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

Why You’ll Love This Smoked Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe

• Turkey Is Made for Smoking. The smoker is right for preserving 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 Rooster Thighs.)
• It Frees Up Your Oven. Whereas we love a conventional Roast Turkey and Spatchcock Turkey, you probably have a single oven, managing Thanksgiving dinner is just like the worst recreation of Tetris you’ve ever performed. Resolution? Smoked turkey, after all! 
• Simpler Than You Assume. Smoking turkey is a challenge, however let’s be trustworthy: so is roasting turkey within the oven. Until you’re making Air Fryer Turkey Breast or Crockpot Turkey Breast, there’s actually no simple option to do Thanksgiving turkey, however the smoker isn’t as laborious as you may count on—particularly should you’ve made different smoker recipes like Smoked Rooster Breast and Smoked Pork Tenderloin.
• Conventional With a Slight Twist. Whereas the smoking half may not be conventional, the remainder of this turkey recipe is strictly what you count on 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.

The way to Make the Finest 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! In case you do purchase a frozen turkey, you’ll have to thaw it earlier than smoking. Unsure how huge your turkey ought to be? Begin right here: How A lot Turkey Per Individual.
• Dry Brine. Utilizing dry smoked turkey brine helps the turkey retain its juices, leading to good, succulent meat. You should use a moist brine should you insist, however I like to recommend utilizing dry for this smoked turkey recipe; you’ll get crispier pores and skin too.
• Aromatics. Carrots, purple 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 vital 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-Three Days Earlier than Smoking). Pat the turkey dry, rub the dry brine all around the hen, together with within the cavity, then refrigerate for 24 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. Deliver 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 have to 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 hen 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 30 minutes relaxation is obligatory or your turkey shall be dry. Carve (see: The way to Carve a Turkey) and ENJOY!

How Lengthy Will It Take to Smoke a Turkey?

• Smoke complete 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 an alternative of following the clock, the BEST option to know when your smoked turkey is completed is by temperature.

• The thigh ought to register not less than 160°F and as much as 180°F; the breast ought to be not less than 150°F (and not more than 165°F) on an prompt learn thermometer inserted within the thickest a part of the meat.
• The thermometer mustn’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 put up on How Lengthy to Prepare dinner a Turkey for extra info.

A Be aware About Smoked Turkey Gravy

Some folks love smoked turkey gravy; different folks discover the smoky taste to be a lot too robust. In case you’ve by no means had it earlier than, you could need 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 just a few ideas:

• 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 robust.
• It’s possible you’ll have to refill the pan with water through the smoking course of. Don’t refill it with broth, wine, or apple juice; simply use water. It will reconstitute the unique liquid and maintain your gravy from being too robust.

Storage Ideas

• To Retailer. Refrigerate leftover smoked turkey in an hermetic storage container or ziptop bag for as much as Four days. To maintain the meat moist, drizzle a number 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 Three months. Let it thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating in line with the directions above.

What to Serve with Smoked Turkey

• Mashed Potatoes. The Finest 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 Instantaneous 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 neglect about Corn Casserole and Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
• Stuffing. Clearly I like stuffing, as a result of I’ve recipes for Chestnut Stuffing, Crockpot Wild Rice Stuffing, Cornbread Stuffing, and Crock Pot Stuffing.
• Pie. Stick to conventional Candy Potato Pie or attempt one thing new with Buttermilk Pie, Pumpkin Pecan Pie, or Crustless Pumpkin Pie.

Recipe Ideas and Methods

• Don’t Depend on the Pop-Up Thermometer. In case your turkey comes with a pop-up thermometer, eliminate it! You continue to need 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. In case you purchase a frozen turkey, you could want every week of lead time to make your turkey—as much as Four days of thawing and as much as Three days of brining. Planning forward is essential.
• Don’t Stuff the Turkey. Make your stuffing and your smoked turkey individually. In case you stuff the hen, by the point the stuffing reaches a secure temperature, the remainder of the turkey shall be over-cooked.