Smoked turkey breast is a great idea for your smaller holiday gatherings, such as Friendsgiving. It’s an underrated meat the rest of the year. Not sure why because it tastes so dang good!
In this post, we will go over the full process of how to smoke a turkey breast. With a simple blend of rub and smoke, this smoked turkey breast cooks a lot faster than a whole turkey. I recommend saving this recipe for future use during the rest of the year.
Beginning Step of Smoked Turkey Breast
Sometimes you can find turkey breasts already trimmed and ready to go. I haven’t been so lucky, so I will usually buy them bone-in and frozen. Regarding the thawing process, rule of thumb says to thaw in your fridge for days before use. With frozen, bone-in turkey breasts, that means about three days in the fridge.
However, if you want to thaw it out much faster I recommend submerging in cold water. Some folks will tell you to fill up your kitchen sink with cold water with the package of turkey in there. I like to put the turkey in a food-safe bucket and fill with cold water. Then I put in my fridge for a few hours. Depending on the weather where you are at, you could also put in your garage. Or if you are short on space, put it in a cooler with cold water and some ice cubes. Either way, it will thaw out in about four or five hours instead of three or four days. NOTE: for thawing, the turkey should still be in the original packaging.
To Brine, or Not to Brine?
Once the turkey has thawed, you will need to choose whether or not to brine. I say brine. Brining will help add some flavor to a rather bland bird. Simply remove the turkey from its packaging and remove the extras from it’s cavity (gravy packet, turkey neck, etc.). In a food-grade brining bucket, Pour in two gallons of water, one cup of kosher salt, one cup of sugar, some BBQ rub you plan on using for the smoking process, a cup of apple juice, and a couple of bay leaves. Brine for 12-14 hours. Make sure to rinse bird off before prepping to cook.
If you are trimming the bone-in turkey breast, I recommend watching the following video. Once I film myself doing this, I will post one of my own. But in the meantime, check this one out:
How to Smoke a Turkey Breast
How to smoke a turkey breast? Simple. Before you begin the simple prep, preheat your grill to 250 degrees over indirect heat with cherry wood. Regarding the seasonings, I like to use premade seasonings that have a stronger pepper flavor.
While I am using Q-nami rub from Lanes BBQ for this one, feel free to use a rub of your choice that you think pairs well with poultry. If you are looking for a good turkey rub, I suggest checking out my friend Susie Bulloch’s website, Hey Grill Hey.
I go moderate with the application of the rub/seasoning. Make sure to apply on both sides of the turkey breasts. Take out to your preheated grill and let it smoke until internal meat temp reaches 162 degrees.
How Long to Smoke Turkey Breast
To be clear, it is recommended to go by temp, not time. With that said, turkey breast usually takes a couple of hours. There are variables to this, such as size of the meat and the consistency of the temp it cooks at.
During the cooking process, melt two tablespoons of butter and apply on the turkey breasts to add more flavor and prevent the outside from drying out.
According to the USDA, poultry is done at 165 degrees. I say to remove turkey at 157 because the meat will continue to cook internally as it rests. The closer you get it to 165, it will be most tender and juicy. I recommend resting 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Slicing Turkey Breast
Regarding slicing, slice thin and against the grain if you want to serve it up like your classic BBQ joints. It will also go further for larger crowds, such as turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
I sometimes go thicker because that’s how I like them. Either way, the flavor will be there and I’m positive you will love cooking this up any time of the year!
Smoked Turkey Breast
Smoked turkey breast is quicker to cook than a full turkey and great for meals year-round! Brine, rub and smoke is all you need!
Ingredients
- FOR BRINE
- 1 gallon water
- 1/2 Cup kosher salt
- 1/2 Cup sugar
- 2 Tablespoons rub/seasoning of your choice
- 1 Cup apple juice
- 2 bay leaves
- FOR TURKEY
- 3 Tablespoons rub/seasoning of your choice
- 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- For brining trimmed turkey breasts, fill food grade container with water, kosher salt, sugar, seasoning, apple juice, and bay leaves. Stir well with long, wooden spoon. Place turkey breasts in container and put in refrigerator for at least eight hours.
- After brining is done, preheat grill to 250 degrees over indirect heat with cherry wood. Apply rub/seasoning on both sides of turkey breast and place on grill. Apply melted butter about an hour into the cook.
- Remove when internal meat temp reaches 165 degrees and let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
1. If you don't have a rub/seasoning you like for turkey, a simple 50/50 mixture of salt and pepper will do.
2. Resting before slicing helps the meat have a juicier bite. If you start slicing right away, more juices will flow out and the meat will have a dryer texture.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 serving (4 oz.) Serving Size: 4 ozAmount Per Serving: Calories: 152Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 115mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 34g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
