This Smoked Turkey recipe is exceptionally juicy. It’s brined in a single day and seasoned with a scrumptious turkey seasoning. It could take a little bit of time, however it’s so price it.
On the lookout for sides to serve with this entire smoked turkey? Strive these mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts with bacon, or these tasty mashed sweet potatoes.
The Greatest Smoked Turkey Recipe
If there’s ever a turkey recipe that you simply make please make it this smoked turkey recipe. It isn’t misplaced on us that cooking a complete turkey, whether or not you’re roasting, smoking, sous-viding, or no matter, is an endeavor.
Regardless of the way you prepare dinner a complete turkey it will take a while so why not do it proper? Smoking a turkey does take 2 days to make, simply an FYI.
That is actually the very best smoked turkey recipe as a result of it comes out so juicy and flavorful all because of a smoked turkey wet brine, turkey seasoning, and basting liquid.
So if you happen to don’t have the time flip round now and go make our baked turkey tenderloin or this straightforward herby turkey breast.
Why you need to think about smoking a turkey
If you happen to determined that smoking a turkey is for you, listed below are all the explanations you need to smoke a turkey versus every other methodology.
- Smoked turkey is juicy on the within.
- The flavour is unimaginable.
- It’s a enjoyable approach to prepare dinner with the household.
- Smoking a turkey is an extended course of that leaves you with probably the most flavorful turkey ever.
- Smoked turkey makes nice leftovers that final a very long time.
Greatest Smoker for Smoking Turkey
Let’s speak people who smoke. If in case you have a smoker that you simply love, you may skip this part. Now we have smoked many various kinds of meat on many alternative people who smoke. Automated pellet grills or people who smoke, handbook people who smoke, and even common grills.
Our favourite smoker is the Traeger electrical smoker as a result of (like a gradual cooker) there’s minimal work required when you set the Traeger. This smoker makes use of pellets relatively than wooden chips and it robotically feeds the smoker to regulate the temperature.
That’s proper, no person has so as to add wooden chips or wooden pellets themselves to maintain the temperature up.
What kind of pellets ought to I take advantage of? You should use no matter pellet you want to! We used the unique Traeger pellets for this recipe. You should use hickory, cherry, or every other pellet taste you’d like.
Smoker Necessities
Try all of our favourite smoker merchandise, together with what smoker we use within the Match Foodie kitchen for testing recipes!
Can I Use a Common Grill to Smoke a Turkey?
Sure, you should utilize a gasoline grill or charcoal grill as a smoker. It does take a bit extra work. All it’s important to do is purchase one in every of these wood chip smoker boxes after which add wooden chips all through the smoking course of to keep up the right temperature.
All of the Provides You Want
Earlier than you begin smoking the turkey you’ve got just a few issues that you will want to assemble to make it a straightforward course of.
Smoker Necessities
Try all of our favourite smoker merchandise, together with what smoker we use within the Match Foodie kitchen for testing recipes!
Substances for Smoked Turkey
There are just a few completely different steps to this smoked turkey recipe however the good half is that lots of the substances overlap!
- Turkey– this recipe requires a 12-15 pound entire turkey. Make sure you discover a turkey that’s untreated. Some turkeys come pre-brined and we don’t need that. This turkey ought to feed between 12-15 folks in case you are serving it with sides.
- Brine Substances- you’ll bine your hen on this smoked turkey brine which consists of water, salt, rosemary, thyme, peppercorns, garlic, and onions.
- Turkey seasoning– don’t skip this seasoning, it provides a lot taste to this recipe. This turkey seasoning is probably the most flavorful seasoning that compliments turkey and different poultry so nicely. It’s a mixture of candy + savory. Please please make it!
- Onion and Garlic– you’ll stuff your turkey with onions and garlic. Don’t skip this, it provides all the very best flavors to your turkey and the gravy.
- Salted butter– oh butter, how we love you. You’re going to stick slightly butter below the pores and skin of your turkey earlier than you smoke it.
