Braised BBQ Turkey Thighs
These wild turkey thighs get slow smoked, then braised in a bit of liquid until they are fork tender
If you’ve never eaten wild turkey legs and thighs, you’re going to be surprised at just how much flavor is packed inside. Trouble is, all that flavor is stuffed into a package full of bones, tendons, and connective tissue that can be tougher than an old boot if not cooked correctly.
Brush on your favorite BBQ sauce as the thighs smoke.
For this recipe, we slowly smoke skin-on thighs (the skin adds even more flavor) on the grill until they hit an internal temperature of 150 degrees, then we place them in a pan with a bit of stock or beer and cover tightly with foil. Then they go back on the grill to finish cooking. The liquid breaks down the connective tissue, leaving the thighs fork tender. Give it a try, and you’ll never leave the legs and thighs from your turkeys in the woods again.
INGREDIENTS
4 skin-on turkey thighs
4 tablespoons butter, melted
4 tablespoons Myron Mixon Hot Rub
1 cup barbecue sauce of choice
12 ounces stock or beer
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Start by brushing melted butter all over the thighs. Season them well with Myron Mixon Hot Rub or your rub of choice.
Season the thighs well with your favorite BBQ rub.
Brush on sauce. Slow-smoke at 225 degrees until the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 150 degrees, about an hour, brushing on more sauce over the cooking time.
After smoking the thighs, move them to an aluminum pan and pour in a beer or some stock.
Put the thighs in an aluminum pan. Pour in a beer or 12 ounces of stock. Cover the pan tightly with foil and return to the grill. Cook for another 2 hours or until the turkey is fork tender. Uncover the pan and brush on a final layer of sauce, then grill, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes.
The braising process tenderizes the tough thigh meat.