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Turkey legs smoke time and pull temp

Smoke at 250°F for 2 to 3 hours, and pull at 175°F.

Time2 to 3 hours
Pull at175°F
  1. Smoke2 hr
  2. Start checking1 hr
  3. Rest5 min
Cook at250°F
Rest5 min
Safe at (USDA)165°F
  • Cook to the temperature, not the clock: pull at 175°F, for tender dark meat (safe at 165°F). The time gets you close; a thermometer in the thickest part tells you when.
  • A pellet grill swings around its setting, within about 25°F either way on a good day (Traeger), so the range allows for it. A new or freshly cleaned grill runs long: Traeger says an extra 1 to 2 hours on a 4 hour cook.

What are you smoking?

MeatTurkey legsChange

Beef

Pork

Poultry

Lamb

How big is it?

Units

Timed as it comes rather than by the pound, so there is no weight to enter. Two or three at once take about as long as one, with room for air between them.

Your smoker

Cook at
Cooker

How long to smoke turkey legs

Smoke turkey legs at 250°F for about 2 to 3 hours, and pull at 175°F, for tender dark meat (safe at 165°F). That is for turkey legs (drumsticks), at the heat shown; the calculator above has each heat a source gives a time for.

Rest 5 minutes before slicing or pulling. USDA counts turkey legs safe at 165°F; a thermometer in the thickest part tells you more than the clock.

Turkey legs

Questions

What temperature do you pull turkey legs at?

175°F, for tender dark meat (safe at 165°F). Cook to that temperature rather than to the clock.

How long should turkey legs rest?

5 minutes, loosely covered or wrapped, before slicing or pulling.

Should I cook to time or to temperature?

To temperature. The time tells you when to start and when to start checking; the meat is ready when the thickest part reaches its pull temperature.

Does my smoker change the time?

Not at the same temperature, as far as any cooker maker or test says. What changes is how steady it holds: keep the lid or door shut and the fire even, and the time holds too.