Perfect smoked turkey – the best recipe for a restaurant style turkey that is juicy, tender, and full of smoky flavor the family will love!

Smoked Turkey Recipe

Turkey is always one of the most feared parts of Thanksgiving for most home cooks- which stinks, since it is the star of Thanksgiving dinner!

But there is no need to be worried of dry, tasteless Turkey- this Perfect Smoked Turkey recipe has been our family’s secret for delicious, juicy, perfectly-smoky flavored turkey.

And the best part is, it’s pretty foolproof.

If you’re somewhat familiar with using a smoker grill, you know how easy it can be to create wonderful flavor without much actual work.

All you need to do for the tastiest turkey ever is just Brine, Stuff and Smoke. Of course, you can also season your bird to your heart’s content as well (this is a base recipe, so you can add on all the flavor you love to your bird with confidence in the techniques we’re going to show you!)

Save your oven space for other foods and keep your kitchen from overheating- smoke that turkey outside! My husband LOVES breaking out our smoker to make pork shoulder, brisket and other meats- but we don’t use it nearly enough. It is so easy to get delicious, melt in your mouth, perfectly smoky meat using a smoker grill and indirect heat.

We’ve made our last few Thanksgiving turkeys on the smoker, and we should do more!

This method won’t make a gravy, however. Simply remove the giblets and neck of the turkey and roast those in the oven for your gravy. They take up much less precious oven space and cook more quickly.

For a perfect gravy to go with your smoked turkey, please visit my Easy Turkey Gravy Recipe!

Why You’ll Love This Easy Smoked Turkey Recipe

You’ll love smoked turkey because it brings a whole new level of flavor to this classic dish. The smoking process infuses the turkey with a rich, smoky taste that’s both savory and lightly sweet while keeping the meat incredibly juicy and tender. The slow smoking also gives the turkey a beautiful, golden-brown skin that is easy to crisp and totally delicious. This recipe is great at a holiday feast or just as a family dinner – and perfect as leftovers that don’t dry out!

Smoked vs. Roasted Turkey

Smoked turkey differs from roast turkey primarily in flavor and texture. While roast turkey is cooked in the oven, resulting in a traditional, mildly seasoned taste with a crisp, golden-brown skin, smoked turkey is slow-cooked over wood, infusing the meat with a rich, smoky flavor that permeates every bite.

The smoking process also keeps the turkey juicier. It adds a slightly firmer texture, especially on the skin, which becomes beautifully bronzed and slightly crisp (I like to make it even crispier by popping it under a broiler at the end for just a few minutes.) The unique smoky aroma and deeper, more complex smoked turkey flavors make it a distinct and flavorful alternative to the classic roast.

Smoked Turkey Recipe Ingredients

Brine Ingredients:

• 1 cup kosher salt: Salt is the foundation of the brine, helping to season the turkey deeply and draw moisture into the meat. This ensures the turkey stays juicy during the smoking process.
• ½ cup light brown sugar: The brown sugar adds a touch of sweetness that balances the salt and enhances the turkey’s natural flavors. It also contributes to the caramelization of the skin, giving it a beautiful color and subtle sweetness.
• 1 gallon vegetable stock: The stock serves as a flavorful base for the brine, infusing the turkey with rich, savory notes. It adds depth to the overall taste of the meat.
• 2 tablespoons black peppercorns: Peppercorns add a mild heat and earthy flavor to the brine, giving the turkey a subtle kick and complexity.
• 1 ½ teaspoons allspice berries: Allspice introduces warm, aromatic notes that complement the smokiness of the turkey. It adds a hint of spice that rounds out the flavor profile.
• 1 ½ teaspoons rosemary: Rosemary brings a fragrant, herbaceous element to the brine, infusing the turkey with a classic, savory aroma that pairs well with the smokiness.
• 2 teaspoons savory: Savory is another herb that adds a peppery, slightly bitter flavor, enhancing the overall herbaceous quality of the turkey and balancing the sweetness from the sugar.
• 1 gallon ice cubes: The ice cubes are used to cool the brine quickly after it’s been heated to dissolve the salt and sugar. This ensures the turkey can be added to the brine without cooking it prematurely.

Turkey and Smoking Ingredients:

• 1 turkey, 12-14lb: The star of the dish, the turkey absorbs the flavors of the brine and the smoke during cooking, resulting in a juicy, flavorful, and tender centerpiece.
• Bag of charcoal: Charcoal provides the consistent heat needed for smoking the turkey. It burns slowly and evenly, creating the ideal environment for low and slow cooking.
• Chips or chunks for smoking, fruit wood or oak: Wood chips or chunks are essential for imparting the smoky flavor that defines the dish. Fruit woods like apple or cherry give a sweeter, milder smoke, while oak provides a stronger, more robust flavor, allowing you to customize the smokiness to your preference.

