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+ servings
A whole turkey breast in a foil pan.
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5 from 6 votes

Smoked Turkey Breast

A delicious bone-in turkey breast recipe that's perfect for the holidays, but small enough for dinner or a small cook out. Tender, juicy turkey that has a delicious rub on it.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Resting Time30 minutes
Total Time4 hours 40 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Smoked Turkey Breast
Servings: 8
Calories: 599.38kcal
Author: Julie Evink

Ingredients

  • 5-6 lb bone-in turkey breast
  • 2 c. chicken broth

Smoked Turkey Breast Seasoning

  • 1/2 c. olive oil
  • 1/4 c. butter softened
  • 2 Tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp ground sage
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper

Gravy

  • 1/4 c. butter
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 c. turkey drippings or chicken broth
  • 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

Instructions

Smoked Turkey

  • Preheat smoker to 250 degrees according to manufacturer's directions.
  • In a small bowl combine the olive oil, butter, garlic powder, dried basil, ground sage, paprika, salt and pepper.
  • Rub the seasoning mixture on the inside of the turkey breast, then gently lift up the skin and rub it under the skin and on top of the skin. Make sure to flip the turkey breast making sure to get under the skin everywhere and on the outside.
  • Place turkey breast in large disposable roasting pan.
  • Pour chicken broth on the bottom of the pan. Place in preheated smoker.
  • Smoke for about 4 hours until the internal temperature of the breast hits 160 degrees F. During the last hour of smoking baste it every 30 minutes.
  • Remove from smoker, tent with aluminum foil and let rest 30 minutes before carving.

Gravy

  • Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in black pepper.
  • Slowly add flour, whisking continuously until mixture is smooth.
  • Next, slowly whisk in 2 c. of turkey drippings or chicken broth into saucepan. Cook gravy for several minutes until it thickens up.

Notes

What should internal temperature be?
For your turkey to be done, it needs to have an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
Can I use a boneless turkey breast?
You can if you want, but I really enjoy the flavor of having a bone-in turkey. It keeps it moist as well and really locks in that flavor.
What Wood Pellets Should I use to Smoke a Turkey?
We recommend using a apple, cherry or hickory hardwood pellet. Apple will lend a soft and sweet smoke flavor while the cherry with add a subtle, tart taste and the hickory ads a smokier flavoring.
For this recipe we used the hickory option and it was wonderful!

Nutrition

Calories: 599.38kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.76g | Protein: 57.3g | Fat: 39.45g | Saturated Fat: 13.88g | Cholesterol: 181.78mg | Sodium: 1336.25mg | Potassium: 130.13mg | Fiber: 0.53g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 477.68IU | Vitamin C: 8.22mg | Calcium: 17.64mg | Iron: 0.9mg