A whole smoked turkey in a metal serving dish on a bed of fresh herbs and cranberries.

4.75 / 4 votes

Smoked Turkey

Most of us eat turkey only once or twice a year—at Thanksgiving and possibly at Christmas. However, once you taste smoked turkey prepared in your own smoker, you may find yourself wanting it a little more often.

Prep Time20

Cook Time4 10

Total Time4 30

Course: Mains

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 289

Equipment

Apple or mesquite wood or wood chips

Ingredients

▢ Turkey brine, optional
▢ 1 (12-pound) turkey
▢ 2 tablespoons kosher salt
▢ 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

US - Metric

Instructions

If desired, brine the turkey. (It's highly recommended that you brine the turkey before smoking to help prevent it from drying out during smoking.)
Pat the turkey dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Rub the salt and pepper on the outside of the turkey. Let the turkey sit on the counter while you set up your smoker or grill.
If using a smoker, prepare it for cooking at 225° to 240°F and have enough smoking wood ready to last 3 to 4 hours or so. Place the turkey, breast side down, directly on the smoker grate. Smoke for 1 hour, maintaining the proper temperature in the smoker.
If using a gas grill, wrap a handful of unsoaked wood chips in foil, poke a few holes in the foil, and toss it on one side of the grill grate. Turn on all the burners and leave the lid of the grill open until you see smoke coming from the foil packet. Turn off all the burners but the one beneath the foil packet. Place the turkey, breast side down, directly on the grate over indirect heat (that is to say, opposite the lit burner and the foil packet). Close the lid of the grill, turn the heat to medium, and maintain a temperature of 225° to 240°F. Smoke for 1 hour, maintaining the proper temperature in the grill. You may need to occasionally check the foil packet to ensure it’s still smoking; if it’s not, fashion a new one and toss it on the burner you’re using for heat.
If using a charcoal grill, place a metal drip pan in the center of the grill under the grate. Pour about 1/2 inch water into the drip pan. Pile hot charcoal on either side of the drip pan and close the lid. Modulate the coals to maintain a temperature of 225° to 240°F. Toss a handful of unsoaked wood chips directly on the charcoal. Place the turkey, breast side up, directly on the grate over the drip pan. Smoke for 1 hour. You may need to occasionally check the wood chips to ensure they’re still smoking; if they’re not, toss another handful on the burner you’re using for heat.
Whether you’re using a smoker or a grill, have the bird breast side up. Insert a digital probe meat thermometer, if you have one, into the thickest part of the breast or thigh. Continue to smoke the turkey, maintaining the proper temperature in the smoker or the grill, until the internal temperature reads 165°F, which could take as little as 2 hours more or as long as 4 hours more, depending on the size of the bird and the precise temperature in the smoker or grill. If the wings, breast, or other parts of the turkey start to get too brown, cover them with pieces of foil. You may need to add additional wood or wood chips to keep up the smoke.
Remove the turkey from the smoker or grill and allow it to rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Notes

Crisp-Skinned Variation--For a turkey with crisp skin, smoke it until the internal temperature of the bird reaches 145°F. Transfer the bird to a hot grill preheated to 350° to 375°F and finish it off until the temperature bumps up to 165°F. (You can instead smoke the bird the whole time at 275°F to 300°F, but the cooking time will be much shorter than what is stated in the above recipe. This method really cuts down on the time a bird spends in the smoker, and for me that translates to cutting flavor. But if you’re curious—or short on time—you should try the various approaches to determine which works best for you.)
Salt--If you're using Diamond Brand kosher salt, use the full 2 tablespoons for a 12-pound turkey. If you're using Morton brand, cut it back to 1 1/2 tablespoons. If in doubt, weigh your salt. You should use 2/3-ounce (18 grams).

Nutrition