Smoked food has a delicious, distinctive flavour which is unlike anything else. Thankfully, you don’t have to invest in a smoker and smoke all your food yourself to get this tastiness – many foods are available in pre smoked versions to make your life easier, and more yummy!
Turkey is a favourite of many people, and not just for Christmas or Thanksgiving. This white meat is one of the healthier ones, plus it has a delicate flavour which is popular the world over. Pre smoked turkey legs add a whole new dimension of taste to this tender meat. But how to cook pre smoked turkey legs on the stove?
What are pre smoked turkey legs
Although pre smoked turkey legs are meant to be cooked at home, they are actually already cooked. The cooking process is actually more like reheating – and this can be done in a variety of different ways.
The only thing you have to take care with is that you don’t overcook the meat; turkey can end up being quite dry if it is not treated with care.
Pre smoked turkey legs are easy to come by; most large stores will stock them, and they are pretty cheap too.
How to cook pre smoked turkey legs on the stove
Cooking this pre smoked meat on the stove is actually a great way to do it, as it manages to cook (or reheat) the meat to perfection, retaining the flavour and texture without letting it dry out and become unappetising.
- Start by removing your pre smoked turkey legs from their packaging.
- Place them into a deep, heavy based skillet or a large pot.
- Add some water, enough to cover the legs.
- Turn the heat up to medium high, and place a lid on the pan. (If your lid doesn’t have a steam hole then leave a little gap so that the steam can escape.)
- Keep an eye on the level of water – you don’t want the pan to dry out, but you don’t want to add too much more water or the skin will go soggy.
- Aim to remove the legs from the heat after about one hour, and check that they are fully cooked through – if not, return them to the heat for another 5-10 minutes.
- If you like the final result to be slightly less salty and smoky, you can drain off the cooking water halfway through and replace it with fresh water.
- Once fully cooked and piping hot all the way through, you can remove the legs from the water and place them in a separate pan with a little oil, and cook them on a high heat for a minute or two to get a bit of crispness to the skin.
If you want to see how this method is done, here is a short, simple video so you can see it for yourself:
Pre cooked smoked turkey leg recipes
Obviously, the best way to enjoy your smoked turkey legs is to cook it on the stove; that way you get a really tender meat that is tasty and delicious that you can serve with vegetables, rice – or that you can just grab from the pot and bite into it; perhaps with a little dip of some tasty barbecue sauce as a flavour enhancer.
But, if you decide to try something different, there are a few other options out there for you:
- Oven cooking. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Add a splash of water, or a broth made from stock, to a baking dish, then place the legs into the pan and cover with foil. Bake for 2 hours, rotating the pan in the oven, until the legs reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees.
- On the grill. Fire up the barbecue,and let it get really hot – you’re looking for a good base of white hot charcoal. Place the legs onto the grill, close the lid and let them cook upwards of two hours. The meat will be tender and falling off the bone!
- Added to other dishes. Cooked pre smoked turkey legs make an awesome addition to other dishes – you can turn them into the base for some truly delicious salads; add them to soups; bring a whole new layer of flavour to stews and casseroles – the list is pretty much endless!
Final Words
As you can see, how to cook pre smoked turkey legs on the stove is a simple feat, and one that can be very rewarding. They will be tender, smoky and delicious both on the day that they are cooked, and on other days if you want to add them to different meals.
Thank you for this information. I already knew but was checking if there was a better way. Last time I used the oven and they dried out, so I used this method without the later crisping.