- Hen broth– you’ll make a little bit of a basting liquid with rooster broth. If you happen to don’t have rooster broth, any kind will do!
- Recent herbs- we use contemporary sage, contemporary rosemary, and contemporary thyme on this recipe. They’re utilized in just a few completely different components of the recipe.
How you can Put together a Turkey for Smoking
To arrange your turkey for brining and smoking, we recommend sanitizing your kitchen sink and inserting a baking sheet within the sink. Place your turkey on the baking sheet and take away the wrapping from the turkey.
Thaw Turkey
It is extremely necessary that you simply thaw your turkey totally earlier than starting this course of. Thawing a 15 lb. turkey takes longer than you’d suppose.
We thawed ours within the fridge for two days till totally thawed.
Ensure that to keep watch over your turkey. You may all the time deliver it to the countertop to thaw sooner than within the fridge.
Take away Turkey Innards
Earlier than beginning something, make sure you take away the innards from the cavity of the turkey earlier than getting ready the brine for the turkey.
You may discard the giblets and innarts or save them for a yummy turkey soup afterward.
Smoked Turkey Brine
After your turkey is prepped and able to go it’s time to arrange the ‘moist’ turkey brine. Now we have a whole publish about our smoked turkey brine, however primarily you’re getting ready a salty water bathtub for the turkey to sit down in in a single day.
Why brine your turkey earlier than smoking? We swear by moist brining our turkey earlier than smoking as a result of it not solely provides a ton of taste but additionally helps the turkey retain moisture throughout the smoking course of.
How lengthy to brine a turkey earlier than smoking? We advocate brining your turkey for at the very least 12 hours or in a single day. So, you are able to do this the evening earlier than in order that it’s prepared for smoking within the morning!
Smoked Turkey Dry Rub
The second factor it’s important to do to your turkey earlier than placing it on the smoker is fastidiously rinse the turkey below water, pat it dry with a paper towel, after which douse it in our scrumptious turkey dry rub.
Ensure that to get that rub in each nook and cranny! We extremely counsel making our dry rub as a result of it’s actually what provides wonderful taste to this recipe. You’ll doubtless use round 1/2 to three/4 cup of our turkey seasoning. Right here’s what it’s fabricated from:
- Dried thyme
- Dried rosemary
- Dried oregano
- Brown sugar
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Floor pepper
- Chili powder
- Smoked paprika
attempt it!
Turkey Seasoning
Ditch the store-bought turkey seasoning and use probably the most Flavorful Turkey Seasoning made with 9 substances you may truly pronounce. This seasoning is made up of garlic powder, brown sugar, kosher salt, and different easy seasonings.
Issues to Do Earlier than You Smoke the Turkey
Within the final hours that your turkey is brining, there are some things you are able to do to get able to smoke the hen.
Prep the Basting Liquid
Each 1.5 to 2 hours while you’re smoking the turkey you’ll baste your hen in a scrumptious basting liquid that may even grow to be a part of the gravy you make on the finish of your recipe.
Put together the basting liquid on the stovetop earlier than you put together the hen after which discover a small aluminum container that you may hold the basting liquid in within the smoker.
Why must you baste your smoked turkey? Basting helps stop the turkey from drying out on the smoker. Belief us after we say don’t skip this half.
Get your aluminum Pan prepared
After the hen is brined, you’ll place it in an enormous aluminum roasting pan that may finally go in your smoker. Discover an aluminum roasting pan that’s sufficiently big to your hen, however will nonetheless match in your smoker.
Alongside together with your hen, there can be onion, garlic, and contemporary herbs that may make up your gravy together with the basting liquid and drippings from the turkey.
Clear the smoker
At all times clear your smoker so there aren’t any possibilities for taste contamination or hearth of any sort. Meaning you additionally need to clear the drip tray of your smoker as nicely!
Preheat the Smoker
Preheat your grill or smoker so it’s all prepared for you and your hen!
What Temperature Do I Smoke a Turkey at?
