Turkey Legs for Delivery or Pickup

A turkey leg consists of the thigh of the turkey down to the meat below the knee joint. You can find the two together in some grocery stores, but in most cases, what you see will be the drumstick only. You've probably seen and enjoyed a turkey drumstick at your local fair or amusement park, usually smoked or slow-roasted with the skin on. 

In the grocery store, you'll find the turkey drumstick alone or with the thigh attached. Either way, it's ready to cook. You can also find turkey drumsticks smoked and packaged for sale. A smoked turkey leg has already been cooked and can be eaten right out of the package cold or included in recipes that call for pre-cooked meat. 

A whole turkey leg has the skin on and bone-in and weighs between one and two pounds. The turkey leg consists of all dark meat, which many prefer to the white meat found in the breast. The thigh meat typically has a darker color than white, yet lighter than the drumstick and equally tender.

The turkey leg costs less than the breast meat, mainly because of the bone and resulting connective tissue, but its flavor lends well to all cooking methods and seasonings. Turkey legs have more fat in the meat and taste more like duck legs rather than chicken legs. Their savory umami flavor can have a slight gaminess but will have excellent texture and plenty of juice.

You can buy farm-raised turkey legs, pasture-raised turkey legs, or even wild-caught turkey legs at some grocery stores. The wild-caught turkey has the most gaminess of the three as they feed entirely off the land, eating everything from mice and bugs to grass and algae. Wild-caught turkey tends to be tougher than the pasture-raised and more so than the farm-raised turkey, in large part because of the exercise the bird gets in the wild versus the more casual lifestyle of kept birds.

The turkey is native to the Americas and was brought to Europe and Asia in the 1500s by the Spanish. The original pilgrims brought over those turkeys depicted in your historical accounts of the first Thanksgiving from those bred in Europe.

Turkey legs are best when slow-cooked or braised, but you can grill them just as well. Slow cooking or braising the turkey leg helps tame any gaminess and results in a more tender and juicy finished product. The skin crisps up nicely when grilled or pan-fried. The skin helps insulate the turkey, and the bone keeps the meat moist. When braising turkey legs, you should rub them with fat, either oil or butter, season them with your favorite spices, then brown the skin before putting them in your braising liquid. Chicken stock works best for braising. 

Deep frying turkey legs can also be delicious. Many cooks love to smoke them at home, similar to those they know and love from the fair. When frying, smoking, or grilling, you should season under and on top of the skin to achieve maximum flavor. Putting turkey legs in your slow cooker will give you fall-off-the-bone tender turkey in three to four hours at a low setting.

You can save time shopping for a turkey leg by using the Instacart app. It's simple and fast. All you need to do is add the turkey leg to your cart and check out. Once done, an Instacart shopper will prepare your order for in-store pickup in as little as 2 hours! Some orders may qualify for same-day home delivery!