I've fried and baked, but never smoked.
Anyone have a tested "recipe"? I plan to brine overnight and smoke at 225 with applewood.

What are you smoking it on?

southernboy1 said:

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What are you smoking it on?

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Pellet

Last year I brined overnight in an ice chest just big enough to fit the turkey in. The brine was made of ice, salt and garlic powder, 1/2 cup each of orange and pineapple juice, 1/4 cup each of lemon and lime juice, 1 can of beer, 2 shots of wild turkey and enough water to cover the bird. When smoking I put an aluminum pan of boiling water in the pit. SPG the outside. The bird on the top rack and foil on top to keep the moisture. The last 20 minutes or so I took the foil off to get some color. Foil your wing tips and drumsticks. Also I spatchcocked it. That cuts the cooking time down to do other things. Turned out great.

Yes. Slow does nothing. I set mine to 400 and let it go. About 165 internal and let it rest.

I smoked a turkey for the first time ever a couple of years ago and I used this recipe. It was the best turkey I've ever had. I'm doing the same recipe again this year.

Good to know not to do low and slow. Seems 275 to 300 is pretty standard. I've never spatchcocked a turkey before. Pretty easy to do without poultry shears?

Been doing it for years on kamodo. Will do a couple breast on my new pellet this year. I basically have treated them like smokey ovens. Have done a variety of bribes and rubs. Always turn out pretty well.

Going to fry a small turkey and bake the big one in this. It' a dual purpose smoker if using wood in the basket but I can remove the basket and put a 5500 W oven element in the side for use as an oven. I put a small smoker on the back also so I can add smoke even if using it as an oven. I'm still going to put the bird on a stand in a turkey pot so I can catch all the dripping for gravy. I'm undecided about adding any smoke because I don't know how it would affect the taste of the gravy using the "smoked" drippings. Learned opinions welcome.....

I've done smoked turkey drippings in gravy but I'd be prepared to not go with 100% smoky drippings, it can be overwhelming. At least it was for me, like taking a pull off a liquid smoke bottle.

Do this brine for two days

Then, use this recipe

You will not be disappointed.

The only thing I can add to this conversation is strongly based on my personal preferences supported by a little science.

I prefer my white meat finished at 145*-150*F but dark meat needs to go up to 175*F+ to be properly cooked such that it's not stringy. That's hard to do on an intact bird, spatchcocked or not. I've had success separating into quarters. Makes for easier handling for sure and allows me to finish my turkey to our preferred cook temps, but does not allow for a beautiful bird for presentation purposes. That may be worth something to you and yours so if so, please disregard.

My $0.02

superunknown said:

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I've done smoked turkey drippings in gravy but I'd be prepared to not go with 100% smoky drippings, it can be overwhelming. At least it was for me, like taking a pull off a liquid smoke bottle.

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Thanks .That's what I was thinking. There's been quite a bit of smoking, both hot and cold, in that machine since I made it 2 years ago so the inside is well "seasoned" with smoke. That will be OK because I baked one in it last year the same way w/o additional smoke and the drippings came out OK

I'm smoking a couple boneless skinless turkey breasts for future gumbo related endeavors but going to roast a bone in turkey breast...I've done the spatchcock before but I'm not expecting a big crowd at all.

I've smoked a Turkey for the last 3 years on my BGE. This will be my first attempt on a pellet smoker.

Brine the Turkey for 24 hours before smoking.

Add a cup of kosher salt and a cup of brown sugar into a pot of water and bring to a boil so sugar dissolves. Put thawed Turkey into a square plastic bin I use only for brining turkeys. Pour tap water over Turkey. Add contents of pot. Add one tablespoon peppercorns, orange peels from two oranges, fresh thyme and sage (garlic cloves if you prefer). Fill up with water so the Turkey is completely submerged. Put lid on the plastic bin and let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours.

Set smoker to 300. Take Turkey out if bin and rinse it off in tap water. Pat dry with paper towels. Season the outside of the Turkey. Stuff the inside with apples (this year I'm going to try lemons cut in half). Put on the smoker and smoke until internal temp of the thigh is 165.

Pull from smoker and wrap in foil. Wrap in towel and place in a cooler until I am ready to carve.

You'll want that thigh to be 175*+ brother, I promise.

The breast meat can be lower but not that dark.

DiskoTroop said:

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You'll want that thigh to be 175*+ brother, I promise.

The breast meat can be lower but not that dark.

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Temp goes up while it rests

Been doing this for a couple of years. It is great and a nice alternative to the fried bird that I also make. https://www.meatchurch.com/blogs/recipes/spatchcock-turkey

I dry brine, smoke, then finish in the big easy….

Start low for 30 minutes at 200, then crank it to 325 and finish until 165 throughout.

Quick reference for white meat:


Dark meat goes to 175*F+

Gotta love the BGE

My first smoked Turkey…turned out GREAT!
- 16 pounds spatchcocked
- 24 hour brine
- Texas Sugar rub (Meat Church)
- 275 on pellet (took around 4 hours)

Cranked it up the last hour to 300. Skin has a crisp is some parts. Thank you for the Meat Church video recommendation, helped quite a bit.

I have used the AmazingRibs.com recipe for the last several years and has always been excellent. I spatchcock, but the write-up he has on timing is very accurate and the turkey is always a big hit.