Traeger Smoked Turkey
Juicy, golden Traeger smoked turkey with just the right amount of wood-fired flavor. A two day wet brine and a 2 stage cook make it easy on any pellet grill. It’s quick too, a 10 lb bird is done in about three and a half hours!
Carve it for Thanksgiving or Christmas and serve it alongside Green Bean Casserole From Scratch, Sous Vide Mashed Potatoes, and a loaf of Rustic Sourdough Bread.
Craving The Recipe Details?
What it is: A whole turkey, wet brined for 12- 48 hours in a homemade brine, then smoked on a Traeger, Pit Boss, or other pellet grill. Start low to capture smoke flavor, then turn up the heat to finish the cook.
Why you’ll love it: Juicy turkey, all the way through, with golden, crispy skin, and very little hands on work. It’s the recipe I’d hand a first time turkey smoker!
How to make it: Brine the turkey, rinse and pat dry, rub with butter, then smoke until it reaches temperature, rest, then carve.
Kevy and I did our annual deep freeze inventory, and he found a frozen turkey I’d forgotten about. He decided it needed smoking, and was a little offended that I’d never shared our turkey recipe here. So here it is!
This Traeger smoked turkey recipe is dedicated to not being offended!
Jump to:
Key Ingredients
Turkey: This recipe and timing is written for a 10 lb turkey. Use a fresh or thawed bird and skip pre-brined or kosher style turkeys as they are already salted.
Butter: Rubbed over the skin before smoking helps the skin brown and crisp while keeping the breast moist.
Brine: The salt brine in this recipe isn’t optional, it’s the reason this turkey stays juicy. It uses a wet brine, and I find a 3 gallon food safe bucket is the best for this!
Variations + Substitutions
- Add a dry rub: After brushing on the butter, sprinkle a spice rub. I like one with a brown sugar base. Add it just before the turkey goes on the grill.
- Change the herbs: Swap the brine herbs for fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary, which is always a great pairing for poultry.
- Other smokers: This recipe will work on any pellet grill, electric smoker, or other grill set up for indirect heat. Watch your temperatures and ensure they follow the recipe below.
- Pellets or wood chips: Cherry, apple, pecan are mild and suit turkey. Hickory is stronger, so use it sparingly. I actually use Lumberjack Competition Blend for my turkey, which is an equal blend of maple, pecan, and hickory.
How To Smoke A Turkey On A Traeger
Day 1: Brine The Turkey
- Step 1: Stir together 2 liters of warm water and 2 cups of Morton kosher salt and 2 cups of granulated sugar until both are fully dissolved. Add 10 sliced garlic cloves, 5 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, and the zest of 2 navel oranges. Stir in 6 liters of cold water.
I find a 3 gallon food-safe bucket I got from the local hardware store to be perfect for this!
- Step 2: Open the package, pluck any stray feathers, and remove the giblets. Lower it into the brine, breast down or breast up, whichever fits.
- Step 3: Weigh down the turkey to keep it in the brine. I’ve found the easiest way to do that is to set an upside-down plate on top of the turkey, then set a shallow bowl on top of the plate so it presses against the bucket lid holding the bird under the brine.
- Step 4: Put on the lid and refrigerate for 12 to 48 hours.
Day 2: Stir
- Step 5: Rotate the turkey a little, give the brine a stir. Re-cover and return to the fridge. That’s all. Use the day to plan your side dishes!
Day 3: Smoke The Turkey
- Step 6: Preheat your pellet grill to 225°F according to manufacturer’s directions. Meanwhile, rinse the turkey. Lift it out of the brine and rinse it well under cold running water, inside the cavity too. Untruss the turkey if it was trussed.
225°F is the standard low temperature for smoking poultry and moves it quickly through the 40-140°F stage. See safety FAQ below.
- Step 7: Pat the turkey completely dry with paper towels, then leave the turkey at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Dry skin is what crisps.
Wash the sink, counter, faucet and anything else that raw turkey touched or splashed on to prevent cross contamination.
- Step 8: Rub the whole bird with softened/ melted butter. Insert a heat safe probe thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone.
This is the stage to add your BBQ rub if you’re using!
