Honey Garlic Barbecue Roasted Turkey Legs

We are headed to Pennsylvania this Thanksgiving to celebrate with Matt's family.  His grandparents live near the Poconos and the rest of his family will be heading in from New Jersey.  We don't get to see them much and are so excited for this long overdue visit.  

Since I will not be cooking, I figured I would share a turkey recipe with you all.  For most of us, Thanksgiving is one of the only times all year we roast up this wonderful bird.  Why wait an entire year?  Especially when you can switch things up and smother some huge turkey legs with a garlic and honey laden barbecue sauce.  

When I put these in front of Matt, it was like he was instantly transported back to the Paleolithic Era.  He was man and he ate meat!  It was a messy meal, only because he was too preoccupied to even care about the sticky sauce getting all over his face and hands. I don't even think he spoke to me during dinner. Instead, it was filled with gnawing sounds and some Neanderthal grunts.  And I interpreted those grunts as a sign that this meal was husband approved!  

Look at these things!  They are huge!  

I bought this from the Galena Garlic Company in Madison Indiana.  The store is filled with tons of great spices and delicious oils and vinegar.  Always a stop on my list in Madison.   

Drizzle legs with olive oil, sprinkle on the spices and rub it in. 

All over.. even underneath the skin.  

Time to make the marinade... Add the barbecue, honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire, liquid smoke and vinegar.

Sriracha

Mustard

Smoked paprika.  Make sure it is smoked and not regular.  It really lends a great smokey flavor.

Olive oil

Lots of garlic.  When I don't want chunks of garlic, I always chop it finely with a pinch of kosher salt.  Then I drag my knife over it to form a paste.

I find this creates a more uniform garlic taste throughout the sauce.

Last but not least, fresh parsley.

Now mix it all together. 

Spoon half of it over the legs.  Be sure to leave about half of the marinade on the side.  You need to save it for later and don't want to contaminate it with raw turkey.

Rub it all over then it's time to go in the oven.

This is after I pulled it out halfway though baking.  Baste it with more marinade as well as with the drippings in the pan.  The grease will help the skin brown.

Here is when I flipped them over.  You want this side to get brown as well.  Baste again with more sauce and drippings and then throw it back in the oven. Below is the finished product.  Make sure you mix those drippings in with the reserved marinade for a delicious sauce to serve with the meat.

Honey Garlic Barbecue Roasted Turkey Legs
2-4 turkey legs
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons of a dry rub of your choice
1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sriracha
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place the turkey legs in a large baking dish or roasting pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with dry rub.  Rub spices all of the legs, including underneath the skin.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the marinade.   In a medium bowl, whisk together the barbecue sauce, honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, vinegar, sriracha, mustard, oil, garlic and parsley.  Pour about half of the marinade into another bowl and save for after the legs are roasted.

Spoon the sauce over the legs and liberally coat.  Again, be sure to get the sauce under the skin.  Place in oven and roast for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and baste with more marinade.  Also, use a brush to baste with the drippings in pan.  Turn legs over, baste with more marinade and drippings and place in oven for another 45 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees.

If a brown skin is desired (who doesn't like brown skin?), place the legs under the broiler for about 3 minutes on each side.

Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.  Pour drippings into reserved marinade and stir to combine.  Place legs on a platter and spoon sauce over for extra flavor. Get lots of napkins and eat that leg lake a caveman!