Looking to learn how to smoke a turkey for the holidays (or just because it tastes dang good any time of year)? This smoked turkey recipe will walk you through all of the steps, from thawing to serving. Follow the details for how to smoke turkey below or simply skip down to the recipe card!
The Fastest Way to Thaw a Turkey
When you buy your turkey, it will most likely be frozen. They say it can take 24-72 hours to thaw out in your fridge, but ain’t nobody got time for that! You can thaw it faster by submerging in cold water. You’ll need to keep the water at the same temp as your refrigerator, which should be around 35-38 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you have space in your refrigerator, put the packaged frozen turkey in a five-gallon bucket, particularly a food-grade one. Fill the bucket until the turkey is completely submerged, then place in your fridge for at least six hours.
The reason meat thaws faster when submerged in cold water is due to the density of the molecules. Air is much less dense and thus takes more time to get the turkey to thaw. Keep in mind the thawing process will vary depending on how big of a bird you have. The bigger the bird, the longer the time it will take.
Remove the Stuff from the Inside
After the bird is thawed, remove the packaging and rinse the turkey. After you’ve done that, dig up the turkey’s cavity and you’ll find these surprises: turkey neck, pack of gizzards, and usually a pack of gravy. If you don’t find the pack of gizzards, then dig around the cavity where the head/neck used to be. That is where I have found it.
How to Brine the Smoked Turkey
Once you have those removed, the next step for this smoked turkey recipe is brine time! I made a simple brine of water, kosher salt, brown sugar, apple juice, and sliced apples. Start by filling your food-grade brine bucket with two gallons of water. Next, pour in two cups of kosher salt, two cups of sugar, four cups of apple juice, and two cups of sliced apples. Stir the brine ingredients as to not have the kosher salt and brown sugar settle at the bottom or the brine will be much less effective.
Now that the brine is mixed, submerge turkey in the brine and place in the fridge. If you don’t have enough space in your fridge, you could always resort to a big enough cooler for your brine. Make sure to put ice cubes in to keep it cold. It is suggested to brine for 24 hours, but you can get away with less time than that if needs be. After the turkey is finished brining, pull it out and pat it dry.
Spatchcock Turkey
If you prefer to spatchcock a turkey, now’s the time to do it. To spatchcock, turn the bird back facing upward and completely cut along both sides of the spine. You’ll want either a sharp knife or kitchen shears (and some muscle) to cut through this.
The advantage to smoking a spatchcock turkey is that it cuts your smoke time down from six or seven hours to four or five. Some say it also provides a more thorough smoke penetration. If you are planning to smoke other items when you smoke your turkey, make sure you have enough room because a spatchcocked bird takes up a lot more grill space.
It’s okay if you keep the turkey whole. It will still taste great! You can also follow the this link here for more details.
Prep Tip for Smoked Turkey Recipe
To help your white meat in the smoked turkey get more flavor, apply rub and herbed butter under the skin. The best way to do this is to the top cavity of the bird and stick your hand in between the skin and the meat. It is preferred you wear nitrile gloves to protect your hand from the raw chicken juices.
Make some separation of the skin and meat by wiggling your hand and forcing it down further to the bottom. You will need to do this on both the left and right turkey breasts. Slide the butter and rub underneath, then apply olive oil and rub on the outer layer all over the turkey.
How Long to Smoke Turkey?
With your grill preheated to 275 degrees over indirect heat, it’s time to put your turkey on. In this smoked turkey recipe, we are smoking the bird until the internal temp in the turkey breast reaches close to 165 degrees. This may take about five hours, but depends on the size of the turkey: the bigger the bird, the longer it will take. The dark meat will be ready at 175 degrees and will likely reach that temp quicker than the white meat will reach 165 degrees.
Spritz a few times during the cook with a blend of apple juice and apple cider vinegar. This will help keep the turkey from being too dry. It also helps to wrap foil around the tips of the wings and the bottoms of the turkey legs. This will keep them from burning as they are the skinniest parts of the thick bird.
Once the turkey breast is just under 165 degrees, remove and rest either on a cutting board for at least 30 minutes. The smoked turkey will cook internally for a little bit and raise a few degrees soon after coming off the grill. Slicing right away will cause juices to run out of the meat, which means you’re losing flavor. Resting for a while will allow the meat to cool and retain juices better. Carve up and enjoy your smoked turkey!
What to Serve with Smoked Turkey
Looking for some ideas of what to serve with your tasty smoked turkey? Here’s some inspiration:
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Parmesan
Entertaining a smaller crowd? Check out this Smoked Turkey Breast recipe!
The Smoked Turkey Recipe!
Smoked Turkey
Smoking a turkey on Thanksgiving just might become your new tradition!
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil (or mayo)
- 1/2 cup butter (same as one stick)
- 2 Tablespoons (minimum) of your favorite rub
- BRINE
- 1 gallon water
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups apple juice
- 2 apples, sliced
- HERBED BUTTER
- 1/2 cup (aka- 1 stick) butter, softened
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon thyme, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon chives, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon sage, chopped
Instructions
- Remove turkey from packaging, remove packet, gizzards from inside of bird. Set aside.
- Prepare brine by combining water, kosher salt, brown sugar, apple juice, and sliced apples into a cooler or five-gallon bucket. Double or triple the brining ingredients as necessary to have the turkey completely submerged. Place turkey in brine in the refrigerator overnight or for 12 hours.
- Make herbed butter by combining butter, garlic, parsley, thyme, chives, and sage. Set aside.
- Preheat grill/smoker to 250F, using pecan wood (or smoking wood of your choice)
- Remove turkey from brine and rinse off the bird. Spatchcock the bird as described here
- Using your hand, create separation between the skin and the meat by starting where the head used to be. As you create separation between the skin and the breasts, smooth in some herbed butter. Then put in the rub. Repeat the process with butter and rub on top of the skin.
- Put turkey on grill at 250F and cook for four hours or until the middle of the thickest part of the turkey breast reaches 165F. Remove from grill/smoker and let rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Keep in mind the prep time is so long mostly due to the brining of the turkey. This is usually done overnight.
If you decide not to spatchcock, the bird will take an extra couple of hours to cook.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: varies Serving Size: 4 ozAmount Per Serving: Calories: 260Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 3g
