I’ve yet to conduct any kind of survey, but I’d be willing to bet most turkey hunters take nothing more than the breast meat from their bird, along with a few fancy collectibles like the spurs, beard and tail fan. In fact, I recently spoke with another turkey hunter that seemed a bit shocked to discover that wild turkeys do in fact have meat in other places beyond the breast.
And while the meat from the legs and thighs of a wild turkey aren’t necessarily the best meat from the bird – in my opinion – they still make a mighty meal for a big bunch of boys in a family like mine.
So if you’ve never considered keeping the legs, I’d encourage you to give it a try.
Bowhunting.com contributor, Beka Garris, shares a quick look at how to cook wild turkey legs in the video below. It’s a super simple way to prep an easy meal for the table, if you’ll save the legs on the next bird you bring home.
What You Need to Cook Wild Turkey Legs
- 2 Legs and 2 Thighs of a wild turkey
- Salt
- Sugar
- Water
- Stick of butter
- Garlic cloves
- Chicken broth
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Rosemary
Directions on Preparing Wild Turkey Legs
- Separate legs and thighs from your bird at the joints
- Place in brine and leave overnight. Brine – 1 QT Water, 1/2 cup Salt, 1/2 cup Sugar
- Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth, 1/2 stick of butter and 3 garlic cloves to crock pot.
- Season meat well with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, rosemary, or your favorite dry rub.
- Place seasoned meat in crock pot on low for 8-12 hours, or pressure cook for 90 minutes.
Turkey legs can be served in a number of ways, from pulled meat for sandwiches or sliders, to whole portions served straight from the crock pot. Regardless, you’ll find it to be some excellent table fare.
So if you want to make your bird go further this spring, save the legs!
