Cola Braised BBQ Turkey Legs

Turkey season is going strong or just around the corner for most of us. That means a lot of birds are going to be hitting the ground and a lot of hunters are going to be looking for good ways to turn those legs and thighs into something tender and delicious.

This combination of slow smoke and long, low braising is a great way to break down turkey legs into tender BBQ. All images by Michael Pendley

For turkey legs, that usually means a long, slow cook with plenty of liquid to break down the muscle and connective tissue and make the meat fall off the bone. Simply trim away any surface fat and silver skin, then coat the leg/thigh with your favorite BBQ rub. Since the sauce turns out sweet, I like something with a bit of heat for this part.

Coat the meat in your favorite spicy BBQ sauce.

This one starts out on the Pitboss grill at 250 degrees until the meat takes on some nice smoke flavor, about 60-90 minutes should be plenty.

Place the turkey leg coated with BBQ rub of choice directly on the grill grate.

From there, move the leg/thigh to an aluminum grill pan that’s large enough to allow it to lay flat on the bottom. Here’s where the unusual ingredient comes into play. Pour in 16 ounces of your favorite cola. I used Coke for this one, but any cola you enjoy will work. Dr. Pepper is pretty tasty as well. Use the regular style, not diet or zero sugar. You want the sugar to cook down into a thick sauce at the end. Next, add 2 cups of beef stock. The liquid level should be about halfway up the meat. If it isn’t, add a bit more stock until it is.

Move the grilled leg to an aluminum pan, then add the cola and stock.

Now, cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.

Seal the pan tightly with foil then return to the grill or oven at 225 degrees.

Place the pan back on the grill or in your oven at 225 degrees. The sealed meat isn’t going to gain any additional flavor from the smoke, so you just need a steady heat source at this point. Cook for an additional 3 hours or until the meat pulls easily from the bone.

Cook until the turkey is tender.

Remove the leg to a platter or cutting board and pour the accumulated liquid into a sauce pan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a light boil. Add 2 tablespoons tomato paste and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and season with a teaspoon of garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Continue at a light boil until the mixture begins to thicken to a BBQ sauce consistency.

Pour the cooking liquid into a sauce pan, add tomato paste, vinegar and seasonings, then simmer until thickened to a BBQ sauce consistency.

Once the meat has cooled enough to handle, pull it from the bone and remove the connective tissue and other assorted non-edible bits. Shred the boneless meat and add it to a bowl.

Shred the meat from the bone, then pour over the sauce.

Spoon over the BBQ sauce and stir well to blend. This one works great as a main course or on a sandwich.