- Step 9: Set the turkey breast side up directly on the middle grill grate, with a drip pan containing about 1 inch of water underneath. If you don’t have a second grate, set a raised rack inside a rimmed baking sheet with a little water, and keep the water below the level of the rack so the skin doesn’t get soggy on contact. Smoke at 225°F for 2 hours.
- Step 10: Increase the heat to 325°F and cook until the breast reaches 160°F and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 175°F.
Plan on roughly 18-20 minutes per pound, and allow about 3-3½ hours for a 10 lb bird. Start checking for doneness around the 3 hour mark.
- Step 11: Move the turkey to a cooling rack and rest uncovered for 15-20 minutes. As it rests, the internal temperature will climb and reach about 165°F.
- Step 12: Set a cutting board inside a rimmed baking sheet to catch any juices for gravy and carve your turkey.
My favourite method is to remove the breasts, drumsticks, wings and thighs, then slice. It’s much easier than carving on the bone.
Expert Tips
- Plan ahead. The brine takes 2 days, so mix by Thursday for a Saturday dinner and leave plenty of time for the cook. Less stress, better turkey.
- Start thawed, or nearly thawed. A nearly thawed turkey will finish thawing in the brine, but a fully frozen bird adds extra water to the brine and weakens the salinity. To thaw faster, you can submerge it in a sink full of cold water and change the water every 30 minutes.
- Trust the probe, not the clock. Weight and grill give you an estimate, but the thermometer tells you when it’s done. Check the breast – the breast finishes at 165°F after resting.
- Catch the juices. Carving inside a rimmed baking sheet helps ensure every tasty drop ends up in your gravy.
Why This Recipe Works
The brine seasons deep and holds moisture. Salt works its way into the meat so the breast stays tender through the entire cook. The sugar and aromatics help round out the flavor.
The two stage cook builds flavor, then texture. Two hours at 225°F lets the turkey take on smoke, raising to 325°F finishes the cook and crisps the skin.
Open legs cook evenly. Leaving the bird untrussed lets air move around the thighs so they finish with the breast instead of lagging behind.
Smoked Turkey FAQs
Plan on about 20 minutes per pound with this method, so a 10 lb turkey takes roughly 3½ hours (10 lb × 20 minutes = 200 minutes or about 3.3 hours). That’s a little longer than the 15 minutes per pound you’d allow for a turkey cooked at 325°F the whole way because the first two hours are at a lower temperature.
Start checking the temperature about 30-45 minutes before you expect it to be done and always go by the probe temperature and not the clock.
Yes. Poultry needs to pass through the 40°F to 140°F temperature range within 4 hours, and 225°F gets it through that range faster than a cooler temperature would.
The 2 hour 225°F stage adds smoke flavor, while the 325°F temperature does the heavy lifting and crisps the skin.
Pull the turkey from the smoker when the breast reaches 160°F and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 175°F. The internal temperature will rise as it rests and finish at 165°F or higher in the breast, which is the safe minimum temperature. Ensure that you’re probing the breast and thigh away from the bone.
No, you don’t have to brine a turkey before smoking it, but I’d recommend it. Brining seasons the meat all the way through and keeps the breasts from drying out while cooking.
The USDA recommends brining at least overnight and says that poultry can be kept in the brine in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, just keep it fully submerged, covered, at 40°F or below.
Some cooks report a softer texture after very long brines, but it’s never been my experience and we’ve brined turkeys for 48 hours before smoking several times.
Store your leftover smoked turkey in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Remove the meat from the bones and refrigerate as soon as possible, within 2 hours, of finishing cooking.
Smoked turkey freezes well for up to 3-4 months. Remove the meat from the bones, divide into meal sized portions, store in freeze safe bags or vacuum seal. Label each package with the contents and date.
Don’t toss that turkey carcass! Use it to make smoked turkey broth for soups, stews, and gravy. The smoky flavor makes an especially good base for hearty leftovers.
To Truss Or Not To Truss
I learned this lesson from my cooking show hero, and fellow Canuck, Matty Matheson: open up a bird. “Let that shit air out” were his exact words. From that moment on, Kevy and I never trussed a bird again.
Cooking a bird breast side up with the legs open allows the air to circulate all around the thighs. This not only results in better, consistently crispy skin, but it also regulates the cooking time better. It allows the thighs to cook at the same time as the breast, avoiding dry overcooked parts and barely cooked other parts.
