Smoked Turkey Legs

Creating mouth-watering meats and serving the masses from his pop-up, Matt Cross has made a name for himself in the smoked BBQ and live-fire cooking world.

Recommended Oven
Dome
Cook Time
3.5-4 hours
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Ingredients

Serves
3 people

For the rub  

  • 2 tbsp fine cracked black pepper 
  • 8 tbsp smoked paprika 
  • 2 tsp garlic powder  
  • 2 tsp onion powder  
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper  
  • 1 tsp thyme leaves

For the brine 

  • Sprigs of fresh rosemary, sage and thyme  
  • 6 garlic gloves  
  • 300g brown sugar  
  • 1tbsp peppercorns 
  • 6 bay leaves  
  • 4 litres water  
  • 200g sea salt

For the glaze 

  • 150g smooth cranberry sauce 
  • Juice of one orange 
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup 

Equipment Needed

  • Dome

    Dome

    View
  • Dome Rope Sealed Door

    Dome Rope Sealed Door

  • Infrared Thermometer

    Infrared Thermometer

  • Dough Cutter

    Dough Cutter

  • Dough Scraper

    Dough Scraper

Instructions

Prevent your screen from going dark as you follow along.

Setting your Dome up for the cook:

Place a layer of charcoal in the fire basket and place one fire lighter in the center, ignite the lighter and return the tray to its position in the Dome. Open up the side vent to its most open position.

Turn on the Dome’s oven thermometer and connect a wired probe, leave the door off the Dome until the charcoal has begun to catch.

Once the charcoal has caught, replace the door to its position and close the door vents, leaving a gap of around 2- 3mm.

Close the side vent to just over ¾ of the way closed. Keep an eye on the oven’s temperature. Once the Dome has reached a temperature of 130°C / 266°F begin to close the side vent up leaving a gap of 3-4mm.


The cook:

Step 1

Boil half the water with the aromatics.

Step 2

Add to the remaining cold water and let the brine cool.

Step 3

Submerge the legs in the brine, cover and refrigerate overnight for 18-24 hours.

Step 4

Mix the dry rub ingredients together in a bowl.

Step 5

Remove the legs from the brine and pat dry with paper towel.

Step 6

Evenly coat the legs with the rub.

Step 7

Transfer the legs to a sheet pan with a rack.

Step 8

Insert a Dome temperature probe into the thickest part of one of the legs.

Step 13

Place the legs into your Dome at 130°C / 266°F.

Step 10

Spin the pan 180 degrees to achieve an even colour.

Step 11

Add the glaze ingredients to a saucepan and warm through on a hob.

Step 12

Once the legs have reached 75°C / 165°F, evenly brush the legs, with the glaze.

Step 13

Continue to cook for a further 5-10 minutes until the glaze has set.

Step 14

Eat and enjoy!

Author Matt Cross avatar
Matt Cross

Fire Chef

United Kingdom

Live-fire grill expert known for his outdoor cooking, grilling techniques, and barbecue mastery.

Learn More