This smoked turkey is smoked at 225ºF coated with tin foil for six hours (for a 12-15 lb. turkey) — low and gradual. At 5 hours of smoking, we take away the aluminum cowl and switch the warmth as much as 250ºF for an extra 1 hour to crisp up the pores and skin. It’s scrumptious!
How you can Make the gravy
One of many secret heroes of this recipe is the GRAVY. Use the drippings and yummy juices that the turkey makes throughout smoking, the leftover basting liquid (when you’ve got any), and 1 cup of broth.
Warmth all these substances collectively and slowly whisk in 1-2 tablespoons of corn starch till the gravy thickens.
How Lengthy to Smoke a Turkey?
This 12-15 lb turkey is smoked (coated) for six hours. If in case you have a bigger turkey you will want to smoke the turkey longer. Simply verify the inner temperature!
Take away the turkey from the smoker and let the turkey relaxation for 15-20 minutes to retain all of the moisture again into the meat. Then use a carving knife to slice your turkey.
Can I smoke a much bigger turkey? We truly don’t advocate smoking a turkey bigger than 15 lbs. as a result of it can take too lengthy to prepare dinner and the outside of the turkey might get too dry.
Inner Temperature of a Entire Turkey
The inner temperature of turkey must be 165ºF. Some folks comply with the rule that the rooster thigh temperature must be 175ºF and the breast meat ought to come out to 160ºF or 165ºF. Typically, we be sure the entire hen is about 165ºF.
Our rule of thumb is to maintain the probe of your smoker within the thickest a part of the hen to observe the temperature of the turkey all through smoking.
FAQ
Whereas the smoke time for a 13-15 lb. turkey is barely round 6 hours, you’ll doubtless be brining the turkey, which makes this a 1 day+ endeavor.
Smoked turkeys are completely scrumptious. They tackle the flavour of the smoking pellets used together with any dry or moist brining that was carried out beforehand.
There are just a few methods to maintain a turkey moist whereas smoking. You may cowl it with tinfoil to lure some moisture and/or use a basting liquid like traditional roasted turkey.
We advocate utilizing tin foil for almost all of the turkey smoke time to verify the turkey comes out good and moist. Solely proper on the finish do you uncover it.
What to Serve with Smoked Turkey
You may’t have turkey with out scrumptious sides! Beneath are a few of our most favourite aspect dishes for Thanksgiving or every other time you’re having fun with a turkey dinner.
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Bacon- This scrumptious roasted brussels sprouts recipe is made with only a few easy substances together with thick-cup maple bacon and in lower than half-hour!
Roasted Root Vegetables- These Roasted Root Greens are such a straightforward and scrumptious seasonal aspect to serve this fall and winter! Merely reduce the veggies, season, and roast for 45 minutes — that’s it!
Mashed Potatoes- Add these wholesome mashed potatoes to your Thanksgiving dinner. They’re made with russet potatoes, Greek yogurt, slightly little bit of butter, and tons of contemporary herbs for probably the most excellent mashed potatoes with pores and skin on (simply the best way I prefer it!).
Smoked Turkey Leftover Concepts
If in case you have a smaller group of individuals for this turkey you’ll positively have leftovers! Beneath are some scrumptious leftover concepts.
Storage
Retailer your turkey leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 7 days.
Can I freeze smoked turkey?
Sure, you may freeze leftover turkey for soups, salads, or every other recipes. Let the turkey cool fully after which place it in a freezer-safe bag and freeze it for as much as 3 months.
Juicy Smoked Turkey (How you can Smoke a Turkey)
This smoked turkey recipe features a smoked turkey brine, turkey seasoning, and a scrumptious gravy. Your visitors can be wowed by this juicy Traeger smoked turkey recipe. Yum!
