Smoked Turkey Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to smoke a turkey? ›

At 225 degrees F, you can plan on it taking approximately 30 minutes per pound to smoke your turkey. Alternatively, if you are running your smoker at 250 degrees F, it will typically take 25 minutes per pound. For example, my 15-pound turkey took around 7 and 1/2 hours at 225 degrees F to fully cook.

Brine - Brining a chicken in fresh water, kosher salt, apple juice, & dark brown sugar helps keep the turkey moist during cooking and will churn out a nice tender bird.

When smoking at 225°F, it can take about 30 to 45 minutes to cook one pound of turkey. That means a 12-pound turkey should take at least six hours to cook in a smoker. To smoke your turkey faster, increase the smoker's temperature to 250°F to 275°F.

This year, carve out some time to brine your bird. A brine is a salt and water solution that can also contain sugar and other flavorings. Submerging the turkey in this salty solution for at least a day ensures it will cook up tender and juicy.

Completely thaw meat or poultry before smoking. Because smoking uses low temperatures to cook food, the meat will take too long to thaw in the smoker, allowing it to linger in the "Danger Zone" (temperatures between 40 and 140 °F) where harmful bacteria can multiply.

SHOULD YOU WRAP TURKEY IN FOIL WHEN SMOKING? Unlike cooking a turkey in an oven, you won't want to wrap your turkey in aluminum foil for smoked turkey. If your turkey's wings are baking too quickly, you can cover them with foil, but otherwise, there's no need.

Don't forget to spray and sprinkle inside the turkey cavity with rub to get that great seasoned flavor on as much meat as possible. Also, the oil is not just to get the rub to stick to the skin, but it aids in crisping the skin and keep the skin from getting too dark during the smoking process.

Water is always important… especially when you are trying to achieve a nice smoke ring for your turkey. Humidity plays a key role in this process as well. You can always achieve the temperatures you are trying to smoke at even with water in the water pan.

Depending on the size of the turkey and how well you control the temperature, you can expect a 14lb turkey to smoke for about 3.5 – 5 hours. The slow cooking and lower temperature help ensure the turkey is not drying out due to excess heat. Remove the turkey when the thermometer reads 155F/68C – 160F/71C.

Why Is My Smoked Turkey Skin Rubbery? Turkey skin stays rubbery if not enough moisture is cooked out of it during the smoking process. The moisture may come from leftover brine.

What are the secrets to smoking a turkey? ›

To recap, the secrets to perfectly smoked turkey are: butterflying, dry-brining, adding baking powder to the dry rub, slow-cooking over indirect heat, and careful monitoring of the turkey's internal temperature.

One of the benefits of smoking a turkey is that it's almost impossible to overcook anything in a smoker. The temperature remains low and the cooking is slow, resulting in perfectly moist and tender meat with a rich, complex flavor.

Brining a turkey is totally optional. If you're short on time or just want the most straight-forward method to roast a turkey, skip the brining step and just use the Simple Roasted Turkey method. Some people swear that brining yields the most tender, juicy meat, but it takes planning ahead.

Smoking the Turkey Breast

Once the smoker is clicking along at around 225-240 degrees F, place the turkey directly on the grate breast side up. At around the 3 hour mark, insert a digital probe meat thermometer into the breast of the turkey to begin monitoring the internal temperture.

The unsafe part of the method is the use of a trash bag and no refrigeration during marinating. Never use non-food grade materials as holding vessels for food.

Set the smoker to 225° F. Place the turkey on a cooking rack and cook for 8 to 12 hours or until the inner thigh temperature reaches 180° F. Check the temperature of your turkey after 3½ hours. Your turkey must pass through a critical range of 40° F to 140° F in 4 hours or less.

I generally end up cooking the turkey breast side down for a while then flipping it over to breast side up at about the halfway point and I get great results this way. Keep the smoke going for at least 3 hours on a turkey breast but you can also keep it going the entire time with great results.