It doesn’t have to be Thanksgiving to appreciate this easy turkey legs recipe. Make these rotisserie seasoned legs in your slow cooker or Instant Pot.
PIN FOR LATER
Updated 2019 with Instant Pot instructions
I recently went to Disneyland with my friend and her daughter. While I didn’t get one this time, usually the highlight of my trip to Disney is eating one of their big old turkey legs. If you don’t know what I’m talking about then you are missing out and you can Google it. There are a lot of copy-cat recipes out there for Disneyland’s turkey leg recipe…this is not one of them. I was just inspired to make turkey legs.
before (slow cooker)
Turkey Legs
My local grocery store almost always has turkey legs. Because of them being readily available, I have come to love cooking turkey legs. Turkey legs are a good choice for the slow cooking. Dark meat poultry in general is a good cut for a slow cooker or electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot). The method of slow cooking tenderizes the even toughest cut of poultry like turkey legs. I don’t expect you to find turkey legs the size of the ones they serve at Disneyland. I used 4 turkey legs that were approximately 1/2 pound each. If you can’t find turkey legs, you can substitute your favorite cut of chicken instead. I suggest using bone-in chicken so they’re no change to the cook time. I usually crumble up a couple of balls of aluminum foil and put the legs on top of the balls. This is optional; the turkey legs can go directly in the bottom of the slow cooker OR you can use a trivet. All the aluminum balls or trivet does is allow the grease to drip off the turkey legs while they cook.
after (slow cooker)
Other turkey recipes you might enjoy:
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Turkey Breast (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
Slow Cooker Whole Turkey (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
Slow Cooker Rotisserie Coconut TurkeyLegs (Low-Carb, Paleo, Whole30)
Slow Cooker Leftover Cajun Turkey & Sausage Soup
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Turkey Corn Chowder
homemade rotisserie seasoning
THE HOMEMADE ROTISSERIE SEASONING
Of course you can always use your preferred seasoning for this whole chicken recipe. But if you’re looking for homemade rotisserie seasoning, below is my homemade blend. This is enough for up to a 4 pounds of turkey legs without having to make any adjustments to the measurements. Anything larger you might want to use more seasonings.
BROIL THE SKIN
After this is done cooking, I like to broil the turkey legs in the oven to crisp the skin. This is an optional but recommended step. If you choose to do this, use tongs to remove the turkey legs from the slow cooker or pressure cooker because they will be hot. The meat will also be very tender. My legs usually fall apart a bit when I take them out.
I added ghee to my turkey legs to make this not just low-carb but keto as well. This too is optional.
I used a 6-quart slow cooker or Instant Pot for this recipe.
PIN FOR LATER
Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Rotisserie Turkey Legs (Paleo,Whole30,Low-Carb)
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 mins
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 4 medium size turkey legs (approx 2–3 lbs total)
- 2 tbsp oil of your choice
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp ghee (optional)
- 1 cup water (for pressure cooker)
Instructions
- Mix seasonings together in a small bowl. Rub oil evenly over each turkey legs and rub mixture generously on each turkey leg.
- Add turkey legs to the bottom of the slow cooker. If using ghee, add evenly on top of each leg.
- Cook HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 6-8.
Electric Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot)
- Pour water into the bottom of the pressure cooker. Add turkey legs on top.
- Close lid and seal valve. Set high pressure and cook for 25 minutes (make sure internal temperature for the turkey is 165° Fahrenheit). Natural release 10 minutes then quick release remaining pressure.
Optional but recommended step for both slow cooker & electric pressure cooker: Use tongs (the turkey legs will be hot) and remove them from the appliance. Place the turkey legs on a baking sheet and BROIL them in the oven for approximately 3-5 minutes to crisp the skin.
Notes
Nutritional value calculated using the ghee
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Trying these today! Happy Thanksgiving!
This so good! Clarifying question – should they be submerged in the water or placed on a trivet in a pressure cooker? I did trivet and they were just a tad dry but still delicious! Thank you!
I did not use a trivet, I put the legs directly in the liquid.
I’m excited to try this recipe tomorrow morning! Question: it looks like you have foil or something under the wings in the instant pot? Thank you!
And if I wanted to do a gravy, could I use almond or coconut flour?
I made these in my instant pot and broiled 2 minutes per side after removing. They were very good, and the juices made an excellent gravy thickened with casava flour. I am making this again at my spouse’s request.
★★★★★
I forgot to mention that I used a tablespoon of olive oil as I had no ghee
I have 2 very large turkey legs total weight of 1.8kg how long should I cook them for in the slow cooker on low. I was thinking around 9 hrs. What do you think?
I’ve been looking for a simple recipe like this. I used to love turkey parts in the slow cooker and since I got my IP i havent used the cooker for 2 years! May I say, 4 drumsticks @ 1/2 lb. will be 2 lbs of turkey.
This looks amazing! Is the skin soft, and if so, could I broil them for a few minutes at the end to make it crispier?
Thanks! You are correct, the skin will e soft. Yes you can absolutely broil them!
Wife made these- WAAAAAAAY better than Disneyland!
Turned out Perfect! Was a bit worried they’d be drive, but not at all. Wish I added 2 more to the crockpot for leftovers. Will definitely make this again real soon!
NICE! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the feedback.
I have 2 very large turkey legs total weight of 1.8kg how long should I cook them for in the slow cooker on low. I was thinking around 9 hrs. What do you think?
I think you’re 100% correct. Enjoy!