Prep:12 hours
Prepare dinner:8 hours
Whole:20 hours
Substances
Turkey
- 13-15 lb. turkey thawed with giblets and innards eliminated
- 1/2 massive white onion diced
- 5 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons chilly salted butter reduce into 8 small items
Smoked Turkey Brine
- 2 gallons water
- 1.5 cups kosher salt
- ½ massive white onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon entire cloves
- 3 sprigs contemporary thyme
- 3 sprigs of contemporary rosemary
Basting Liquid
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cloves garlic smashed
- 2 sprigs contemporary sage
- 2 sprigs contemporary rosemary
- 2 sprigs contemporary thyme
Gravy Substances
- Turkey drippings ~1-2 cups
- Leftover basting liquid when you’ve got any
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1-2 tablespoons corn starch
Directions
-
Put together the Brine: Add 2 cups of water to a saucepan and add 1.5 cups of kosher salt to the pan and warmth it over medium warmth. Whisk the two substances collectively over the warmth till the salt is absorbed.
-
Pour the salt water right into a 4 gallon bucket. Add the remainder of the brine substances to the pot and blend till all of the substances are mixed.
-
Brine Turkey: Rigorously place the turkey into the brine and place the pot into the fridge and let it sit in a single day.
-
If you end up able to smoke the turkey, preheat the smoker to 225ºF.
-
As soon as the turkey has sat within the brine, take away it from the pot and discard the brine.
-
Place the turkey on a baking sheet within the sink and thoroughly rinse the turkey.
-
Pat the turkey attempt with paper towel.
-
Place the turkey on a clear aluminum tray and thoroughly place the small items of chilly butter below the pores and skin of the turkey.
-
Put together turkey seasoning: put together turkey seasoning by cominbing the entire spices in a mediu bowl. Combine to mix.
-
Season turkey: Relying on how massive your hen is, you may use round 3/4 cup of the turkey seasonoing. Sprinkle the turkey with turkey seasoning. Pat the seasoning into the turkey and ensure the turkey is roofed in seasoning. It is okay if a few of the seasoning falls to the underside of your tin pan becuase these flavors will assist make the gravy style wonderful.
-
Stuff turkey: stuff the onion, garlic, and herbs in to the middle of the turkey and canopy the turkey with aluminum foil. put aside.
-
Put together basting liquid: Place all of the substances for the basting liquid right into a small bowl (we used a disposible tin container). Make sure the bowl can get soiled within the smoker if that is what you are utilizing.
-
Lastly, place the pan with they turkey into the smoker and set the basting liquid subsequent to the turkey pan.
-
Smoke turkey: smoke the turkey at 225ºF for five hours, basting the turkey each 1.5 to 2 hours with the basting liquid.
-
Uncover the turkey after 5 hours and improve the warmth to 250ºF and smoke for an extra 1 hour or till the inner temperature of the thickest a part of the turkey (the breast) reaches 165ºF. Growing the warmth will permit the pores and skin to crisp up.
-
Take away the turkey from the smoker and let it relaxation for 15-20 minutes earlier than carving.
-
Make the gravy: Discard the onion, garlic, and sprigs of herbs from the roasting pan and add all of the turkey drippings to a saucepan (you need to have round 1-2 cups of liquid).
-
Add any leftover basting liquid (when you’ve got any) and 1 cup of rooster broth to the saucepan and produce to a mild boil over medium/excessive warmth.
-
As soon as the liquid is scorching, flip the warmth to medium and create a cornstarch slurry. Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of the liquid from the pot till the cornstarch dissolves. Then add the slurry to the pot and whisk to mix.
-
Proceed whisking till the gravy thickens. If the gravy doesn’t attain your required thickness, repeat with one other tablespoon of cornstarch.
Suggestions & Notes
- Non-Smoker Grill Directions: Deliver your gasoline grill or charcoal grill to 225ºF and set a wooden chip field stuffed with soaked wooden chips onto the grill. You’ll have to keep the temperature 225ºF all through the entire prepare dinner time by ensuring you’ve got sufficient propane in case you are utilizing a gasoline grill or being certain to repeatedly add charcoal to your charcoal grill. Additionally, you will have so as to add extra soaked wooden chips to the smoking field all through the cooking time. As soon as your grill is preheated, comply with the identical cooking directions from above.
Diet information
Energy: 684kcal Carbohydrates: 49g Protein: 130g Fats: 15g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 0g
