Baked Turkey Drumsticks
Published Sep 20, 2022
Updated Feb 10, 2025
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Here is how to make insanely tasty and juicy Baked Turkey Drumsticks with crispy skin. These whole turkey legs are super flavorful with the variety of herbs and spices used.
Dark meat lovers will love this tasty dinner! It is way easier than cooking an entire turkey, and it goes well with various Thanksgiving sides!
This Baked Turkey Drumsticks recipe have a shorter cook time and is perfect for those of you who don’t want to make a full turkey for Thanksgiving this year!
You know it doesn’t always have to be a whole bird. Instead, you could make Roasted Turkey Thighs, Baked Turkey Breast, or Oven Baked Turkey Wings.
Serve these turkey legs with your favorite side dishes for a small holiday dinner, entertaining, special occasions, small Thanksgiving gatherings, Christmas, or Easter!
They were so good, my husband ate one juicy turkey leg by itself!
Table of Contents
Why It Works
You and all your family members will fall in love this turkey drumstick recipe for several reasons:
- It is a great alternative to whole roast turkey.
- It makes a great weeknight dinner too!
- It requires a shorter roasting time compared to cooking an entire bird.
Ingredients For Tasty Roasted Turkey Drumsticks
You only need a few simple ingredients for this turkey leg recipe. The combination of herbs and spices here yields great flavor and juicy meat! Here are the ingredients you need:
- Turkey Drumsticks. I got these from my local grocery store. If you can’t find turkey drumsticks you could use other parts of turkey like turkey thighs, or turkey legs.
- Melted Butter. For flavor. Coating the turkey in butter before adding the other ingredients makes the turkey super tasty. The butter gets toasty as the drumsticks bake. Definitely more flavorful than using oil. But you could use olive oil as well.
- Dried Spices: Use salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, dried parsley, and paprika for the best flavor!
See the recipe card for the quantity of each ingredient and detailed instructions.
How To Bake Turkey Drumsticks
The best way to cook turkey legs is to cook them in the oven. Always pat your meat dry with paper towels before seasoning. Here is how to make oven-roasted turkey legs in 2 easy steps!
Season Turkey Legs
Place room temperature turkey drumsticks in a baking dish. Add the melted butter and spices. Rub the butter, spices and herbs thoroughly all over the turkey. You could also season the turkey legs in a mixing bowl and cook them on a rimmed baking sheet, or a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and a wire rack.
Roast Until Done
Place into the oven and bake until completely cooked through. An instant-read thermometer insterted into the thickest part of the leg should register an internal temperature of 170 degrees F for it to be considered done.
When the turkey drumsticks have been in the oven for 30 minutes, remove them and flip to the other side then baste them with the sauce at the bottom of the pan.
How Long To Bake Turkey Drumsticks
Bake turkey drumsticks at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or 200 degrees Celsius for one hour. This temperature and length of time yields turkey that is perfectly done and juicy on the inside with a nice crust on the outside.
To check if the turkey is done, insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat. It if reads 170 degrees Fahrenheit, the meat is done.
To check if turkey is done without a thermometer, pierce it with a fork. If the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink or red in the middle, then it is done.
Season turkey legs using this same easy recipe then cook them in an air fryer instead of the oven.
Variations
- Spicy – add cayenne pepper to the seasoning to make spicy turkey drumsticks.
- Different parts of turkey – use the same blend of seasonings to roast other parts of turkey like turkey legs, thighs, breasts, or wings.
- Turkey and potatoes – bake the turkey together with some potatoes and vegetables to make a one pan meal.
Hope you enjoy this turkey drumsticks recipe! Also check out these other turkey recipes:
Storage
Store leftover turkey in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can freeze cooked turkey for 2-4 months.
Expert Tips
- Get an instant-read meat thermometer for checking the doneness of meat. It helps you ensure that poultry is thoroughly cooked and other meats like steak are cooked to desired doneness!
- Adjust the cooking time based on the size of your turkey legs. They will need less time in the oven if your legs are smaller.
- The sauce at the bottom of the roasting pan makes great gravy. Do not discard it.
Serving Suggestions
Serve these Baked Turkey Drumsticks with:
- Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
- Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Carrots
- Roasted Baby Potatoes
- Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts With Bacon
- Sauteed Vegetables
- 3 Cheese Mac and Cheese
- Cranberry Sauce
More Easy Thanksgiving Recipes
- 3 Ingredient Biscuits
- 3 Cheese Mac and Cheese
- Garlic Butter Rolls
- Oven Baked Turkey Wings
- Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting
If you make this recipe, please take a moment to rate it below! Your ratings mean a lot to me. Thank you!
Baked Turkey Drumsticks
Ingredients
- 2 turkey drumsticks about 2.5 pounds total
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F or 200°C.
- Pat the turkey drumsticks dry with paper towels.
- Place the turkey drumsticks into a baking dish. Drizzle on the melted butter. Add the other ingredients and evenly rub all of the seasoning on the turkey.
- Place the baking dish into the oven and bake for one hour until a digital thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a turkey drumstick reads 170°F. After the first 30 minutes, remove the turkey from the oven and use a basting brush to baste the turkey with the sauce at the bottom of the pan.
- Serve with mashed potatoes and sautéed veggies.
Sound great.
Thanks Brian.
Fantastic
Thank you, Ellen.
I am making this right now for my Yearโs Eve dinner- it smells heavenly in the kitchen- Serving this with mashed potatoes and Quebec Tourtiรจre(meat pie) and Yule log cake for dessert. thank you so much for the recipe โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธโญ๏ธ๐
All of that sounds so good, Maryse! Hope you had a wonderful New Year’s celebration!