Gammy’s recipe for how to cook turkey legs and let me tell you, this meal can’t get any easier! Throw some turkey legs in the slow cooker and top them with an easy homemade sauce, and in a few hours you’ll be enjoying a delicious dinner!
Update Notes: This post was originally published in October 2013, but was republished with tips and step by step photos in August 2019.
Turkey Legs in Slow Cooker
Guys you’re going to love this recipe! It is from my Gammy (not Grammy. 🙂 I am not sure why, but we called my grandmother ‘Gammy’. It may have been a carryover from my older cousins, I suppose)!
My mother still has some of Gammy’s recipes, and it is cool when I go back to my parents’ house for a visit and see the ones that she wrote out by hand.
There is something so personal about those handwritten recipes. I guess we lose some of that now in the digital age, but the trade-off is that we can exchange recipes and share ideas so much more easily with all the technology!
This turkey is fall-off-the-bone tender! Once you’ve learned how to cook turkey legs in your crock pot, it will be an easy go-to weeknight meal!
I’ve been making whole chicken in the slow cooker for years, but my mother makes turkey legs in the crock pot, and I found out recently that the sauce was a recipe from my grandmother!
Crock Pot Turkey Legs
In any case, these turkey legs are SOOOOOO good! I actually had a hard time getting them ready for the photo because the meat was so tender, the legs kept falling apart as I was trying to position them on the plate.
But the best part is that Gammy’s recipe for how to cook turkey legs is one of the easiest recipes ever. I L-O-V-E easy recipes, you too right? Especially when the whole family enjoys them. I will be making these crock pot turkey legs again soon, for sure!
Grocery list for Turkey Drumsticks in Slow Cooker
- turkey drumsticks
- ketchup
- brown sugar
- yellow mustard
- vinegar
- paprika
- salt and pepper
Easy stuff, right? I bet all you will need to pick up are the turkey legs!
Slow Cooking Turkey Legs
How do you know when turkey legs are done?
When the turkey is done, a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the drumstick will register 165 degrees.
If you do not have a meat thermometer, insert a knife into the thickest part of the meat and juices should run clear.
Can you eat undercooked turkey?
Definitely not! Invest in a good quality instant read meat thermometer. They aren’t that expensive and you’ll know your meal is ready to serve to your family.
Do you rinse turkey before cooking?
The USDA does not recommend rinsing poultry before cooking. It can easily spread bacteria. Just pat it dry with a paper towel prior to cooking.
How do you reheat turkey legs?
You can microwave them, but I’d recommend putting them in a covered casserole dish and reheating them in a preheated oven at 350 until the temp is about 155 degrees.
Of course, that is if you even have leftovers! Thing 2 rated this at 4.5 out of 5 biscuits, which is an extremely high rating. He liked it, yippee!
How to make turkey legs in the crock pot – Step by Step
Step 1.
Place the turkey legs in the crock pot and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Simply add seasoning before the sauce and these crockpot turkey legs are ready to cook!
Step 2.
Combine the ketchup, water, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, and paprika in a medium bowl and mix well.
This six ingredient barbecue sauce is quick and easy to make for such an appetizing dish!
Step 3.
Pour the sauce over the turkey legs.
Drizzle this delicious sauce over your turkey legs and they are ready to cook in the crockpot!
Step 4.
Cover and cook on low. Then enjoy!
With this easy recipe, you can have a busy workday and have a scrumptious meal waiting when you get home!
HOW TO COOK TURKEY LEGS PERFECTLY EVERY TIME
- This method is very forgiving, so don’t worry! The slow cooker and the barbecue sauce work together so that your turkey legs will not easily dry out.
- The turkey legs are done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the drumstick registers 165 degrees F.
- To get that delicious golden brown crispy skin, place the slow cooked turkey legs on a baking sheet and broil for 3-4 minutes before serving.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Make sure to include some of the juices for when you reheat!
- Reheat the leftovers in a 350 degree F oven in a covered casserole dish along with some of the juices until very warm (20-30 minutes). You can also microwave them for 1-2 minutes at a time, rotating the legs in between, but the oven method will give you the best results.
What can I serve with Crock Pot Turkey Legs?
Now that you know how to cook turkey legs in your slow cooker, what are the best side dishes to serve with them? Here are my suggestions:
- Potato and Grilled Corn Salad – love the crunch that grilled corn gives this salad!
- Boston Baked Beans – always a delicious side dish!
- and bread…. you’ll definitely need some bread to sop up all that good sauce, right? Check out Slow Cooker Olive and Parmesan Bread or Crock Pot Garlic Parmesan Bread. Both are super easy and SO GOOD!
- Dessert? Well of course! This Lemonade Pie with a Sugar Cone Crust will have everyone smiling at the end of your meal!
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Love this recipe? Awesome! Please give it a 5 star rating below! And if you make this, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram! You can find me at DizzyBusyandHungry or #dizzybusyandhungry !
How to Cook Turkey Legs
How To Cook Turkey Legs: Crock Pot Recipe
Print RecipeIngredients
- 6 turkey legs
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
- 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
- 3 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (use regular paprika if you don' have this handy)
Instructions
- Season the turkey legs with salt and pepper and place in the slow cooker.
- Combine the ketchup, water, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, and paprika in a medium bowl and mix well.
- Pour the sauce over the turkey legs, and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
Video
Notes
- Typically there is no need to worry about drying out your turkey legs. The slow cooker and the barbecue sauce work together to keep the meat tender and moist. However, due to differences in slow cooker temperatures, the first time you make this, check your turkey legs at the 6 hours mark to make sure they are not drying out.
