Traeger Smoked Turkey

Forget the oven, forget the fryer, and fire up your Traeger smoker to make this amazing Smoked Turkey! Cooked low and slow, it bastes in its juices, creating the moistest, juiciest, most flavorful turkey you’ll ever have!

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A simple rub and smoking your turkey low-and-slow is all it takes to transform a humble turkey into a show-stopping meat-fest. And let me tell you, is this Smoked Turkey ever good! The skin is flavorful and crispy, the meat is tender and juicy, and when it smokes low and slow, it bastes in its juices, creating unbelievable flavor.

Don’t be daunted by smoking a turkey! It’s not hard at all – just ensure you’ve got some time because the bigger the bird, the longer it’ll take to smoke.

Do You Need To Brine A Turkey Before Smoking It?

If there was ever a hot-button topic, it is this: to brine or not brine a turkey before smoking it. Everyone has their own opinion on this, and after smoking a variety of turkeys, I will tell you that brining is unnecessary in most cases. Here’s why:

1. Most commercially available turkeys are already brined. They’ve been injected with a solution (a saline-based solution) that has essentially brined the turkey. Often labeled as “basted,” “seasoned,” or just called out on the label, these turkeys have been injected with a saline solution to keep the meat tender and juicy. If your turkey has been injected with any solution, then consider it already brined, and you don’t need to brine it again.
2. People have been overcooking turkeys for years, but for a good reason. Turkeys are notoriously tricky to cook evenly. You’ll know what I mean if you’ve ever cut into a turkey with perfectly cooked breast meat and still pink thigh meat. So, to compensate for the overcooking (and consequent drying out of the meat), turkeys have gotten a rap that they need to be brined. However, cooking a turkey low and slow allows for a much more gradual and even cooking. Cooked this way, even the biggest turkeys don’t need to be brined.
3. The only time I would brine a turkey before smoking it is if it were a 100% organic turkey with no injected solution, and it’d have to be a big turkey 16 pounds or more before brining it would make any difference. Young, small turkeys tender to be juicier and more tender.

What Is Brining?

Brining is a cheffy term for immersing the turkey in a saline solution. The idea is that the salt water gets into the cells in the meat and stays there during the cooking process, resulting in juicier meat. Brines can also be flavored to infuse additional flavors into the turkey. Brining, however, is challenging because you have to have a large enough container and room in your fridge to hold the turkey at the proper temperature (the FDA says your fridge should be under 40 degrees F).

You can also easily over-brine a turkey, resulting in salty, spongy meat. Nobody wants that.

Brining vs. Not Brining

My best advice is to buy a young turkey from a good brand. Injected, infused, basted, or whatever is fine. Let it thaw in the fridge, if frozen, then give it a rub and a smoke. No extra brining is necessary.

Ingredients

• Turkey – Look for young turkey, frozen or fresh.

Smoked Turkey Rub Ingredients

• Salt – I use kosher salt. If you use table salt, only use half the suggested amount.
• Paprika
• Brown sugar
• Black pepper – Freshly ground black pepper has the best flavor.
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Dried thyme
• Dried sage
• Cooking oil – Olive oil, avocado oil, or your favorite cooking oil is fine.

How To Make The Best Traeger Smoked Turkey

1. Remove the turkey from the fridge 1 hour before smoking so it can warm up.
2. Mix the salt, paprika, brown sugar, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, and dried sage in a small bowl.
3. Rub the turkey with the dry rub and leave it on the counter for an hour before smoking.
4. Preheat your Traeger pellet smoker – or any other electric smoker – to 180-F as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Place the rubbed turkey directly on the rack in the smoker. Smoke it at 180-F for about an hour, then turn the temperature up to 250-F. Continue smoking the turkey at 250-F.
6. When the turkey reaches about140-F, brush it all over with the cooking oil. This will help the skin get crispy.
7. Smoke the turkey until it reaches 165-F with an accurate digital meat thermometer. Always check the meatiest part of the thigh, inserting the instant-read thermometer right next to the bone.
8. Remove the turkey from the smoker and let it rest for about 15 minutes before carving.
9. Enjoy!

How Long Does It Take To Thaw A Frozen Turkey?

I keep my fridge at the FDA-recommended temperature of 40-F, and it took a whole week to thaw a 15-pound unstuffed turkey. Always give yourself more time than you might think to thaw a turkey. Always thaw a frozen turkey in the fridge, never on the counter or in a sink full of water.

How Long Does It Take To Smoke A Whole Turkey?

This is a tricky question to answer. Always cook to temp, not time. So many variables can affect how long it takes to smoke a whole turkey, including how accurate your smoker’s temperature is, how cold or windy it is outside, how big the turkey is, and how cold the turkey is when it goes on the smoker. Always cook a turkey until it reaches 165-F in the meatiest part of the thigh, then let it rest for 20 minutes before carving. The last turkey I smoked was 15 pounds, and it took just about 6 hours.

Should I Tent Turkey With Foil While Resting?

Tenting helps to keep the bird hot, but it will also steam the skin, and the skin will become soft and not crispy. I do not tent my turkeys while resting – they stay plenty hot, and the skin will remain crisp.

Chef Jenn’s Tips

• Always give yourself plenty of time to smoke a turkey, and smoke to temp (165-F), not time.
• Don’t bother brining your turkey – see my comments above.
• Allow plenty of resting time.
• Temp the turkey in the thickest part of the thigh, right up close to the body. Get the thermometer close to the bone for the best reading.
• If you start running out of time, turn the turkey up to a maximum temperature of 300-F.
• Smoked turkeys don’t make a lot of juice for gravy, but save the carcass to make turkey stock, and you’ll have some of the best soups around!
• Don’t worry if the thigh and leg meat looks pinkish – if it is cooked to 165F, then that pink color is from the smoke!

Recommended

Make It A Meal

I cook turkey all year long, but turkeys have a special spot in my heart at Thanksgiving and Christmas. When I’m smoking a big turkey for the holiday table, I like to pair the bird with tasty sides like:

• Sweet potato casserole
• Sausage dressing
• Smoked mashed potatoes
• Maple pecan bars for dessert

Storage

Leftover smoked turkey can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days, or freeze the leftovers! I like to pull the meat off the bone and make turkey stock. Wondering what to do with leftover smoked turkey? I love making soups, sandwiches, quesadillas, and casseroles with the leftover turkey.

Step By Step Process

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