Impress your friends with Smoked Turkey this Thanksgiving! It’s tender and juicy because of an herbaceous, citrusy brine, and that smoked taste makes it unforgettable. Greatest! Turkey! Ever!

Why You’ll Love This Smoked Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

• Turkey Is Made for Smoking. The smoker is good for conserving turkey moist, and the smoke infuses the meat with taste. If dry, bland turkey has rained in your Thanksgiving parade 12 months after 12 months, it’s time to attempt smoking it! (I’m additionally keen on Smoked Salmon and Smoked Hen Thighs.)
• It Frees Up Your Oven. Whereas we love a conventional Roast Turkey and Spatchcock Turkey, when you’ve got a single oven, managing Thanksgiving dinner is just like the worst recreation of Tetris you’ve ever performed. Resolution? Smoked turkey, in fact! 
• Simpler Than You Suppose. Smoking turkey is a undertaking, however let’s be sincere: so is roasting turkey within the oven. Except you’re making Air Fryer Turkey Breast or Crockpot Turkey Breast, there’s actually no straightforward strategy to do Thanksgiving turkey, however the smoker isn’t as laborious as you may anticipate—particularly in the event you’ve made different smoker recipes like Smoked Hen Breast and Smoked Pork Tenderloin.
• Conventional With a Slight Twist. Whereas the smoking half won’t be conventional, the remainder of this turkey recipe is precisely what you anticipate in a Thanksgiving roast—the aromatics stuffed within the cavity for taste, the butter rubbed all around the exterior, and the leftovers for making turkey sandwiches on Selfmade Dinner Rolls for lunch the following day.

Easy methods to Make the Greatest Smoked Turkey

The Substances

• Turkey. I like to recommend shopping for a contemporary turkey from a neighborhood butcher—no thawing and also you’re supporting a small enterprise. Win-win! When you do purchase a frozen turkey, you’ll must thaw it earlier than smoking. Undecided how huge your turkey needs to be? Begin right here: How A lot Turkey Per Particular person.
• Dry Brine. Utilizing dry smoked turkey brine helps the turkey retain its juices, leading to good, succulent meat. You need to use a moist brine in the event you insist, however I like to recommend utilizing dry for this smoked turkey recipe; you’ll get crispier pores and skin too.
• Aromatics. Carrots, crimson apple, yellow onion, lemon, garlic, and contemporary thyme infuse the turkey with taste because it smokes. Be at liberty to toss in different herbs like contemporary rosemary or sage.
• Unsalted Butter. It’s essential to make use of unsalted butter since there’s already salt within the brine.
• Freshly Floor Black Pepper. Coarse black pepper provides huge taste to smoked turkey.
• Liquid. Apple juice, white wine, or hen broth. 

The Instructions

1. Brine the Turkey (1-3 Days Earlier than Smoking). Pat the turkey dry, rub the dry brine all around the chicken, together with within the cavity, then refrigerate for twenty-four to 48 hours.
2. Uncover (24 Hours Earlier than Smoking). Uncover the turkey, then return it to the fridge. This helps the pores and skin dry out so it could actually crisp.
3. Carry to Room Temperature (1 Hour Earlier than Smoking). Take away the turkey from the fridge and let it stand at room temperature.

4. Put together the Aromatics. You don’t must peel a factor.

5. Stuff the Turkey. No matter doesn’t match contained in the turkey, scatter within the roasting pan.

6. Tuck the Wings. This prevents them from burning.

7. Tie. Use kitchen twine to tie the legs collectively.

8. Get Prepared for Smoking. As soon as your smoker is 325°F, brush the chicken with the melted butter and set the pan on the smoker. Pour in your liquid.

9. Smoke the Turkey. Cowl the smoker and smoke your turkey at 325°F till it reaches 155°F within the breast and 160°F within the thighs.
10. Relaxation and Carve. 20 to half-hour relaxation is obligatory or your turkey can be dry. Carve (see: Easy methods to Carve a Turkey) and ENJOY!

