Smoked Turkey Recipe (2024)

By Steven Raichlen

Smoked Turkey Recipe (1)

Total Time
About 3 hours, plus brining
Rating
4(246)
Notes
Read community notes

There are countless advantages to smoke-roasting (also known barbecuing) your turkey, as in this recipe from the barbecue expert Steven Raichlen. Smoking produces a bird of incomparable succulence, especially when combined with another traditional American barbecue technique, brining. There is the rich, evocative flavor of wood smoke, and the burnished mahogany sheen it gives the bird. Then there's the simplicity of the method: once you put the bird in the smoker or on the grill, you pretty much leave it there until it is done, while the kitchen and oven are freed up for side dishes and desserts. Last but certainly not least, you get an excuse to spend a fall afternoon outdoors, maybe with beer in hand.

Featured in: The Turkey Has Left The Building

Learn: How to Cook a Turkey

Learn: How to Make Gravy

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Ingredients

Yield:10 to 12 servings

  • 110- to 12-pound turkey, brined (see recipe)
  • 2tablespoons melted unsalted butter

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

439 calories; 19 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 0 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 64 grams protein; 331 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Smoked Turkey Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Set up an outdoor grill for indirect grilling, placing a large foil drip pan in center. (If using a smoker, light and set it up according to manufacturer's instructions and heat to 275 degrees. In a smoker, you will need to cook bird longer, 3½ to 4½ hours.)

  2. Step

    2

    Drain bird. Blot dry inside and out and truss if desired. Place in center of grill grate, over drip pan and between mounds of natural lump charcoal. Toss ½ cup of soaked wood chops on each mound of coals. Place lid on grill. Adjust vents to keep temperature between 325 and 350 degrees.

  3. Step

    3

    Grill turkey until darkly browned and cooked through, 2½ to 3 hours. Baste turkey with melted butter after first hour and every hour thereafter. If skin starts to brown too much, loosely tent bird with foil. Use an instant-read thermometer to test for doneness; turkey is ready when internal temperature of the thigh is 180 degrees. Replenish charcoal every hour, adding 8 to 10 lumps of charcoal to each mound of coals and leaving grill uncovered for a few minutes to allow charcoal to light. After 1 hour, add 1½ cups of soaked wood chips.

  4. Step

    4

    Transfer turkey to a platter, loosely tent with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Reserve any drippings in drip pan for gravy.

Ratings

4

out of 5

246

user ratings

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Robert

After 20 years, the Weber bird goes a lot faster than the traditional oven roasted bird. A real crowd pleaser, easy and zero clean-up to speak of. I've averaged in varying outdoor temperatures (from bitter cold to mild) about 10m per pound or less unstuffed. Use a fruit wood chip. To control heat, open bottom vents full and control heat with top vents starting with half to 3/4 closed. Add 10 briquettes on either side every hour. Also I don't baste - just cover and forget about it.

harrison

Success! Was freaking out at hour 2 because I could not get the Weber past 275. Maybe the built in thermometer is not working correctly? At hour 3 the bird hit 180. Maybe because it was 35 degrees and raining out? Any way this recipe worked well at 2 beers per hour. I have the middle size kettle and a 10 lb turkey just fit. Brined for 12 hours and then on the grill. Parent said it was the best ever. Try it out. Know your grill and give yourself an extra hour just in case.

CathyG

We do this on our Big Green Egg with applewood. Its the absolute best and leftovers make amazing stock and turkey pie. It is a hit with everyone - even our family members who insist they don't like turkey.

frieswiththat

Agree with Robert. Goes faster and looks spectacular. Used ordinary Weber kettle. I spatchco*cked the turkey (difficult and required a saw). Used dry brine. Indirect heat with coals banked to one side and aluminum pan with some water in it below the bird opposite side. Due to my usual fear of dry breast meat, I started with breast toward coals but after an hour rotated the bird 180 degrees to keep legs closest to coals. Came out delicious and looked amazing! Burnished bronze color and perfectly.

frieswiththat

Agree with Robert. Goes faster and looks spectacular. Used ordinary Weber kettle. I spatchco*cked the turkey (difficult and required a saw). Used dry brine. Indirect heat with coals banked to one side and aluminum pan with some water in it below the bird opposite side. Due to my usual fear of dry breast meat, I started with breast toward coals but after an hour rotated the bird 180 degrees to keep legs closest to coals. Came out delicious and looked amazing! Burnished bronze color and perfectly.

Mark

I’ve smoked a turkey for years now. And I can safely assert that to smoke a great turkey is after your fire is started a Bloody Mary is better than a beer!

margo

My father began cooking our turkey on his weber grill many, many years ago. I continue to do this. It produces a very moist and flavorful roast. Honestly, the best.

Peter

I cook it @ 285F on the Weber Smokey Mountain, and key, spatch co*ck it - that will shorten cook time and keep the bird juicier while maintaining the smokey flavors from the smoker. I use cherry wood. Oh and dry brine it the night before, just sprinkle it with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and put in fridge over night!

CathyG

We do this on our Big Green Egg with applewood. Its the absolute best and leftovers make amazing stock and turkey pie. It is a hit with everyone - even our family members who insist they don't like turkey.

harrison

Success! Was freaking out at hour 2 because I could not get the Weber past 275. Maybe the built in thermometer is not working correctly? At hour 3 the bird hit 180. Maybe because it was 35 degrees and raining out? Any way this recipe worked well at 2 beers per hour. I have the middle size kettle and a 10 lb turkey just fit. Brined for 12 hours and then on the grill. Parent said it was the best ever. Try it out. Know your grill and give yourself an extra hour just in case.

