The Complete Guide to Cooking Smoked Turkey Legs in an Air Fryer

Smoked turkey legs are a classic cookout favorite loved for their juicy, tender meat with a deliciously smoky flavor. While typically grilled or smoked over an open flame, you can achieve similarly mouthwatering results right in your air fryer. With just a few simple steps, you’ll be enjoying fall-off-the-bone smoked turkey legs with crispy skin in no time.

Why Cook Smoked Turkey Legs in an Air Fryer?

Using an air fryer to cook smoked turkey legs offers several advantages:

Healthier Air frying uses significantly less oil than deep frying, keeping the turkey legs juicy while avoiding excess grease.
Convenient: With an air fryer, you can cook smoked turkey legs year-round without having to fire up the grill. It’s quick and easy.
Crispy skin: The high heat and air circulation of an air fryer produces crispy turkey skin full of flavor.
Tender and moist The turkey legs cook up juicy and tender, just like grilling or smoking
Adds smoky flavor: The air fryer infuses the turkey legs with a deliciously smoky taste.
Versatile: Cook smoked turkey legs plain or use rubs, marinades and glazes to customize the flavor.

Picking the Right Turkey Legs

When selecting turkey legs for air frying, opt for good quality fresh or thawed turkey legs. Look for legs that:

Have intact skin without tears or blemishes
Appear plump and meaty
Have a pink, fresh color without discoloration
Are similar in size for even cooking
Weigh around 1 pound each

Make sure to thoroughly pat the turkey legs dry before cooking. This helps achieve crispy skin.

Seasoning the Turkey Legs

One of the best parts of cooking smoked turkey legs in an air fryer is that you can customize the flavor with ease. Here are some tasty seasoning ideas:

Simple salt and pepper: For classic flavor, use kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
Smoked paprika: This adds wonderful smoky flavor on its own or combine it with other spices.
Chili powder and cumin: The blend of mild heat and earthiness is perfect for smoked turkey.
Brown sugar and cayenne: The sweet heat combo is always a crowd pleaser.
Onion and garlic powder: These staple spices pair perfectly with smoked turkey.
Fresh herbs: Try rosemary, thyme, oregano or a blend for flavor.

Once seasoned, let the turkey legs rest at room temperature while you preheat the air fryer. This helps the seasoning penetrate the meat.

Step-by-Step Air Fryer Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 380°F (193°C).
Season the turkey legs with your desired dry rub or herbs. Rub the spices evenly over the entire surface of the legs.
Brush with oil. Use a cooking oil with high smoke point like avocado, grapeseed or canola oil. Lightly brush the turkey legs to help the skin get extra crispy.
Arrange turkey legs in the air fryer basket. Place them in a single layer without overcrowding.
Cook for 15 minutes. Set the timer and cook for 15 minutes initially.
Flip the legs and cook 15 minutes more. The total cooking time will be around 30 minutes based on size.
Check temperature. Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the legs and check if internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
Let rest 5 minutes before serving for juicy, tender meat.
Apply glaze or sauce (optional). For added flavor, brush with your favorite glaze or barbecue sauce during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

And that’s it! Your smoked turkey legs are ready to enjoy. The air fryer yields tender, moist meat with an unbelievable smoky flavor and crispy skin.

Handy Air Fryer Tips for Smoked Turkey Legs

Use a meat thermometer to check doneness and prevent overcooking.
Baste or mop the turkey legs with sauce/glaze to keep moist.
Use a wire rack in the air fryer basket for optimal airflow and crisping.
Adjust cook times based on the size and thickness of the turkey legs.
For food safety, cook to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
Let the turkey legs rest before carving for juicier meat.

Creative Flavor Ideas for Smoked Turkey Legs

The great thing about air frying is how easy it is to add different flavors. Take your smoked turkey legs to the next level with these tasty ideas:

Applewood rub – For deeper smoke flavor, use a rub with applewood seasoning.
Jerk marinade – Infuse Caribbean flavor with jerk spices and pineapple juice.
Gochujang glaze – For Korean-style turkey, use spicy gochujang sauce.
Honey mustard – Slather on this classic combo for moist turkey legs.
Teriyaki – Brush teriyaki sauce on the turkey legs for delicious sticky glaze.
Cajun dry rub – Give a kick of heat and spice with Cajun seasoning.
Chipotle maple – Balance smokiness with sweet maple syrup and chipotle peppers.

