Detailed step-by-step recipe with photos: Step 1
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Prepare the necessary ingredients to cook a juicy turkey drumstick in the oven.
A quality turkey drumstick should be a light, pinkish-beige color with no dark spots. If the drumstick looks too pale or has a grayish tint, it may be a sign that it has been stored for too long. Good meat feels firm and slightly elastic to the touch. Press on the surface of the drumstick, if the finger mark quickly disappears, then the meat is fresh. If it is too soft or springy, the turkey may have been frozen and thawed several times. The skin should be clean, without cracks or bruises. Smell is one of the main indicators of meat quality. Fresh turkey drumsticks have a light, neutral odor.
If you buy a packaged turkey drumstick, make sure that it is not damaged and that there is no excess liquid in it, which could indicate thawing. The packaging must be sealed and intact. Pay attention to the packaging date and expiration date. It is better to choose products with a minimum shelf life to ensure freshness.
Turkey drumsticks come in different sizes, and it is important to focus on your taste and preferences. If you want more meat on the bone, choose larger drumsticks. Also pay attention to the shape of the shin — it should be without severe deformations, as this may indicate improper storage or transportation.
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Step 2
Rinse turkey drumsticks thoroughly under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
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Step 3
Choose a deep plate for preparing the marinade. Add ground paprika, dried garlic, orange zest, salt, and ground black pepper to a bowl. Mix all dry ingredients.
Be careful with salt, as soy sauce can be very salty and you may not need it at all.
Paprika will give the meat not only a bright color, but also a slight sweetish spice. It is better to use good quality paprika so that it gives a rich taste. Dried garlic is ideal for marinades — it gives the dish a rich garlic flavor that will blend gently with other spices. Orange zest will add an interesting citrus note, which will make the taste of the marinade more multifaceted. It perfectly combines sweetness with sourness, which will harmonize with turkey meat.
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Step 4
Add soy sauce, vegetable oil, adjika, rice vinegar, mustard to the dry ingredients.
Soy sauce goes especially well with turkey, adding piquancy and flavor to the meat. Adjika will add sharpness and bright spice to the marinade. It will also add some acidity and balance out the overall flavor. Adjika initially consists of a mixture of different spices, and thanks to it the marinade will have a richer and more multifaceted taste. It is important that it is of high quality, not too liquid, so as not to dilute the marinade.
Rice vinegar will add a slight sourness to the marinade and provide a good balance with the rest of the ingredients. It's not as aggressive as regular vinegar, but it still adds just the right amount of freshness and enhances the flavor of the meat. It is important not to overdo the quantity so that the vinegar does not overwhelm the rest of the spices. Mustard in the marinade is an important ingredient that gives the meat a slight spice and piquancy. It also helps make the texture of the marinade smoother and more uniform.
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Step 5
Mix all marinade ingredients well.
It should be of medium thickness — not too thin so that the spices do not drip from the meat, and not too thick so that it easily envelops and saturates the turkey. The optimal consistency of the marinade is when it is slightly viscous, but at the same time fluid enough to be easily distributed over the surface of the meat. If the marinade is too thick and does not coat the meat evenly, you can add a little water or a little vegetable oil.
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Step 6
Place the prepared turkey drumstick in a deep bowl or flat plate for easy basting. Using a spoon, brush or just your hands, carefully apply the marinade to the drumstick. Make sure the marinade coats the meat evenly on all sides.
Once the drumstick is evenly coated with the marinade, cover the bowl with cling film or foil. Leave the meat to marinate in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours. This time allows the spices and sauces to soak into the meat and make it softer and more flavorful. The longer the drumstick is marinated, the richer the flavor will be. If you have the opportunity, you can leave them in the refrigerator overnight. This will allow the meat to really infuse all the flavors and the flavor will be much deeper.
If you want to speed up the process, you can marinate the meat for a shorter time, for example, 2-3 hours, but for better results it is recommended to stand for 4-6 hours.
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Step 7
Prepare a baking dish that is the right size for the drumstick. It's better to use deep. If you have a roasting rack, place it in the pan. The grill will help the meat cook on all sides, creating a crispy crust. If you don't have a rack, you can simply place the drumsticks directly on the bottom of the pan, but a rack has the added benefit of better air circulation and the meat won't cook in its own juices.
Place the marinated turkey drumstick on the grill. If there is any marinade left, you can gently brush the top of the shin with it. This will add extra flavor and make the crust more appetizing.
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Step 8
Cover the drumstick pan with foil. This is important so that the meat remains juicy at the beginning of baking. Make sure that the foil does not touch the drumstick itself — it should be slightly raised so as not to interfere with the circulation of hot air and to prevent the foil from sticking to the surface of the meat.
Place the pan covered with foil in an oven preheated to 200°C. Bake the drumstick in this form for 60 minutes. This time is needed for the meat to cook inside, become soft and absorb all the flavors of the marinade.
Roasting under foil helps the meat to heat evenly. After about 50 minutes, you can check how well the drumstick is baked by slightly lifting a corner of the foil. It is important that the meat becomes soft, but not overcooked. You can check doneness with a knife or fork; if the meat easily separates from the bone and looks juicy, it is ready.
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Step 9
Carefully remove the foil from the pan. At this point the meat should be almost done and should now be allowed to brown and become crispy. After removing the foil, continue baking the drumstick for about 15-20 minutes at the same temperature (200°C). This will give the crust a nice golden brown color and make it crispy. At this point, you can brush the drumsticks with marinade for extra flavor and a glossy finish if there is any left.
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Step 10
The turkey drumstick in the oven is juicy and ready.
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Step 11
Serve with side dish and vegetables. Bon appetit!
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