How To Smoke A Turkey

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, someone 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 a new stick burner smoker. But not many of us have ever braved smoking our own turkey. Smoking a turkey seems scary, it’s a big bird, so that’s fair. Wildly, it’s really simple, and there’s obviously no better time than the holidays.

Have no fear, smoking your own turkey is easy, like super easy. Let’s walk through the full, step-by-step recipe below, but first let’s 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, so thawing it could take a long time. Best to thaw it overnight (up to several days, depending on the weight).

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. My full turkey brine recipe is coming soon.

Clean and dry your turkey

Once you have pulled your turkey out of the brine or the bag it came in, 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 them, and you can use the neck for a soup stock and the giblets later for gravy.

Should I butter my turkey?

Grab your nitrile gloves, 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 overnight (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 burnt or over seasoned pieces.

Stuffing your turkey

There are a lot of options when stuffing your turkey: apples, oranges, onions, cranberries, 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 comes out? The juices from your turkey and what you use to stuff it are an excellent starter for your giblet gravy! So there’s a good starting point.

Smoking your turkey

Once your smoker has reached a stable 225°F to 250°F (110°C 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 baste it regularly. Do this until the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink at the bone. That is usually around 170°F to 180°F in the thickest part of the thigh and 170°F in the breast.

What kind of wood should I use for my smoked turkey?

I typically go with hickory, it’s easy, light and burns well. If you have some cherry wood or apple wood, toss it in midway through. It should add a hint of sweetness to 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°F to 250°F, so monitor your temperature gauge regularly. When you smoke your turkey low and slow, the smoke gods return the juiciest, 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 maintain heat. This also depends on the weather and how wet your wood is, but typically it’s every hour.

How long should you smoke a turkey?

First things first, how big is your turkey? For every pound, 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 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!?! Keep it simple: mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce and a pan of stuffing all go great with smoked turkey. My favorite side recipes are coming soon.

How do I store leftover smoked turkey?

Let it cool, then get it into the fridge within 2 hours. Leftover cooked turkey keeps 3-4 days in the refrigerator. For longer, freeze it: a vacuum sealer and vac bags keep it tasting fresh for 4-6 months in the freezer.