How to Smoke a Whole Turkey
Take your holiday to the next level by smoking a whole turkey. This recipe is all about the Texas technique – no brining is required to get a juicy smoked bird like this.
Taste and Texture
Crispy seasoned skin encases juicy and tender turkey meat. The breast has a subtle smoky flavor and lets the flavor of the turkey really shine through. The turkey legs are smokier and each bite is seasoned well with salt and pepper.
Ingredients
- Whole Turkey – opt for an organic, non solution turkey, as recommended by Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue, or a brand you have used previously, weighing no more than 15 pounds. Larger turkeys will take too long to cook through, resulting in a turkey that is undercooked and/or dried out.
- Butter – salted! You’ll need 1/4 cup for rubbing beneath the skin before cooking and then 3/4 cups for final 1-2 hours. The turkey will braise in butter and its own juices.
- Salt – fresh, coarse salt is what’s called for in this recipe. You’ll need 1 part salt to 2 parts pepper per 5 pounds of turkey (4 Tbsp salt and 8 Tbsp pepper for a 15 pound turkey).
- Pepper – freshly cracked is key. The peppercorns release naturally occurring oils and gives enhanced flavor.
About the technique
The idea behind smoking a turkey is similar to cooking in the oven – you want to go low and slow to ensure a moist and flavorful turkey. In this case, the wood or charcoal permeates the skin to give it a smoky flavor while the butter, salt and pepper ensure a crispy seasoned crust.
In order to get a proper low-and-slow cook, the turkey must be cooked over indirect heat. If using a charcoal, wood grill or pellet smoker, you’ll place the turkey on the opposite side of the heat source.
Light your coals or wood as usual and place them near the grate. (Beginners: here is a guide to lighting wood or charcoal) Consider using a digital thermometer, as the thermometers on most grills tend to be inaccurate (the BBQ guys provide more context on this).
You’ll want a steady temperature between 250°F – 275°F. The rule of thumb is the wider the grate the higher the temperature (and the faster your wood/charcoal/pellets will burn); the narrower the grate, the lower the temperature. Start at the middle and add more wood, charcoal or pellets as needed when the fire dwindles – the already lit material will light the new. (Expect to go through ~ 1lb pellets per hour)
In the last 1-2 hours of cooking, you’ll wrap the turkey in two layers of heavy duty foil and add butter – it will braise in the butter and its own juices.
Turkey tip: Prepare Ahead!
Turkeys need 24 hours to thaw per 4-5 pounds of weight. Thaw it in the refrigerator in its original packaging. A 15 pound turkey will need about 4 days to thaw.
Tools you’ll need
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What to Serve with Smoked Turkey
until next time. x
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How to Smoke a Turkey
Learn how to make a whole smoked turkey for Thanksgiving or anytime. No need for fancy rubs – just salt and pepper here. It’s all in the technique!
- Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 servings, for a 15lb turkey 1x
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey, skin on (up to 15lbs)
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- coarse salt
- freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
Prepare the turkey:
- If frozen, thaw the turkey 24 hours per 4-5 pounds.
- Remove from the package and drain, then remove the neck and giblets (save or toss these, up to you).
- Place the turkey on a cutting board or in a large pan and rub 1/4 cup of the butter underneath the skin of the breasts.
- In a small bowl, combine a rub of salt and freshly cracked pepper. 1 part salt to 2 parts pepper (roughly 4 tsp salt and 8 tsp pepper per 5 lbs of turkey).
- Rub the salt and pepper generously all over the turkey.
On the grill:
- Charcoal: Set about 20-30 charcoal briquettes in a tall pile on the grill, near the grate. Keep the grate open slightly, about 25%, and open more or less throughout cooking in order to keep the grill at a steady 250-275°F.
- Light about 10 briquettes or place them in a starter and add them to the existing coals. Place your turkey once the coals have ashed over.
- Smoker: preheat the smoker to 250°F and add pellets as needed (about 1 pound per hour of cooking).
- Place the turkey on the side of the grill opposite the heat source, breast side up. *If your grill has a second rack, make sure it is removed or adjusted so it wont touch the turkey.
- For a 15 pound turkey, cook around 2 hours 45 minutes. (Around 15 minutes per pound)
- Wrap the turkey tightly in two layers of heavy duty aluminum foil and top it with the remaining 3/4 cup butter before closing (the turkey will braise in the butter and its own juices).
- Cook 1 more hour, or until a thermometer inserted into the center of the breast, legs and wings read 160°F.
- Remove the turkey and rest about 30 minutes before carving.
- Serve on a bed of greens.
Notes
tools
- heavy duty foil
- charcoal, seasoned firewood or pellets
- barrel style wood/charcoal grill or smoker
- heat proof gloves
- thermometer
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: American
Love your take on the prep work. It’s true, you don’t need to use fancy brines or rubs to get a flavorful and tender turkey! But, I’ve always preferred smoking my turkey in a dedicated smoker instead of using a grill.
This looks incredible. I wish my photography game with this strong lol.
I want to make this but add some heat or something more to the rub. Any suggestions? I have a giant family and they all want spice!
Aw, thank you! Trust me, the grill did most of the work. Haha.
For a little different flavor, I think I would do brown sugar and chili powder. I did that rub on some carrots last year and it was so delicious and packed a surprising amount of heat!
1/4 c. Light brown sugar, 1/2 TB salt, 1/2 TB chili powder, 1/2 TB garlic powder and 1/2 tsp cayenne. I’d double or triple depending on the size of the bird. But fair warning, it can get pretty spicy!
I’d love to hear how it turns out. 😀