- Check doneness with a meat thermometer, It should read 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the drumstick.
- Before serving, you may want to place the slow cooked turkey legs on a baking sheet and broil for 3-4 minutes to get a nice brown color and crispy skin.
- In a hurry? Just use your own premade barbecue sauce, or even store-bought barbecue sauce!
- Store leftovers for a couple of days, along with some of the juices from the crock pot, in a covered container in the refrigerator.
- Oven reheating is best. Place the turkey legs with juices in a covered casserole dish in a 350 degree F oven until very warm (20-30 minutes).
- If you need to reheat quickly, you can use the microwave, 1-2 minutes at a time, rotating the legs in between, until warm enough.
Nutrition
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Enjoy!
Jann Olson
I’ve never cooked just turkey legs, but they look delicious! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Life Diet Health
Sounds like a tasty recipe – one question, what type of mustard? Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday.
Amanda Campbell
This looks delicious (and looks so easy!). I never would have guessed that ketchup and mustard would have been an ingredient. I’m definitely going to have to give this a try (btw say this post on ourminifamily)
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party.
Chas Greener
Sounds delicious and I’m going to have to add this to our list of things to try! Thanks for sharing on To Grandma’s House We Go!
Barbara Scott
I am making the turkey legs this year but wonder if you could make it with red wine?
Kristin King
I have never tried with red wine, so I am not sure. I always like to test things before I make recommendations. 🙂 If you try it, I would be interested in hearing how it turns out. Thanks for stopping by!
Paula Smith
I just found your recipe and it sounds great.
Emmy La Ronde
Hi Kristin –
I got very excited when I saw your crock pot turkey leg recipe. Having celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving at a cousin’s house with a pack of very hungry teenagers, I knew my chances of getting a “turkey care package” to take home for sammiches this week was lookin’ slim, so I picked some turkey leg pieces up at the butcher on Friday to make my husband some “leftovers”. I will slave over the cold crock pot tomorrow morning for 15 minutes before I skip off to work.
Thanks for sharing!
Emmy
Kristin King
Haha! I totally understand about the hungry teenagers! Hope you enjoyed the turkey legs! 🙂
Jessica
I grew up calling my grandma Gammy too!! She was known by all my friends as Gammy and even though she has passed away everyone knows her as only Gammy…anyway I came across your recipe and I thought that I need to try it as a tribute to my “Gammy”. 🙂 Thank you for the rememberance and the recipe!
Kristin King
You are the first person I have ever met that called their grandma Gammy! It is funny because growing up I didn’t realize it was that unique. Hope you like the recipe! Thanks for coming by! 🙂
Ryan
Wow, sounds amazing and can’t wait to try it. Just curious though, if I’m using lessless than 6 turkey legs (right now I only have two big ones), would you cut down the cooking time? Thanks !
Kristin King
Yes, I would definitely expect the cook time to be less. You might want to plan to shave off an hour or two and just keep an eye on it while they cook!
lagatta à montréal
I’m doing turkey legs and (large) wing parts in my old crockpot right now, in stock I made mostly from chicken bones and vegetables. I want to give the stock a better flavour and get some luscious braised poultry. Your cooking time does sound long, unless it is on low.
I like your recipe, but wouldn’t make it as is, since I find that it contains far too much sugar.
Nice to encounter your site!
Kristin King
Yes, I have the crock pot on low the whole time. Thanks for stopping by!
Diane Balch
Just wanted you to know that your recipe is being featured today on foodie friday. I will be pinning and tweeting it this week too. Thanks for being part of our party.
Kristin King
Oh, wow, thanks Diane! That is so nice of you! I will stop by and check it out!! 🙂
Vivian
After reading such glowing reviews, I tried the recipe this week and pretty much followed all the ingredients and instructions. Slow cooked for 7 hours + 2 hours on warm. The turkey legs were dry and didn’t have a rich flavor. I won’t make this again.
Kristin
Wow, Vivian, I am so sorry to hear that. I really don’t know what could have happened as I have made this recipe many times and have never had that issue. Thank you for your feedback, I am going to make it again next week and doublecheck everything to see if there is something I need to tweak or clarify. I appreciate you stopping by!
Kristin
Hi Vivian, I just wanted to say that I made this recipe again and I didn’t have a dry result. I will decrease the cook time in the recipe because I cooked on low for 6 hours and then kept it on warm for 1 hour before serving, and the turkey was fully cooked and not dry. So I’m thinking that maybe the cook time was a little conservative in the recipe, but also I am thinking that maybe your slow cooker’s low heat is higher than my slow cooker’s low heat. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to account for all the differences in the difference appliances on the market. But thanks again for coming by and I wish you all the best in your cooking adventures!
sarah @ Thank You Honey
Thank for sharing at Whatever Wednesday on Thank You Honey’s! Hope to see you again this week!
Ali
Thank you so much for linking this recipe up at Recipe Sharing Monday! The new link party is up and I’d love to see you back. Have a great week. 🙂
AnnMarie
I had to do a double take when I saw your title…..Gammy is what my girls call my mother. Your Gammy sounds like my Ga growing up, playing cards with us all the time! Pinning this recipe because my husband said it sounds so good. Visiting from TGIF Link Party.
Deb@ Kneaded Creations
I am always at a loss for good crockpot recipes for poultry-beyone the “standard” This recipe looks really good. Just popping over from the Tuesday Table link party to say “hi”. I pinned, G+-ed, and tweeted. I’d love it if you dropped by for a visit at httpo://www.kneadedcreations.com . I’ll look forward to seeing you there! Deb @ Kneaded Creations
Kristin King
Thanks, Deb! I appreciate you stopping by!