Smoked Turkey

Smoke your turkey for a tender, moist turkey that the oven will never be able to duplicate! Learn how to brine and how to smoke your turkey.

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 3 20

Brine Time 2

Total Time 2 4

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.

Rotate the turkey a little, give the brine a stir. Re-cover and return to the fridge.

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.

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.