Anne Z

Success on the first try! We followed Robert’s advice and did not baste it. 12.5lb bird took about 2.5 hours. The grill didn’t get up to 350, it coasted along around 300 the whole time, adding 10 coals an hour.

Becky E.

Been doing my turkey on the charcoal Webber grill with hickory chips since the 70's. Just oil the turkey with peanut oil, slap it on the grill, add charcoal every hour and the damp smoking chips during the last 1/2 hour. It is considerably faster than the oven and you get the great smoky flavor. I stuff the turkey with my husband's French Normandy dressing and it's a winner (winner because he beat out my cornbread stuffing in a cookoff). No brining necessary. The only way to cook a turkey.

Jen in Astoria

Can anyone help me out with doing a much smaller turkey on a stovetop smoker? This is one of those that looks like an oversized baking pan with a tight lid that takes special wood powder/chips. Maybe just the breast? Anyone ever tried this? If not, I may bit the bullet and do a trial run on a breast or half-turkey myself and report back.

E

Amazing! We spatchco*cked our 14lb bird and it cooked at 350 on our Big Green Egg for just over an hour and a half. Everyone raved about the smokey flavor and crispy skin. Plus, it freed up the oven for everything else. This is the winning approach!

Elaine Deutsch

We have been bbqing our bird for years. It cooks in half the time and frees up the oven. As an added bonus, the carcass makes an awesome soup with a lucious smokey flavor.

Steve

In a lot of respects, grilling is the best way to cook a turkey because the breast tends to cook faster. With the bird rightside-up, I've always gotten consistently good results in my komado-style grill.

Jenny

Tastiest and prettiest turkey we've ever made! It was slightly dry, but our temp was higher then the recipe and we did not baste. We added some spices to the smoker box for some extra juju. Made gravy from the drippings.

Phil

Has anyone tried this on an 18.5" Jumbo Joe. That's the only grill I have at my fingertips right now.

Robert

After 20 years, the Weber bird goes a lot faster than the traditional oven roasted bird. A real crowd pleaser, easy and zero clean-up to speak of. I've averaged in varying outdoor temperatures (from bitter cold to mild) about 10m per pound or less unstuffed. Use a fruit wood chip. To control heat, open bottom vents full and control heat with top vents starting with half to 3/4 closed. Add 10 briquettes on either side every hour. Also I don't baste - just cover and forget about it.

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Smoked Turkey Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep a turkey moist when smoking? ›

Make sure you have a drip pan at the ready to catch the drippings as well as keep your smoker environment moist. I use an aluminum pan that I can position on the grill underneath my turkey. Fill the pan with several cups of water at the beginning of the smoke.

How long does it take to smoke a turkey? ›

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.

Is it better to smoke a turkey at 225 or 250? ›

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.

Should I butter a turkey before smoking? ›

Butter makes your turkey better

You may not need to double brine, but you can still maximize the moisture of the meat with a butter layer. Stuffing salted butter between the skin and meat will help baste and season the meat as it cooks.

Should I wrap my turkey in foil while smoking? ›

While you're letting it rest, you can tent your turkey in foil for about 15 minutes, but smoking it the whole time in foil is unnecessary and could lead to soggy skin.

What not to do when smoking a turkey? ›

Turkeys should not be roasted or smoked directly in a roasting pan (or even on a rack in the roasting pan), and especially not be roasted while resting in liquid. This will result in a soggy chicken.

Should I brine my turkey before I smoke it? ›

Makes Crispier Skin. Dry-brined turkey and poultry tend to have crispier skin because the salt draws out excess moisture from the skin which allows for better browning during roasting or smoking, or even rotisserie cooking.

Can you overcook a turkey in a smoker? ›

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.

Is it OK to slow smoke a turkey? ›

Low & Slow Smoked Turkey - Smoke your turkey at the low temperature of 225 degrees F for approximately 6-8 hours for a 22 pound turkey. Remove turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towels (this is an important step, don't skip it).

What is the danger zone for smoked turkey? ›

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 I spray my turkey while smoking? ›

After the first hour, open the smoker and spray the skin of the turkey with your preferred cooking spray. (This helps the skin stay moist and prevents it from splitting). Close the lid of the smoker and cook for another hour.

How do you get crispy skin on smoked turkey? ›

Smoker Temperature and Cooking Time

Pellet Grill Turkey: The best way to smoke a turkey and ensure tender meat with crisp skin is to start at a lower temperature. Set your smoker temperature around 250 degrees Fahrenheit to slowly render the skin while maintaining the turkey's internal temperature for safe consumption.

Do you flip a turkey when smoking? ›

Placing the Turkey

If your smoker is an offset model or otherwise puts out more heat on one side than the other, then you will need to rotate the turkey every two hours to make sure the bird cooks evenly. When oven roasting a bird, it is a good idea to cover the breasts with foil during part of the cooking time.

How do you keep turkey skin moist when smoking? ›

Prep the basting liquid: Every 1.5 to 2 hours while you are smoking the turkey you are going to baste your bird in a delicious basting liquid that will also become part of the turkey gravy you make at the end of your recipe. Basting helps prevent the turkey from drying out on the smoker.

Is injecting turkey worth it? ›

The deep penetration of an injected marinade makes it ideal for seasoning thick cuts of meat like turkey breasts. Increased Moisture: Your turkey will retain most of the injected marinade during cooking, leaving you with a moist and delicious meal.

How do you keep your turkey from drying out when you smoke it? ›

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.

Will a turkey dry out in a smoker? ›

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.

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