Opening up the bird also gives a better smoky flavor throughout the entire turkey.
My Turkey Is Cooking Too Fast!
Brined turkeys tend to cook faster than unbrined ones! That said, if your bird is cooking too fast or done before you’re ready to serve, you have a few options:
- Turn down the temperature of your smoker. 275-300°F, which should slow the cooking process.
- If it’s done early, move it to the smallest dish it fits in, tent with foil and throw a towel over top. This will keep it hot and stall cooking.
My Turkey Is Cooking Too Slow!
This is unlikely to happen, but if it does, this is not a crisis! Here’s what to do:
- Increase the smoker to 350°F and see how the internal temperature reacts.
- If it still lags and dinner is ready to be served, place the turkey on a rack in a baking dish and cover with foil and heat to 425°F until the breast and thigh reach their pull temperatures.
What to serve with smoked turkey:
📖 Printable Recipe
Smoked Turkey
Ingredients
Brine:
- 2 liters warm filtered water
- 2 cups kosher salt, coarse
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 10 cloves garlic, coarsely sliced
- 5 bay leaves
- 2 navel oranges, zest
- 6 liters cold filtered water
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
Turkey
- 10 lb turkey
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
Instructions
Day 1:
- Stir together 2 liters of warm water and 2 cups of Morton kosher salt and 2 cups of granulated sugar until both are fully dissolved. Add 10 sliced garlic cloves, 5 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns, and the zest of 2 navel oranges. Stir in 6 liters of cold water. I have a 3-gallon brining bucket that I use and it's perfect
- Open the package, remove the turkey, pluck any stray feathers, and remove the giblets. Lower it into the brine, breast down or breast up, whichever fits.
- Weigh down the turkey to keep it in the brine. I've found the easiest way to do that is to set an upside-down plate on top of the turkey, then set a shallow bowl on top of the plate so it presses against the bucket lid holding the bird under the brine.
- Put on the lid and refrigerate for 12 to 48 hours.
Day 2:
- Rotate the turkey a little, give the brine a stir. Re-cover and return to the fridge.
Day 3:
- Preheat your pellet grill to 225°F according to manufacturer's directions. Meanwhile, rinse the turkey. Lift it out of the brine and rinse it well under cold running water, inside the cavity too. Untruss the turkey if it was trussed.
- Wash the sink, counter, faucet and anything else that raw turkey touched or splashed on to prevent cross contamination.
- Pat the turkey completely dry with paper towels, then leave the turkey at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Dry skin is what crisps.
- Rub the whole bird with softened/ melted butter. Insert a heat safe probe thermometer in the thickest part of the breast, away from the bone.
- Set the turkey breast side up directly on the middle grill grate, with a drip pan containing about 1 inch of water underneath. If you don't have a second grate, set a raised rack inside a rimmed baking sheet with a little water, and keep the water below the level of the rack so the skin doesn't get soggy on contact. Smoke at 225°F for 2 hours.
- Increase the heat to 325°F and cook until the breast reaches 160°F and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 175°F.
- Move the turkey to a cooling rack and rest uncovered for 15-20 minutes. As it rests, the internal temperature will climb and reach about 165°F.
- Set a cutting board inside a rimmed baking sheet to catch any juices for gravy and carve your turkey.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Plan ahead. The brine takes 2 days, so mix by Thursday for a Saturday dinner and leave plenty of time for the cook. Less stress, better turkey.
- Start thawed, or mostly thawed. A turkey will finish thawing in the brine, but a fully frozen bird adds extra water to the brine and weakens the salinity. To thaw your bird faster, you can submerge it in a sink full of cold water and change the water every 30 minutes.
- Trust the probe, not the clock. Weight and grill give you an estimate, but the thermometer tells you when it’s done. Check the breast – the breast finishes at 165°F after resting.
- Catch the juices. Carving inside a rimmed baking sheet helps ensure every tasty drop ends up in your gravy.
- Nutrition notes: Nutrition facts omit the salt, sugar, and other ingredients from the brine as the brine is not completely consumed as part of the recipe, actual sodium will be higher because the bird absorbs some brine.
