Description
What Exactly Is Smoked Turkey?
A smoked turkey is a dish made by slow-cooking a whole turkey over indirect heat and smoke. Begin by bringing your turkey or seasoning it with a simple salt and pepper spice or a dry barbecue rub. The cavity can then be stuffed with flavorful, fresh herbs if preferred. For brushing, keep some turkey stock or chicken broth available
Here’s how to make the moistest smoked turkey at home and tips for Smoking a Turkey
Select the appropriate smoker -Gas, electric, and pellet grills are among the many types of smokers available to cater to varying skill levels and tastes. Each of these solutions will necessitate somewhat different processes and result in varying degrees of smoke flavor.
Use hardwood- Choose hardwoods such as cherry, pecan, mesquite, hickory, or apple wood when smoking meat. Each of these smoking woods has a distinct flavor and can be used in this smoked turkey recipe. Softwoods such as pine and cedar, as well as chemically treated lumber, are not suitable for smoking since they include resin, sap, and toxins that might cause disease.
Choose the appropriate bird size- A turkey weighing ten to twelve pounds yields the most significant results. Because smoking is a slow cooking method, it is critical to ensure that the meat reaches safe internal temperatures without decaying.
Brine the bird-Brining your turkey ahead of time will ensure the most tender meat. This technique completely seasons the flesh and ensures that the turkey breast does not dry out throughout the cooking process.
Begin early- A turkey will take six to eight hours to smoke, so you may have to get up before beginning your dinner. Consider the time it will take to set up the smoker and season the turkey.
Ingredients you need to make Smoked turkey
1 to 12 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 1 to 14lb pounds of fresh turkey
Pellets for pellet smokers or chunks of wood for charcoal smokers (combination of cherry, hickory, or apple)
Chicken Brine
Divided into two gallons
Diamond kosher salt, 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup sugar
One head of halved garlic
Three bay leaves
Eight fresh thyme sprigs
Ten new leaves of sage
Two sprigs of fresh rosemary
Black peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon
Turkey Brine
Split 2 gallons of water
1/2 cup kosher diamond salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
One garlic head halved
Four bay leaves
Eight fresh thyme sprigs
Ten sage leaves, fresh
Two sprigs of fresh rosemary
12 tsp black peppercorns
Making Ideal Smoked Turkey
The turkey should be brined for a whole night before being thoroughly rinsed and patted dry with paper towels.
To make it simple to move the turkey on and off the smoker/grill, rub the entire outside with unsalted butter and set it on a V-rack. While you set up your smoker, leave it out for it to warm up to room temperature.
Bring the smoker’s temperature to at least 225° F and prepare it for indirect cooking. Add wood chips and a disposable drip pan filled with water to maintain a wet environment to capture the drippings.
The turkey should be placed in the smoker and cooked with avoiding heat until the thickest section of the thighs reaches 175F, and the internal temperature of the breasts reaches 160F.
Before carving, the turkey needs to rest for 30 minutes. As soon as the breasts are taken out of the smoker, ensure the internal temperature reaches 165 F.
Preparing the Turkey
If the turkey was frozen, melt it before removing the giblets and trimming the excess skin.
Boil four cups of water with salt, sugar, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, sage, rosemary, and peppercorns. Mix until the salt and sugar have dissolved completely.
Allow the liquid to cool for 15 minutes before adding it to the remaining water.
Put the turkey in a large container to cover it in brine completely.
Put it in the fridge for 12 to 15 hours, spinning the turkey at least once during the bringing process.
Deeply wash and pat dry the turkey. While preparing the smoker, bring the turkey to room temperature for 1 hour.
The Bottom Line
We hope you have found this guide instructive and will make this recipe. Smoking a Thanksgiving Smoked turkey adds flavor while freeing up oven space for pies and side dishes. Though some preparation is required ahead of time, the ultimate product of juicy meat, Smokey taste, and highly browned skin is well worth the effort. Aside from being a smoker, you’ll need a turkey, seasonings, and plenty of time to cook this smoked turkey recipe.
