I’ll admit, the breast is far and away the best part to eat on a wild turkey. But that doesn’t mean that the rest of the bird should go to waste. The legs and thighs of a wild turkey are dark, full of tendons and connective tissue, and tougher than a leather boot if you try to cook them hot and fast. But there are ways to make them tender and tasty, and useful for a variety of excellent recipes.

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While turkey legs and thighs aren’t as tender as breast meat, they are full of flavor and can fall off the bone with the right cooking methods. All images by Michael Pendley

Low and slow is the cooking way to go for maximum flavor and tenderness. That can take several forms. The slow cooker is the classic; drop a couple legs and thighs in before you leave the house, cover them with chicken stock, and turn them on low. By that night, you will have meat that’s easy to pull and shred, and is perfect for soups, stews, dumplings, and enchiladas.

You can slow simmer turkey legs in a big pot on the stovetop along with some tasty aromatics for soup. Or slow braise them in the oven or on the grill with just enough liquid to tenderize the meat and make it shred easily for sandwiches. If you don’t want to cook them low and slow, trim turkey leg and thigh meat off the bone, remove the tendons and connective tissue, and run it through a grinder with a little pork fat to make tasty burgers, meatballs, and sausage.

Point is, the legs and thighs are half the meat on a wild turkey, and there are plenty of ways to get some great meals out of it. I’ve tried a bunch of turkey leg recipes, but these eight classics stand out as my favorites.

1.) HUNGARIAN PAPRIKASH STEWED TURKEY LEGS AND THIGHS

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This stew features tons of paprika and was originally invented as a way to make a meal out of an older hen or rooster chicken that was past its prime. That’s not much different than a turkey leg if you have ever tried one. You can find the recipe here.

2.) SLOW COOKER TURKEY LEG NOODLE SOUP

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This is a classic slow cooker soup recipe. Simmer the turkey all day, debone when you get home, add some vegetables and pasta, and you have a homemade turkey noodle soup everyone will love. Find the recipe here.

3.) CREAMY HUNGARIAN TURKEY LEG AND MUSHROOM SOUP

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Another one from Hungary. They seem to have an abundance of tough, chewy critters to cook up. This one features a cream base and plenty of mushrooms for a hearty soup that will fill you up after a long day afield. Find the recipe here.

4.) WILD TURKEY WEST AFRICAN GROUND NUT STEW

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This West African classic features the rich flavor of peanuts, coming to us in the convenient package of peanut butter, along with plenty of vegetables and rice to make a stew that eats like a meal. Find the recipe here.

5.) WILD TURKEY LEG ENCHILADAS

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Take a trip south of the border with these simple enchiladas. Slow cook the turkey legs until they fall apart, then use the meat in this easy Tex-Mex style recipe. Find the recipe here.

6.) SLOW COOKER TURKEY LEG AND DUMPLINGS

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This is the southern classic and it doesn’t get any easier than the slow cooker version. Your grandma would be proud to see you set a bowl of these on the table. Find the recipe here.

7.) COLA BRAISED BBQ TURKEY LEGS

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This one starts out on the grill for a nice smokey base flavor, then gets tender in a slow braise of your favorite cola. Use the cooking liquid to make a nice BBQ sauce to blend back into the meat and you have a pulled turkey sandwich you won’t forget. Find the recipe here.

8.) WILD TURKEY LEG BREAKFAST SAUSAGE

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Don’t want to spend all day waiting for your turkey legs to get tender? Simply trim away everything that isn’t meat and run it through the grinder. The result is perfect for this breakfast sausage, burgers, meatballs, etc. Find the recipe for breakfast sausage here.