry dry rub or any of your favorite spices for my tried-and-true homemade spice mix (see the recipe card).
• Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the meat is cooked rather than chopping a cooked leg.
• You can freeze leftover turkey meat for up to three months, or you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to three to four days in an airtight container.
• The size of the turkey legs, the kind of baking pan, and the type of oven will all affect how long they take to cook.

Like any other poultry meat, there are so many ways you can serve this oven-roasted turkey leg. Below, I share a few of my and my familys favorite ways:

• Serve them with traditional Thanksgiving fare like mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, roasted sweet potatoes, or roasted green beans for a traditional Thanksgiving meal.
• Main course: To mix things up, I enjoy serving turkey meat with simple side dishes like roasted vegetables, rice, or pasta for a quick supper.
• Remaining turkey leg meat can be used for tacos and quesadillas, soup, salad dressings, and sandwiches, among other things.
• Bone broth: save the bones to make a modest amount of bone broth from turkey. Just add water, a few whole veggies, and herbs, then simmer for a few hours on low heat.

Marinating is optional, but it can enhance the flavor of the meat. Before roasting, you can use the spice mixture to season the turkey legs and let them marinate for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

​Depending on the size of each leg, it takes between 1 to 1. 5 hours to roast the turkey legs at 400°F.

Yes, you can roast them at 350°F but be prepared for a cooking time approximately 30 minutes longer.

If you have frozen turkey legs, it is recommended to thaw them overnight in the fridge before cooking. Cooking the meat from frozen will take much longer time and may result in uneven cooking.

A combination of salt, paprika, dried thyme, dried rosemary, dried sage, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper is my favorite basic seasoning.

Easy Roasted Turkey Legs | Supergolden Bakes