Smoking Turkey - Thanksgiving Edition

[cozilla]

With Thanksgiving approaching I was wondering how many of us will be smoking a turkey for our families to enjoy. I for one have never smoked a turkey having only gotten my smoker a few months ago but I have smoked a few pork butts and racks of ribs as well as chicken wings. If you have or are going to smoke a turkey this year, please share your recipes, tips and tricks so that I don't blow this!

Colin

 

[Bruce]

I simply rub Cavenders seasoning on the outside and smoke it for about 12 hours. I often smoke a ham for 24 hours on a higher shelf and place the turkey below.

 

[MikeyL]

Hi There @cozilla. Excellent new thread. Colin, thanks for starting it.
So we might be able to help you better, a couple questions:
A) What type or brand or model of your Smoker are you planning on using ?
B) Do you cook with charcoal briquettes, lump charcoal or WOOD ?
C) Are ya planning on cooking a whole bird or a turkey breast ?

Let us know.......Happy to help.
Best WIshes, Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[Andy S]

Smoked turkeys are really good but my household prefer deep fried turkey's. I typically deep fry 1 full bird and 1 breast to ensure we have enough for leftovers.

 

[Yochichi]

I have smoked 2 20lbs(I like left overs also) turkeys for the last 5 years. The family loves it and we will never turn back.

We enjoy a very moist turkey. I first brine the turkey for 18-24 hours before.

Brine: (per turkey)
In a 5 gallon bucket(make sure to cover or the area will smell) of course keep this in a cool place
2 gallons water
3 tables spoon minced garlic I use this because we inject the turkey later with the juice
1 tablespoon black pepper
1.5 cups of kosher sault
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 worchestshire

Day of smoking we inject with the following: (per turkey)
2 sticks of butter melted
1 can of beer
1/3 cup of juice from the minced garlic

We normally smoke the at about 300-325 and follow normal cooking times depending on how much your turkey weighs.

Enjoy.

PS. The wife will love that the kitchen and oven are free to make other entrees.

 

[woodard1983]

I just bought a smoker a few months ago as well, haven't smoked a turkey, but did try a breast over the weekend to get an idea what I'll be dealing with....I found tons of options via google, but am also interested in some of the brines you guys have used

 

[cozilla]

Hi There @cozilla. Excellent new thread. Colin, thanks for starting it.
So we might be able to help you better, a couple questions:
A) What type or brand or model of your Smoker are you planning on using ?
B) Do you cook with charcoal briquettes, lump charcoal or WOOD ?
C) Are ya planning on cooking a whole bird or a turkey breast ?

Let us know.......Happy to help.
Best WIshes, Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

View attachment 14473

The smoker I am using is a Masterbuilt vertical dual fuel smoker. I have been and will be using propane with wood chunks. I will be cooking a whole bird.

 

[thcole]

The one trick that I have used and really got accustomed to liking is to mix some seasoning of your choice (garlic, Chives, brown sugar, papiraka. . .. . really what ever you want) with a couple sticks of butter. Get it mixed up really well a few hours before you are ready to start to cook it. Then wrap it up in some wax paper and form it back into a big stick of butter. Then when you are ready to start to cook the bird cut the butter into small slabs of butter then work the slabs under the skin of the bird and cover the whole thing with the small slabs of butter then let it cook and melt down the turkey. I like to smoke it at about 250 degrees about a half hour a pound or so watching the temp of the bird closely.

 

[billyb]

You typically don't need to brine your store bought turkey as they are pre brined....so you will only be adding a salty flavor to it.

I smoke three 10-12 lbs turkeys for thanksgiving. I prefer the smaller birds so that I can finish quicker (this year it looks to be in the 20's) and have flavor options. I do an orange, Apple and a injected Cajun.

I rub butter under each birds skin. I then stuff it with either apples or oranges to maintain the shape of the bird and provide additional flavor/moisture to the inside of the bird. Depending, I may use a turkey cannon (which I highly recommend).

I prefer oak as my smoking wood...but that is a personal preference.

Few things beat smoked meat, espicially turkey.

 

[dbrunone]

Learn from the MASTER!! This guy has taught me everything I know about BBQ:

 

[4x15mph]

I think it was someone on this forum that told me about the smoking-meat website. I fry my turkey on Thanksgiving but I received the following from smoking-meat and this may be another idea for you. It looks good

http://www.smoking-meat.com/november-13-2014-smoked-maple-barbecue-turkey

 

[Hydrashok]

I smoke turkeys every year. I brine the turkey over night by putting the turkey in a trash bag full of brine and putting the bag in a cooler full of ice. Then I rinse the bird and inject it with some seasoned butter. Then I put my fav BBQ rub on the bird and I smoke it at 225 using a mix of pecan and mesquite wood for 2 hours. After two hours I put the bird in a foil pan and cover it with foil for the rest of the cooking time. I put some butter, white wine, onions, and seasoning in the pan too.

 

[4x15mph]

I smoked a turkey using the maple recipe and it went over big. I mormally fry turkeys but this was a great change. The skin turns out like rubber but in the end it is better not to eat the skin.

I used a large Weber Kettle, charcoal grill with Cherry wood and charcoal

 

[MikeyL]

Very nice !@ Nothing beats a quality smoked turkey ! Looks dee-lish !
Here's a photo of our injected and slow smoked (225 degrees for 4.5 hours Honeysuckle turkey breast.
Seasoned hickory and a little Southern red oak. Wood only !
Only use the Honeysuckle brand of birds.

Merry Christmas all, Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

[cozilla]

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. I didn't get to take pictures but our turkey came out great and everyone loved it. Will be doing it again next year!