The most important thing to keep in mind with Turkey Drumsticks is that, especially for our pastured birds, they’re going to be tough if they aren’t cooked long enough. Just like a brisket, Turkey Drumsticks do best when cooked low and slow, to allow the muscle fibers to relax and become tender.

When cooking drumsticks on their own, you have a few options for technique: Roasting, Grilling, Braising or Smoking.

Basic Roasted Turkey Drumsticks

  • 2 turkey drumsticks
  • 2 tablespoons shmaltz or olive oil
  • salt & pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • several sprigs fresh thyme, stemmed and chopped
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • paprika (optional)

Bring turkey to room temperature and pat dry. Preheat oven to 325F. Sprinkle salt, pepper and ginger on all sides of drumsticks, then rub with shmaltz. Sprinkle thyme leaves overtop and dust with paprika, if using (will help the skin brown).

Place into a roasting pan and add white wine.

Roast until internal temperature reaches 155F, about 10-12 min/lb. If you have convection roast, we recommend using that as it will help the skin to dry out and crisp up. If not, you can broil for 1-2 minutes at the end of cooking to crisp up the skin a little more if you would like.

You may also like these recipes for Roasted Turkey Drumsticks:

 

Grilled Turkey Drumsticks

Here’s the recipe for Grilled Turkey Drumsticks with a Brown Sugar & Vinegar Glaze. As with grilled chicken on the bone, you’re going to sear the drumsticks and then transfer them to the cool side of the grill to finish cooking. The glaze gets painted on mid-way and at the end to add flavor and help the skin crisp even more.

 

Braised Turkey Drumsticks

Treat your turkey like a braising roast and cook it gently with liquid, aromatics like onions, mushrooms, carrots, garlic, and spices. Serve with rice or noodles to enjoy the braising liquid along with the meat (meat could be removed from the bone before serving and chopped).

 

Smoked Turkey Drumsticks

Turkey Drumsticks are delicious when smoked! Rub them with your favorite dry rub (here’s one we like from Ari White) and place in your smoker. Keep the temperature around 200-220F. Drumsticks are done when they are tender, about 3-4 hours. Serve with BBQ sauce.