Are you ready to eat the most tender, juicy, delicious smoked turkey you’ve ever had with extra crispy skin and gravy made from the drippings? If so, this is the smoked turkey recipe for you! smoked chicken
Ingredients Smoked Turkey
- 15 pounds whole turkey, thawed
- 1 package of turkey brine, optional recipe in notes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt, use less if desired
- 1 tablespoon black pepper, use less if desired
Butter Herb Mixture
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 8 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- 1/2 tablespoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
Smoked Turkey Gravy
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons fat drippings from smoked turkey
- 2 cups drippings from smoked turkey, fat drippings removed
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 celery stalk
- 1 carrot, peeled
- 1/2 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 1 sprig of thyme
Helpful Tools
- 1 MEATER Plus Bluetooth Thermometer, optional but recommended
- 1 ThermoPro Instant Read Thermometer, optional
- 1 Fat Separator, optional
Steps
- Brine the turkey
If the turkey is frozen use the directions in the notes below to defrost it. Discard the giblets, but save the neck for the gravy. 2 days prior to smoking the turkey, brine it according to the turkey brine package directions or use my recipe in the notes below. You'll want to bring the turkey 1 hour for every 1 pound - do not brine much longer. I like adding orange and lemon peels along with a 1/4 cup of bourbon to the brine for added flavor. Don't add the peels if your brine mix has citrus flavors in it already. grilled asparagus
- Air dry the brined turkey
After the turkey is done brining, remove it from the brine, rinse, and pat dry with paper towels. Place the turkey - breast side up - on a wire rack or any rack that will allow air to pass on all sides. Place the turkey in the refrigerator and allow to dry overnight, preferably 24 hours. This will remove the excess moisture from the turkey allowing it to get much crispier skin when cooked. If you don't have time to brine, see the notes below for additional tips to get the skin crispy. You will notice the difference in the skin in the picture below after 24 hours of air drying.
- Prepare the herb butter mixture
In a small bowl, combine the herb butter mixture ingredients and mix well. smoked beef short ribs
- Season the turkey
Start by separating the skin from the breast creating a pocket to stuff the butter herb mixture in. Be careful not to rip the skin. Once separate, cover the entire breast under the skin with 1/4" layer of butter mixture. You can run your hand along the top of the skin to spread it around the breast more easily. Add any leftover mixture to the inside of the cavity. Drizzle the outside of the turkey with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper. smoked jalapeno poppers
- Preheat the smoker
Preheat smoker to 225°F. Most pellet grills don’t need it, but you can add a pan of water in the corner of the smoker to keep moisture inside. If using a Traeger with the Super Smoke setting, turn it on as well. bacon wrapped asparagus
- Prep the gravy
In a roasting pan or aluminum pan, add the saved neck from the turkey, chicken stock, celery, carrot, onion, crushed garlic, rosemary, and thyme. grilled corn on the cob
- Smoke the turkey
If possible, place the gravy pan underneath the grill grates to catch the drippings, otherwise place a rack inside of the roasting pan containing the gravy ingredients. If not using a roasting pan with rack, place the turkey directly on the grill grate with the breast aimed away from the heat source. This is my preferred method as it allows more smoke to flow around the turkey. Smoke the turkey until the internal temperature reaches 110℉, approximately 1-2 hours. I recommend using an internal meat thermometer to easily keep track the temperature. smoked meatloaf
Once the turkey hits the target temperature of 110℉, increase the temperature of the smoker to 350℉. Continue to cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 160℉ in the thickest part of the breast, about 3 more hours. The smoked turkey will continue to cook once removed from the smoker and eventually reach a final temperature of 165℉ in the breast. Remember, time can vary greatly depending on the smoker, outside temperature, and the type of turkey. Always cook to temperature and not time! smoked pork butt
Rest the smoked turkey -
Remove the smoked turkey from the smoker and transfer it to a carving board. Let it rest on the counter for at least 30 minutes before carving. This will allow the juices to redistribute back into the meat and not run out when slicing. I don't recommend tenting it with foil as it will make the skin soggy. traeger pork chops
- Make the gravy smoked pork loin
Pour the drippings from the turkey gravy pan into a fat separator. If you don't have one, you can strain the drippings through a mesh strainer into a large measuring cup. Discard everything except the drippings. Wait a few minutes for the fat to separate and rise to the top. smoked salmon
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of the fat drippings from the top of the liquid and 3 tablespoons of flour. Whisk until combined and fragrant. Add the broth from the bottom of the drippings into the pan ensuring not to get much of the fat. If there isn't enough dripping to make 2 cups then add chicken stock until 2 cups of liquid is reached. Add the liquid to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or until the gravy is the consistency you like. You can add salt and pepper to the gravy if desired, but there should be more than enough flavor without it!
- Serve the smoked turkey with gravy
Once the turkey has rested for at least 30 minutes, carve it and serve with the delicious gravy. Enjoy!
