Smoked Turkey

It’s the holidays and your holiday is not complete with this amazing Smoked Turkey! It’s so juicy, full of flavor and easy. Simply brine the turkey overnight, then add butter, seasoning and oil to the turkey and pop it on your smoker the next day. The result is the perfect smoked turkey for your Thanksgiving Dinner!

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It’s Turkey Day and you need a turkey recipe. Am I right? Something that will be the star of the show next to your dinner rolls and apple pie. You need a bird that is full of flavor, juicy and easy to make so your holidays are stress-free. This smoked turkey is your answer!

We tested this smoked turkey multiple times on our Traeger Eastwood 34 Pellet Grill and had family and friends over each time we made it. I think we are elected to bring the turkey to Thanksgiving this year after every got a taste of this!

It’s hands down the best turkey I’ve ever had. Plus, it makes amazing leftovers for sandwiches because of the smoked flavor of the turkey!

Why this Recipe Works:

• The turkey is brined overnight to lock in flavor and juice.
• Cook the turkey in a disposable aluminum pan to collect the drippings and make a fabulous gravy that’s packed with flavor from the turkey drippings.
• We used our Traeger electric smoker to smoke this turkey and it turned out amazing! I love using my Traeger because it maintains the smoke and temperatures for me so I don’t have to do as much babysitting.

Ingredients Needed

• Turkey – You will want it thawed when you are ready to smoke it. We used a 15 lb turkey. Estimate about 1 1/2 lbs of turkey per person. If you need more than 15 lbs of turkey we recommend smoking multiple turkeys, not buying a bigger bird. The reason for this is because your turkey will be sitting in the food danger zone for far to long at a lower temperature. You can risk bacteria growing and spoiling your turkey before it’s finished. We don’t want that!
• Brine – You’ll need hot water, kosher salt, apple cider, black peppercorns, Montreal Steak Seasoning, thyme and rosemary to give it that wonderful flavor.
• Rub – A mixture of butter, ground black pepper, thyme, rosemary, safe and garlic pepper.

What do I need to Smoke a Turkey?

• Turkey (fully defrosted)
• Wood chips (we used cherry)
• Food Safe Bucket
• Instant read meat thermometer or remote meat thermometer
• Foil Pan
• Silicone Grilling Mitts

How to Smoke a Turkey

• Prep Turkey – The night before you want to smoke your bird unwrap the thawed turkey and remove and parts like the neck, giblets etc. that might be in the cavity.
• Brine – Grab your large food safe bucket and combine the hot water and salt. Stir this mixture until the salt is dissolved. Mix in remaining ingredients for the brine. Add the turkey to the brine mixture, seal container and place in the fridge overnight (8-12 hours). If the brine mixture does not cover the entire turkey we add more water/apple cider to mixture.
• Prep Smoker – Next prepare your smoker by heating it to 250 degrees F according to the manufacturer’s directions. We used cherry wood chips in our Traeger electric smoker.
• Rub – The next day you will want to remove the turkey from the brine mixture, rinse under cold water and pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Place in large foil roasting pan. Grab a small bowl and mix together the ingredients for the rub. Next gently lift the skin of the turkey up and rub the butter mixture under the skin of the turkey. Brush the turkey skin with olive oil. Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Smoke – Put the turkey into the smoker and smoke for about 30 minutes per pound, or until an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast meat.
• Carve – Remove your turkey from the smoker. Tent with foil and let rest for about 30 minutes. This will let the juices redistribute and give you that amazing juicy turkey!

How long does it take to smoke a turkey?

I would recommend planning about 30 minutes per pound of turkey when you smoke it between 225 – 250 degrees F. The internal temperature of a turkey needs to be 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh.

Please remember that if you live in a colder climate it will take longer than this so plan a little bit of extra time. We use an insulated blanket on our smoker and I highly recommend using one to keep the heat in. It will make a huge difference.

If you are smoking a turkey that is over 15 lbs please make sure to smoke it at a higher temperature about 350 degrees. The reason for this is because your turkey will be sitting in the food danger zone for far to long at a lower temperature. You can risk bacteria growing and spoiling your turkey before it’s finished. We don’t want that!

We have increased our temperature to 350 degrees F on the smoker and smoked a larger bird that way and it was great, but there wasn’t as much smoke flavor.

If you need to serve more people and want to cook turkey at a lower temp just grab multiple turkeys!