How Lengthy Will It Take to Smoke a Turkey?

• Smoke entire turkey for 10 to 12 minutes per pound.
• This implies a 12- to 14-pound turkey will want 2 to three hours smoking time.

As a substitute of following the clock, the BEST strategy to know when your smoked turkey is finished is by temperature.

• The thigh ought to register a minimum of 160°F and as much as 180°F; the breast needs to be a minimum of 150°F (and not more than 165°F) on an immediate learn thermometer inserted within the thickest a part of the meat.
• The thermometer shouldn’t contact the bone or the turkey cavity.
• Per FDA pointers, turkey is taken into account cooked at 165 levels F, however its temperature will rise because it rests. See my submit on How Lengthy to Prepare dinner a Turkey for extra info.

A Word About Smoked Turkey Gravy

Some individuals love smoked turkey gravy; different individuals discover the smoky taste to be a lot too sturdy. When you’ve by no means had it earlier than, you might wish to make Vegan Gravy or Mushroom Gravy for backup.

To make smoked turkey gravy, use my Turkey Gravy recipe with the drippings within the pan. Listed below are a couple of suggestions:

• If there are charred and burnt bits within the pan, don’t scrape them off to incorporate with the drippings. There’s already sufficient smoky taste within the drippings and people charred-on bits will make it too sturdy.
• You could must refill the pan with water in the course of the smoking course of. Don’t refill it with broth, wine, or apple juice; simply use water. This can reconstitute the unique liquid and maintain your gravy from being too sturdy.

Storage Ideas

• To Retailer. Refrigerate leftover smoked turkey in an hermetic storage container or ziptop bag for as much as 4 days. To maintain the meat moist, drizzle a few of the turkey pan drippings or hen broth excessive earlier than refrigerating it.
• To Reheat. Wrap the smoked turkey in an aluminum foil pouch, drizzle turkey drippings or broth over the meat, then seal it. Heat the pouch in a baking dish in a 300 levels F oven.
• To Freeze. Freeze turkey in an hermetic freezer-safe storage container for as much as 3 months. Let it thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating in response to the directions above.

What to Serve with Smoked Turkey

• Mashed Potatoes. The Greatest Traditional Mashed Potatoes Recipe is my favourite conventional recipe, however if you wish to go the non-traditional route, attempt Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Crockpot Mashed Potatoes, or On the spot Pot Mashed Potatoes.
• Candy Potatoes. We’re speaking Candy Potato Casserole, Glazed Candy Potatoes, Mashed Candy Potatoes, and Candy Potato Souffle. Gotta have ’em!
• Cranberry Sauce. Cranberry Orange Sauce and Cranberry Orange Relish would each be pleasant with smoked turkey.
• Veggie Sides. Clearly, there’s Inexperienced Bean Casserole, however don’t overlook about Corn Casserole and Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
• Stuffing. Clearly I really like stuffing, as a result of I’ve recipes for Chestnut Stuffing, Crockpot Wild Rice Stuffing, Cornbread Stuffing, and Crock Pot Stuffing.
• Pie. Persist with conventional Candy Potato Pie or attempt one thing new with Buttermilk Pie, Pumpkin Pecan Pie, or Crustless Pumpkin Pie.

Recipe Ideas and Tips

• Don’t Depend on the Pop-Up Thermometer. In case your turkey comes with a pop-up thermometer, do away with it! You continue to wish to use a meat thermometer. Pop-up thermometers typically pop up when the turkey’s already over-cooked.
• Keep in mind to Thaw in Advance. When you purchase a frozen turkey, you might want every week of lead time to make your turkey—as much as 4 days of thawing and as much as 3 days of brining. Planning forward is vital.
• Don’t Stuff the Turkey. Make your stuffing and your smoked turkey individually. When you stuff the chicken, by the point the stuffing reaches a secure temperature, the remainder of the turkey can be over-cooked.