The possibilities are truly endless when it comes to infusing amazing flavors into your smoked turkey legs. Let your taste buds guide you!

Serving Smoked Turkey Legs

Smoked turkey legs deserve an equally amazing array of side dishes. Here are some fantastic pairing ideas:

Macaroni and cheese
Roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes
Corn on the cob
Coleslaw or potato salad
Baked beans
Collard greens
Fresh cornbread or biscuits
Rice pilaf or risotto

For a spectacular presentation, serve the carved turkey legs on a platter over a bed of fresh greens. Garnish with lemon wedges and fresh herbs. Offer barbecue sauce or your favorite glaze as a sauce for even more flavor.

With the step-by-step instructions and handy tips in this guide, you can now cook incredible smoked turkey legs in your air fryer anytime. Impress your family with these tender, juicy and smoky turkey legs. The air fryer makes it so easy to enjoy this classic favorite all year round. Ditch the grill, and let your air fryer work its magic for fried food taste without all the fat and grease.

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@Michal I made the recipe on the air fryer setting at the temp in the recipe and the came out deliciously.

I just made this today for Thanksgiving lunch using three turkey thighs. It was done in 20 minutes and the internal temperature was well over 165 degrees. The skin was already blackened by then but still tasted great. The meat was juicy and delicious. I recommend checking after 10 minutes and then flipping it. I never even flipped mine. Maybe different air fryers cook differently but any longer than 20-25 minutes and the skin would have been too burnt.

I made no realnchanges to the recipe. I only had 3 legs. I did marinate over night. I air fried them in my Instant Omni and they needed about 5 extra minutes. They were easy and delicious!

Used butterflied Turkey thigh for this one. Ill use much less salt next time. Maybe 2 tsp. Kosher. Rubbed the dry rub in first and then added a little oil to the remain and poured it over before marinating overnight. Because they were butterlfied I cooked only 15 min, turn plus 10 min. to temp. Delicious just a bit too salty for my taste.

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AIR FRYER SMOKED TURKEY LEGS|How to cook air fryer smoked turkey legs|Cosori Air Fryer. Link below

FAQ

How to cook already smoked turkey legs in the air fryer?

Preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Whisk together olive oil, poultry seasoning, parsley, salt, paprika, and pepper in a small bowl until evenly combined.
Brush 1/2 of oil mixture on all the sides of the turkey legs and place into the air fryer basket.
Cook for 25 minutes.

How do you heat a smoked turkey in an air fryer?

How to Reheat Turkey in an Air Fryer

Preheat the air fryer or Ninja Foodi to 300°F.
Prepare and moisten the turkey in a baking dish that fits in your air fryer and cover with aluminum foil (see instructions above). …
Reheat the turkey for 8-10 minutes per pound of meat or until leftovers reach a minimum of 160°F–165°F.

How do you heat up fully cooked smoked turkey legs?

Storage – Store any leftover turkey legs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheating – To reheat, place in a baking dish and cover with a loosely fitted piece of foil. Place in a 350°F oven and warm for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until heated through.

Can you smoke a turkey leg in an air fryer?

To smoke a turkey leg in an air fryer, you will need: 1. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Season the turkey leg with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. 3. Place the turkey leg in the air fryer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Are airfryers healthy?

Air fryers should be used sparingly, as very high temperatures when cooking food – especially those rich in starch, such as potatoes, cassava and other roots – can produce a chemical called acrylamide, which is harmful to the human body and has carcinogenic potential.

How long to cook smoked turkey legs in air fryer?

Temperature and Cooking Time for Smoked Turkey Legs in the Air Fryer The cooking time for smoked turkey legs in the air fryer will vary depending on the size of the legs. For smaller legs, cook them for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. For larger legs, cook them for 12-15 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

How do you cook a turkey leg in an air fryer?

1. Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 2. Season the turkey leg with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. 3. Place the turkey leg in the air fryer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. 4. Let the turkey leg rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Can You air Fry frozen turkey legs?

Yes, you can cook frozen turkey legs in air fryer. Simply follow this recipe but add 5-6 additional minutes of cook time, checking to make sure the internal temperature of each air fry turkey leg registers 165 degrees F.

How to cook turkey drumsticks in air fryer?

Here’s how to cook turkey drumsticks in an air fryer: Pat dry the drumsticks: Remove your turkey legs from the packaging and pat them dry with paper towels. Set aside. Make the rub: In a small bowl, combine the butter, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.