How to Smoke Turkey

1. Make Brine. Boil brine and mix, then remove from heat and let cool completely. This is important to mix the brine.
2. Brine Turkey. Once brine is completely cool (so you don’t start to cook the turkey), add to brine. This will help add flavor to your turkey and keep it from drying out while smoking.
3. Prepare smoker. Light your smoker 30-45 minutes before you intend to start cooking your turkey.
4. Prepare Turkey. Add herbs to the bird, stuff with aromatics, cover with seasonings, inject with seasoning – however you’d like to add any extra flavors is up to you (we love simple garlic butter, or cajun spices, but often just leave smoked turkey as-is.) Cover the turkey with a wet cheese cloth or thin kitchen towel (one you’re prepared to throw away.)
5. Smoke. When your smoker reaches 235-250 degrees, add the turkey directly on the cooking grates.5. Check your fire and rotate your turkey every 30 minutes, adding charcoal and wood chips/chunks as necessary. 6. Smoke your turkey at 235-250 degrees for 30-40 minutes per pound (a 12lbs turkey will take approximately 6 hours to smoke), until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
6. Rest. Turkey should rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.
7. Carve.

How To Tell When Turkey Is Done Smoking

It can be a bit tricky to tell when your smoked turkey is done – because smoking turkeys can give it a pinkish hue. This isnt because it is uncooked- it is because smoking meat gives a little bit of a purple-ish color. When you carve your turkey, you will notice a “ring” of darker color around the meat.

This is the coloring from the smoke- and where your flavor is coming from! You might notice in the photo above the legs look especially purple- it’s from the smoke.

Your turkey will be cooked when a digital thermometer inserted into the fattest part of the turkey breast reads 160 degrees (it will carryover cook to 165 degrees after tenting with foil out of the oven).

The USDA recommends getting turkey’s internal temperature to 165 degrees.

How To Finish Smoked Turkey in Oven

If it is especially cold outside (we made the turkey photographed when it was under 40 degrees outside, not uncommon for Colorado), you can finish your turkey in the oven if you haven’t brought it up to 170 degrees yet.

Just pop it in the oven and cook at 350 until internal temp reaches 170 degrees (it will continue to cook to 175 degrees when you remove it from the oven). You can baste the turkey with a little melted butter for extra crispy skin like I did below – it makes a lovely crunch and finishing touch to your smoked turkey.

Best Smoked Turkey Recipe Tips

If you’re not very familiar with using a smoker, I asked my husband to add some tips and tricks to make smoking a turkey easy. Here’s his best tips:

• Use a chimney to bring your lump charcoal up to temperature.
• Use real lump charcoal. Briquets tend to give off a petroleum aftertaste.

What Wood to Use For The Best Smoked Turkey

If you’re using wood-chips or chucks, you can control how much smoke your meat gets.

• Want a lot of smoke? Use more wood chips, for longer amount of time.
• Want less smoke? Use less chips, for a shorter amount of time.
• White oak, pecan and cherry are beautiful, mild smoking woods for poultry.
• Mesquite has a stronger smoke flavor, but still very tasty with poultry.
• Hickory is a very strong wood, which is great for beef, but I would avoid for poultry.

How to Store Perfect Smoked Turkey

To store smoked turkey, first allow it to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, wrap the turkey tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out, then place it in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. Store the turkey in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

For longer storage, you can freeze the smoked turkey – be sure to wrap it in foil and then place it in a freezer-safe bag or container to protect it from freezer burn. Smoked turkey can be frozen for up to 2-3 months.

When ready to eat, thaw frozen turkey in the refrigerator and reheat it gently in the oven at a low temperature to preserve its moisture and flavor.

Recipe FAQs

What to Serve With Perfect Smoked Turkey

If you’re looking for the best sides to serve with smoked turkey, I am rounding up my favorites below:

Easy Greek Stuffing

Best Easy Baked Scalloped Corn Casserole

Herbed Roasted Parsnips

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Onions

Bacon Rye Stuffing

Sweet Potato Casserole

Garlic Herb Roasted Carrots

Cranberry Meatballs

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You can find more of our Thanksgiving side dish recipes here.

Easy Smoked Turkey Recipe

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