What flavor of wood chips for smoking turkey?

We used cherry wood chips for smoking this turkey, but you can also use flavors such as apple, maple or even mesquite! Hickory is a stronger flavor but it is a classic and gives an even smoky flavor.

How much Turkey per person?

Usually you will estimate that 1 1/2 lbs of turkey will feed one person. It may seem like a lot, but the weight includes the bones, giblets etc. which will not be consumed.

Love this recipe? I’d love it if you comment below and leave a five-star rating!

Do I need to brine the turkey?

Technically, no you do not have to brine the turkey. The brine will give it a lot of extra moisture so you won’t end up with a dry turkey.

If you skip the brine you will need to baste the turkey every 30-45 minutes with either the drippings in the pan or if you don’t have enough you can use chicken broth.

What if my turkey is done early?

If you turkey is done earlier than you want to eat just cover it with foil then place it in a large cooler with towels on top to insulate it. The skin won’t be as crisp when you do this, but to make it crisper just pop it under the broiler in the oven for a few minutes to crisp the skin up again.

Must Have for the Holidays!

• Every holiday needs these delicious and easy Smoked Cheesy Potato Casserole! It’s easy and always a hit.
• Serve up some BBQ Smoked Meatballs as an appetizer to keep guests happy. You can make these ahead of time and keep them warm in the crock pot.
• Have you ever tried a Smoked Pumpkin Pie? The hint of smokiness gives it a boost of flavor.

Don’t forget, comment below and let me know how much you love this meal!

Post a picture on Instagram and be sure to tag me so I can see it too! I’m loving all of your delicious foodie pics! You can find me at @gimmesomegrilling or just #gimmesomegrilling -if you hashtag me, I’ll get to see it that way too!

Brined Smoked Turkey

Julie Evink

Quick and easy brine to lock in flavor and moist, then a delicious butter rub make this Smoked Turkey packed with flavor and so juicy!

5 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 7 hrs

Total Time 7 hrs 20 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 7

Calories 685 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 15 lb turkey defrosted
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper

Brine

• 16 c. hot water
• 8 c. apple cider
• 1 c. kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp Montreal steak seasoning
• 1 Tbsp thyme fresh
• 1 Tbsp rosemary fresh

Rub

• 1/2 c. butter softened
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

 

• Unwrap thawed turkey and remove any parts (neck, giblets etc.) that may be inside cavity.
  
• In a large food safe bucket combine the hot water and salt. Stir until dissolved. Mix in remaining ingredients for the brine. Add turkey to brine, seal container and place in the fridge overnight (8-12 hours). If the brine mixture does not cover the entire turkey we add more water/apple cider to mixture.
• The next day remove turkey from brine, rinse under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey in a large foil roasting pan
• Heat your smoker to 250°F according to manufacturer's instructions. We recommend using cherry wood chips.
  
• In a small bowl mix together the ingredients for the rub. Gently lift the skin of the turkey up and rub butter mixture under the skin.
  
• Brush the turkey with olive oil. Season the turkey cavity with salt and pepper, to taste.
  
• Put the turkey into the smoker and smoke for about 30 minutes per pound, or until an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast meat.
  
• Remove turkey from smoker. I recommend using silicone mitts to lift the roasting pan off the smoker. Tent the turkey lightly with foil for at least 30 minutes before slicing, giving the juices time to redistribute.
  

Notes

• If you are smoking a turkey that is over 15 lbs please make sure to smoke it at a higher temperature about 350 degrees. The reason for this is because your turkey will be sitting in the food danger zone for far to long and you can risk bacteria growing and spoiling your turkey before it's finished. We don't want that!
• We have increased our temperature to 350 degrees F on the smoker and smoked a larger bird that way and it was great, but there wasn't as much smoke flavor.
• If you need to serve more people and want to cook turkey at a lower temp just grab multiple turkeys!
• If the brine mixture does not cover the entire turkey we add more water/apple cider to mixture.
• Technically, you do not have to brine the turkey. The brine will give it a lot of extra moisture so you won't end up with a dry turkey. If you skip the brine you will need to baste the turkey every 30-45 minutes with either the drippings in the pan or if you don't have enough you can use chicken broth.

Nutrition

Calories: 685kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 75gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 284mgSodium: 13610mgPotassium: 866mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 720IUVitamin C: 2.9mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 4.3mg

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