Slow Cooker Turkey Legs

These slow cooker turkey legs are everything you want from a roast turkey dinner minus the stress! The turkey drumsticks are dry brined overnight with a simple spice rub, wrapped in foil and cooked low and slow in your crockpot until succulent and tender. Finish them under the broiler or air fryer for crisp golden skin and you’ve got a tasty and affordable alternative to roasting a whole bird.

If you love turkey but don’t want the fuss and cost of roasting a whole bird, these slow cooker turkey legs are such a good compromise. You get all the flavor and tender juicy dark meat without having to wrestle a giant turkey into the oven.

The drumsticks are dry brined with a rub of salt, brown sugar, paprika, garlic, onion powder, thyme and poultry seasoning, then wrapped snuggly in foil and left to gently cook in the slow cooker until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender.

This method is incredibly simple and almost entirely hands-off – equally perfect for small gatherings or simply as weeknight comfort food.

Here’s What You’ll Need

• Turkey drumsticks (or turkey thighs): Dark meat stays juicy during long cooking and has tons of flavor. Always check the turkey legs fit into your slow cooker first!
• Salt: The backbone of your dry brine. Seasoning the turkey legs the day before helps the salt penetrate, improving flavor and juiciness.
• Brown sugar: Adds a subtle sweetness to balance the salt and helps with browning when you crisp the skin under the broiler.
• Sweet smoked parika: For color, warmth plus a hint of smokiness.
• Onion powder and garlic powder Pantry MVPs that add savory depth to the rub and echo the flavors of classic roast turkey and gravy.
• Dried thyme or poultry seasoning here which contains a blend of earthy herbs such as sage and marjoram.
• Chicken broth or water for the slow cooker insert – use if you are cooking in a older crockpot with a ceramic bowl. You can also cook the turkey without any liquid.
• Oil or melted butter (optional for finishing) Brushed on before broiling to help the skin crisp up.

How to Make Slow Cooker Turkey Legs

Dry Brine the Turkey

1. Pat the turkey legs dry using paper towels. Mix the salt, herbs and seasoning and rub all over the turkey, getting into every nook. Place the turkey legs on a platter and refrigerate for 4 hours or ideally overnight, uncovered.

Slow Cook

1. Bring the turkey to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Wrap each drumstick tightly in foil, sealing the edges well so the juices stay inside.

⚠️ USING AN OLDER CROCKPOT? Add chicken broth or water to the slow cooker and place the foil-wrapped turkey legs on a trivet above the liquid (they should not be submerged). Ceramic inserts can crack if used without any liquid.

1. Arrange the foil parcels in the slow cooker in a single layer and cook on the LOW setting for 8 hours.
2. Check the internal temperature in the thickest part of the leg registers at least 165°F (74°C) – dark meat can be cooked to 175-180°F (79-82°C) for maximum tenderness. The juices should run clear if you cut into the turkey and the meat should be starting to fall off the bone.

Rest and Crisp Up the Skin

1. Remove the turkey from the slow cooker and rest for 15 minutes. Carefully unwrap the turkey legs, saving any juices. You can now serve them as they are or place them under the broiler (grill) to crisp up the skin.
2. Place on a baking sheet, brush with a little oil or butter and broil for a few minutes until the skin is crisp. Alternatively place in a preheated air fryer at maximum temperature for a few minutes (check the turkey is not too close to the top where the air circulates).

Serving Suggestions

• Simple “roast dinner” plate Serve the turkey legs or thighs with roast or mashed potatoes (or whipped sweet potatoes), gravy, mac and cheese and plenty of veggies.
• Holiday-style feast Pair with stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole and rolls for a fuss-free Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
• Leftover turkey meat can be used to make sandwiches, delicious soups, turkey pot pie, cozy stews or pasta dishes.

This recipe works with turkey drumsticks or bone-in turkey thighs. Follow the same dry brine and foil method; check for doneness as thighs may cook slightly faster.

No. The dry brine and foil parcels keep the meat flavorful and juicy. You’ll crisp the skin under the broiler at the end, so there’s no need to brown first.

Cooking time depends on size and your slow cooker, but turkey legs usually take several 7-8 hours LOW for the meat to reach a safe internal temperature (at least 165°F / 74°C).

You can – cook for 4-5 hours depending on the size of the drumsticks and check with a meat thermometer.

No. The salt gets draws water out the meat during the dry brining process through a process called osmosis. The salt then dissolves into that water creating a salty brine which is then reabsorbed into the meat via diffusion. This physical and chemical process is essentially seasoning the turkey legs from the outside in.

You can if you want – but it is not necessary. Position the turkey drumsticks above the liquid using a rack or trivet.