Today we are going to Learn a recipe for How to Smoke a Turkey! This turkey will taste much different than your normal oven or fried turkey, So take off your oven mitts, and pull out your tongs, lets get clacking….
Every year, some one asks, “How do I smoke a turkey?” Many of us may know how to grill or smoke on our Big green egg, or how to use new Stick Burner Smoker. But, not many of us have ever braved smoking your own turkey. Smoking a turkey seems scary, its a big bird, so that’s fair. Wildly, it’s really simple, and there’s obviously no better time than the holidays.
How to Smoke a Turkey
Have no fear, smoking your own turkey is easy, like super easy. Lets walk through the full, step-by-step recipe below – first lets go over the basics.
Thaw Your Turkey
If your turkey is frozen, go ahead and thaw it out. Remember, it’s a large frozen turkey, thawing our the turkey could take a long time. Best to try and thaw it out over night. {up to several days pending pound}
HOW TO THAW YOUR FROZEN TURKEY
Can you smoke a frozen turkey?
This is a hard no. Don’t do this, it’s dangerous and a risk not worth taking. Skip it and thaw it in a brine!
And No, It isn’t necessary to pre-thaw your Turkey before you brine it. But you will want more time in the brine, since it will take longer for the meat to thaw. But yay “free ice”.
Should I Brine my Turkey?
I always suggest making a brine for your Turkey, or any bird at that. I usually prefer a 36 hr brine, depending on the size of the turkey as well. Check out this recipe for How to Brine Your Turkey(Link)
Clean and Dry Turkey
Once you have pulled your turkey our of the brine or the bag it came it, it’s time to give it a quick rinse, and a dry pat. This will help when we are seasoning the turkey.
Tip – If the neck and giblets are still in the turkey, go ahead and remove them. Zip lock bag and you can use the neck for a soup stock, and you can use the giblets later for gravy.
Should I butter my turkey?
Grab your Nitrile Gloves (https://amzn.to/3OqzC08), because buttering your turkey is a miracle worker. And It is also messy as hell, hence the gloves. You can use the squeeze bottle, or soften some butter over night(this works better, and doesn’t melt off as fast). Coat the entire bird, inside, outside, under the skin if you can; this is going to help your seasoning stick better.
How do you season Turkey?
Once you have finished buttering your turkey, repeat the process and season the entire turkey. it’s okay to be somewhat generous with your seasoning, most of it will melt off. Don’t let it cake up, nobody wants burns or over seasoned pieces.
Stuffing your Turkey
There are a lot of options when stuffing your turkey; Apples, oranges, onions, cranberry’s, garlic, or just some salt, pepper and herbs. Feel free to be creative here. I like to think of it as, if it was a broth or a base for a sauce, how would I want it to taste when it come out? The juices from your turkey and what you use to stuff your turkey are an excellent starter for you Giblet Gravy! So there’s a good starting point.
Smoking your Turkey
Once your Smoker has reached a stable 225* to 250* F (110* to 120* C), you can go ahead and put your turkey in. Make sure to get the temp stable here, fluctuating heat doesn’t help when smoking your turkey. If you are using a green egg, or a charcoal grill, place your wood chips in before you put your turkey on.
When you are smoking your turkey, you will want to bast your turkey regularly. It’s suggested to do this until the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink at the bone. That is usually around 170* – 180* in the thickest part of the thigh and 170* in the breast.
What Kind of wood should I use for my smoked Turkey?
I typically go with hickory, its easy, light and burns well. If you have some cherry wood or apple wood, toss it in mid way through, it should add a hint of sweetness on the smoke flavor, but not be overwhelming.
At What Temperature Should You Smoke Your Turkey?
A good smoked turkey can be cooked at a stable 225* to 250*, so monitor your temperature gauge regularly. When you smoke your turkey Low and Slow, the smoke gods return the juices most flavorful turkey to your dinner table.
How often should I add wood to my smoker?
If you are using a stick burner, or a smoker with a fire box, you have a unique opportunity. With this smoker you can add wood to your fire, without disrupting your cooking chamber. If you have a good charcoal base, you should be able to add around 1-2 sticks of wood per hour to your fire to maintain heat. This is also going to depend on the weather and how wet your wood is. But typically its every hour.
How Long Should You Smoke A Turkey?
First things first, how big is your turkey? For every lbs, you will smoke your turkey for 30-40 minutes. The average size turkey in the store is around 10 pounds, so that’s around 5 hours.
A 20-pound Turkey, it should take around 10-12 hours.
What Side Dishes Go Well With Smoked Turkey?
Listen, there is no chance you leave the table without rave reviews of how you smoked your Turkey. King of the smoker, they’ll call you. But what about the sides!?! What Sides should I serve with smoked Turkey? Don’t worry, I’ve got ya covered. Check out a couple of my favorites, simple yet delicious sides.
How Do I Store Left Over Smoked Turkey?
Do you have a Vac Sealer(LINK), Vac Bags(LINK), I suggest getting making the purchase. It can be saved up to 10 days in your refrigerator, and up to 4-6 months in your freezer when cooked.
How-To Smoke a Turkey
Course: MainCuisine: HolidayDifficulty: Medium4
servings25
minutes5
hours300
kcalIngredients
1x – 10 lbs whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
4x – Cloves of garlic crushed
2x table spoons seasoned salt
1/2 cup butter
2x (12 Fluid ounce) can of cola flavored beverage
1x medium apple quartered
1x medium onion, quartered
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
1x tablespoon ground black pepper
2 cups of hickory wood chips, or more as needed
Directions
- Preheat your smoker to 225* to 250*F (110* to 120* C)
- Thaw and Brine(Link) your turkey
- Rinse turkey under cold water, and dry with paper towel
- Thoroughly butter you turkey
- Thoroughly season your turkey
- Stuff your turkey with Veggies, Soda, Fruits, Seasonings, Herbs
- Cover the turkey loosely with foil.
- Put your turkey in the smoker, basting every 1-2 hours with its own juices.
- It’s a long smoke, you’ll need to maintain the heat, add 1-2 splits of hickory wood every hour and keep an eye on your temperature.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Be on the lookout for more recipes coming soon!