Looking for something a little different than your standard roasted turkey? This smoked turkey is a unique and show stopping Thanksgiving meal, but it’s simple enough that even a novice cook can produce a beautiful and delicious end result. Serve your turkey with homemade cranberry sauce and watch the rave reviews come in! I love to make a turkey for the holidays, but I don’t love how it takes up all my oven space for hours and hours on the big day. Instead of roasting my turkey, I’ve started making a smoked turkey and the end result is nothing short of fabulous.
Smoked Turkey Ingredients
Turkey Brine: While you don’t have to brine your turkey, I do recommend taking this extra step if you have the time available. Brining adds a lot of flavor and moisture to the turkey, and will help protect it from drying out in the smoker. My homemade turkey brine is super easy to prepare. Whole Turkey: It’s best to use a smaller turkey for smoking, around 12-14 pounds. This is because a turkey must pass through the temperature range from 40-140 degrees F within 4 hours of being in the smoker, otherwise it could start to spoil before it cooks through. BBQ Rub: You can use my homemade BBQ rub, or choose your favorite seasoning blend from the grocery store. Onion: Adding a quartered onion to the cavity of the turkey is a great way to infuse flavor into the bird as it smokes. Lemon: The lemon adds a nice citrus flavor to the finished bird. Herbs: Turkey and herbs are a perfect flavor combination! I typically use a blend of parsley, rosemary and thyme. Chicken Broth: If you choose not to brine your turkey, you’ll want to baste it with chicken broth as it cooks.
How do you smoke a turkey?
If you’re brining your turkey, place it in the brine solution 24 hours before you plan to cook it. Preheat your smoker with the wood of your choice. Place the turkey in a disposable aluminum pan, and tuck the wings under the bird. Fill the cavity of the turkey with the onion, lemon and herbs, then tie the legs together with twine. Place the BBQ rub all over the outside of the turkey. Transfer the turkey in the pan to the smoker, then cook, basting occasionally, until a thermometer registers 165 degrees F. Let the turkey rest, then carve it and serve.
Tips for the best smoked turkey
I find that clean up is a lot easier if you leave the turkey in the disposable pan while it smokes rather than transferring it directly onto the rack. A probe thermometer is a must-have when making smoked turkey. Smokers can sometimes be variable in temperature which affects the cooking time, so always go by the temperature rather than the time. I typically use an electric smoker as I find that they regulate heat well, and are easy to use, even for total beginners.
Flavor Variations
This recipe is delicious as-is, but you can also customize the flavors to your tastes if you prefer.
Spice Rub: Not in a BBQ kind of mood? This recipe also works well with blackened seasoning, Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning. Brine: Feel free to switch up some of the flavors in the brine recipe by using different herbs, honey as a sweetener, or add other types of fruit such as apples or pears. Stuffing: Rather than stuffing the bird with onion and lemon, you can try other ingredients such as apples, a halved head of garlic, carrots, orange slices or leeks.
The end result is a beautifully browned turkey that’s tender, juicy and full of flavor. You can never go wrong with a smoked turkey, and I love that it frees up my oven space to bake the sides and desserts for the big meal.
More recipes for your holiday meal
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