Easy Smoked Turkey Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to smoke a turkey and keep it moist? ›

You can baste or spritz with chicken broth while smoking the turkey to help keep it moist as well as help crisp up that skin. The butter of this recipe will really get that skin crisp, so the spritzing is more to keep it from drying out.

SHOULD YOU WRAP TURKEY IN FOIL WHEN SMOKING? Unlike cooking a turkey in an oven, you won't want to wrap your turkey in aluminum foil for smoked turkey. If your turkey's wings are baking too quickly, you can cover them with foil, but otherwise, there's no need.

To recap, the secrets to perfectly smoked turkey are: butterflying, dry-brining, adding baking powder to the dry rub, slow-cooking over indirect heat, and careful monitoring of the turkey's internal temperature.

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).

You only need to coat it with oil before placing it on your smoker or grill. However, if you wet brined the turkey, coat its dried body with oil before applying your dry rub. After covering the turkey with your seasonings, insert your oven-safe wireless thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey thigh.

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.

To avoid any mishaps, you should avoid cooking meat over high heat. Smoked meat should be cooked at either a low temperature or a limited amount of time. If the meat is smoked on extremely high heat or for a long time, the meat will burn and turn black. It will also be impossible to consume due to its toughness.

The key to a great smoked turkey is indirect heat and consistent temperatures. The goal is to keep your grill temperature at an even 225 degrees F for the duration of the cook. If you're using a gas grill, turn on half of the burners to medium-low and leave the other half off.

As you usually do before roasting, let your bird thaw (if frozen) and temper it, which involves setting out a refrigerated bird at room temperature for up to 2 hours. This allows your turkey to attain a uniform temperature inside and out. A cold bird requires a longer smoking time and can lead to uneven cooking.

Why Is My Smoked Turkey Skin Rubbery? Turkey skin stays rubbery if not enough moisture is cooked out of it during the smoking process. The moisture may come from leftover brine.

Should I use a water pan when smoking turkey? ›

Smoking meat low and slow will deliver some great tasting food. But, to ensure that you end up with a good result, it is important to do what you can to keep the meat moist and tender and prevent it from drying out during a long cooking session. This is where a water pan comes in.

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.

Happily, you've got several options here. Cherry wood imparts a slightly sweet flavor that meshes well with turkey (similar to how cranberry sauce makes a great side at Thanksgiving). Pecan does the same thing, except it also has a nutty quality to it.

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.

Cook the turkey to internal temperatures of 175° F to 180° F in the thigh and 170° F in the breast. Your turkey may take up to 12 hours to cook. When done, remove the turkey from the smoker, protecting your hands with washable mitts or towels, and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Water is always important… especially when you are trying to achieve a nice smoke ring for your turkey. Humidity plays a key role in this process as well. You can always achieve the temperatures you are trying to smoke at even with water in the water pan.

I personally like to smoke my turkeys around 275 – 300 degrees for 3 hours. Also, I always recommend spraying the outside of your turkey with cooking spray. This also works to keep the skin crispy and give it that golden-brown color. But to start off with, I always BRINE my turkeys before I smoke them.