Turkey thighs and drumsticks slow cooked over low heat on a grill or BBQ with a South Carolina mustard barbecue sauce.
We introduced South Carolina barbecue sauce and now here’s a great recipe you can make with it, Grilled Turkey Drumsticks and Thighs.
I grew up eating a lot of meals made with turkey drumsticks because they’re nutrient dense and an inexpensive source of protein.
However, in this concoction, slow-cooked on a grill and basted with a spicy, bold, sweet, sour yellow mustard-based barbecue sauce, the turkey doesn’t taste at all like Thanksgiving turkey in a good way.
It just absorbs the smokiness from the grill and the smell of the sauce. Holiday bird aside, this is hands down the best turkey I’ve ever had!
BBQ turkey with mustard sauce
Turkey breast, like chicken breast, tends to dry out from the long cooking times required for this grill recipe. We strongly recommend thighs and legs here. Not only are they less likely to dry out, the strong flavors pair well with the strong flavors of the barbecue sauce.
ingredients
Turkey:
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4 to 6 Turkey Legs and/or thighs, trimmed of excess fat
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Kosher salt
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Extra virgin olive oil
BBQ Sauce with South Carolina Mustard:
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4 tablespoon butter
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1/2 Oniongrated (use a box grater or a cheese grater)
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1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
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1/2 Cup Brown sugar
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1/2 Cup yellow mustard
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1 tablespoon dry mustard
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1 teaspoon cayenne
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1 Bay leaf
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kosher salt, taste
method
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Salt the turkey pieces, let them rest at room temperature:
Pat the turkey pieces dry with paper towels. Salt the turkey pieces well all over. Let stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
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Make the sauce:
Sauté the onions in butter until tender (but not browned), about 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat. Add the other sauce ingredients and simmer slowly for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Prepare the grill:
Prepare your grill for high direct heat on one side and fairly low indirect heat on the other side. To do this with a gas grill, only turn on half the burners. If you are using a charcoal grill, keep one side of your grill free of charcoal. If using a gas grill, preheat covered for at least 15 minutes.
When the grill is hot, clean the grill grates with a grill scraper. Wipe down the grates with a paper towel soaked in oil.
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Sear turkey pieces:
Rub oil over the turkey pieces. Place the turkey pieces skin-side down on the hot grill to give the turkey an initial sear.
Be careful as the fat in turkey can cause flare-ups. If this happens, be prepared to move the piece to a cooler side of the grill temporarily, or have a spray bottle of water on hand to quench the flames a bit if they get too high.
Sear the turkey on the skin side for 3-4 minutes.
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Place turkey pieces on the cool side of the grill:
Once the skin of a piece begins to brown, slide the piece onto the cool side of the grill and flip it over so the skin side is now facing up. This way, the fat underneath the skin will melt with and baste the meat during the next slow cooking phase.
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Cover and slow cook:
When you have placed the whole turkey on the cool side of the grill, cover the grill and let the turkey cook slowly for 20 minutes without looking.
Then check every 15-20 minutes because every grill is different. The turkey should cook for at least 1 1/2 hours after the initial sear, probably longer. (I think we cooked these pictured for 2 1/2 hours.) Barbecue, by definition, has to be slow cooking over low heat.
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Spread with BBQ sauce:
After about an hour, begin brushing the turkey with the barbecue sauce. First paint only the upper part (skin side). Cover and wait another 20 minutes. Then turn the turkey over and paint the undersides.
Why wait? You want the sauce to sink in, stick to the turkey, and set a little; That way it won’t drip into the grill as much.
Cover and wait another 15 to 20 minutes.
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Test for degree of doneness:
Depending on the size of your turkey cuts and the setup of your specific grill, the time it takes for your turkey cuts to cook will vary. To test the doneness, you can insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the leg without touching the bone.
Remove the turkey from the grill at 170°F to 175°F for thighs and drumsticks, 165°F for breasts when tested with a meat thermometer. Or if you don’t have a meat thermometer, use a knife to cut into one of the pieces. The juices should run clear. If they turn pink, the meat needs to be cooked longer.
You can continue to baste with the sauce every 15 minutes or so until the meat is done.
What temperature to cook a turkeyCONTINUE READING:
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Finally fry on the skin side:
When the meat is about to be removed from the grill, you can sear it one last time on the skin side. Simply place the pieces skin-side down on the hot part of the grill. Make sure it just browns and doesn’t burn. It should take 1-2 minutes.
Serve with extra sauce and lots of napkins!
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 129 | calories |
| 8g | Fat |
| 13g | carbohydrates |
| 1g | protein |
