Cajun Fried Turkey Leg with Alabama White Sauce are the best way to eat turkey this thanksgiving.

Smoked turkey legs are super popular because they have a ton of great flavor, but these cajun fried legs might be the best turkey I’ve ever had. The breading gives them a super crispy skin and the Alabama white bbq sauce gives each bite a tangy kick that will leave you craving more. 

Be sure to give this easy recipe a try if you’re looking to make something different this Thanksgiving. Skip the whole bird this year and make these cajun fried turkey legs – they will be the talk of Thanksgiving for years to come. 

Ingredients you will need

Meat: Turkey Legs

Brine: Pickle juice, Buttermilk and Chicka Licka Bam Bam Cajun Seasoning

Breading: Chicka Licka Bam Bam Crispy Coatings 

Oil: Peanut oil or Canola Oil

Alabama White Sauce: Mayo, Apple Cider Vinegar, brown sugar, brown mustard, lemon juice, horseradish, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

How to make Cajun Fried Turkey Leg with Alabama White Sauce

How to butterfly the turkey legs

Butterfly the turkey legs by carefully cutting the meat along the bone with a sharp knife. Be sure to not cut all the way through the meat.

Butterflying the meat from the bone allows the meat to cook quicker and more evenly. This method also provides more surface area for the breading making each bite more crunchy and flavor packed!

butterflied turkey leg
Photos from this recipe are from Brittany Scott (Instagram: @the_salted_bite)

Brining the turkey legs

In a food safe container, put together the brine by combining buttermilk, pickle juice and 2 tbsp of Chicka Licka Bam Bam cajun seasoning. You can also add in a little hot sauce if you want to give the turkey some additional heat. Thoroughly mix all of the ingredients until they are fully combined. 

brine for turkey legs

Add the butterflied turkey legs into the brine making sure they are fully submerged. Place the container in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours or up to 24 hours.

Make the Alabama White Sauce 

If you’ve never had Alabama White Sauce you are totally missing out! This tangy vinegar sauce is super creamy and it takes less than 5 minutes to make. It’s perfect for coating meat or using it as a dipping sauce. 

Be sure to check out my Easy Alabama White Sauce Recipe and use it for these Cajun Fried Turkey Legs. 

I like to always make sure I make extra sauce and store it in an airtight container such as a mason jar to use throughout the week. It goes great with pork chops, pork tenderloin, chicken thighs, chicken breasts, turkey wings, French fries and chicken salad.

Easy Alabama White Sauce Recipe

The deep frying process

When you’re ready to cook the turkey legs, preheat a dutch oven or deep fryer at a medium-high heat of 350° F with peanut oil. 

In a large bowl, prepare the flour dredge. I used a box of Chicka Licka Bam Bam Cajun Crispy Coatings. If you do not have a premixed box for coating, you can easily put one together. Combine 3 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of corn starch, 1/2 tbsp garlic powder, 1/2 tbsp onion powder, 1/2 tbsp black pepper, 1/2 tbsp salt and 1/2 tbsp of cayenne pepper. 

Remove the butterflied turkey legs from brine and let the excess liquid drain off of the turkey legs. Coat each butterflied turkey leg in the flour dredge making sure that each part of the turkey leg is evenly coated.

breaded butterflied turkey legs

Insert the MEATER 2 Plus meat thermometer into the thickest part of the leg meat. The new MEATER 2 is now safe for deep frying and it will allow you to monitor the internal temperature of the meat as it is deep drying. 

One the oil temperature reaches 350° F, carefully add the coated turkey legs to the hot oil then let them cook for approximately 6 minutes. If you cook them in a dutch oven, you may been to cook them in batches of 1 or 2 depending on the size of the dutch oven. Check the turkey leg every couple of minutes to make sure that the breading is not burning. 

deep frying the cajun turkey leg

Serving the Cajun Fried Turkey Legs

Remove the turkey leg from the how oil once it reaches an internal temperature of 170°F. Place them on a wire rack on top of a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb any excess grease then let them cool down for 3-4 minutes.

Cajun fried turkey leg

Note that the turkey will continue to cook for another 5 degrees as it rests. Since the leg is dark meat, the higher internal temperature will not dry out and it will help the meat be more tender. When cooking chicken wings, I bring them to an internal temperature of 180° F and they are fall off the bone. This would not be the same result if you did this with a boneless turkey breast since that is a leaner cut of meat. 

Dip the Cajun Fried Turkey Legs in the Alabama White Sauce then serve them up and enjoy!

Things you can serve up with the Cajun Fried Turkey Legs

Smoked Mac & Cheese – Mac & cheese is one of the most icon side dishes around. My smoked version of this recipe will quickly become the only way you’ll ever want to eat it again. 

Balsamic Bacon Brussels Sprouts – If you didn’t like brussels sprouts as a kids, this recipe is for you. These delicious vegetables are served with crispy bacon, gooey dates topped with a balsamic glaze reduction for the best bite around. 

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Cajun Fried Turkey Leg with Alabama White Sauce

Cajun Fried Turkey Leg with Alabama White Sauce

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Cajun Fried Turkey Leg with Alabama White Sauce is the best way to eat turkey. Spicy, crunchy turkey coated in a creamy vinegar sauce. 

  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 turkey legs 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 turkey legs
  • 1 quart of buttermilk
  • 16 oz of pickle juice
  • 2 tbsp cajun seasoning (chicka licka bam bam)
  • 1 package of Chick Licka Bam Bam Cripsy Coatings (from Walmart)
  • 1 gallon of peanut oil for frying

Alabama White Sauce

  • 1 cup mayo
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp brown mustard
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp horseradish
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

  1. Butterfly the turkey legs by carefully cutting the meat from the bone on the sides. 
  2. Brine the turkey legs overnight in buttermilk, pickle juice and chick Licka bam bam seasoning.
  3. Make the Alabama white sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix. Store in an airtight container until it’s time to serve. 
  4. Preheat a dutch oven over medium-high heat  with peanut oil to 350° F.
  • Author: Nick Nesgoda
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes

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