Christmas | Dinner | Feeling Comfy | Feeling Fancy | Feeling Healthy | Food | Grill & Chill | Healthy Eating | Holiday Cooking | July 4th | Poultry/Pork | Thanksgiving | Top Recipes
How to Smoke the Best Whole Turkey
Today, I want to share a recipe that most people think is too difficult to attempt at home. But I will prove that isn’t true. This is my brother’s best smoked turkey recipe. It’s now become a tradition that my brother, Colby, makes the Thanksgiving turkey, and I’m not complaining! This delicious smoked turkey is super moist, flavorful, and easy to make. Don’t believe me? Well, don’t just take my word for it. Let me show you how to smoke the best whole turkey, and you can try it for yourself!
Sharing is caring!
Can I learn how to smoke the best whole turkey at home?
Let’s start with the myth that smoking a turkey is too complicated to do at home and that you aren’t knowledgeable enough to tackle it. FALSE! (To be honest, I thought the same thing, too, until I shadowed my brother this year and watched.) The smoking process is simple if you have a smoker. (HA) There is NOTHING difficult about this recipe. The only “cooking” is bringing water to a boil. Everything else is just about seasoning and sitting.
Is smoking a turkey a very hands-on process?
Speaking of sitting, there are moments in this process where you have absolutely nothing to do. For example, Making the brine takes minutes, and you simply let the raw, defrosted turkey sit in it for 24 hours. The brine does its work out of sight and out of mind. Also, when you are smoking the turkey. You place the turkey into the smoker/pellet grill and walk away. You check the temperature periodically and do a little basting for extra flavor, but that’s it!
How much time does it take to smoke a turkey?
The one thing that you do have to be mindful of is your timing. Timing is everything. If you are making this easy smoked turkey recipe for special occasions like Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas, then you will need to start this process days earlier:
- Place the frozen turkey into the fridge to gently thaw for 4 days.
- Make the brine, cool it completely, and submerge the whole bird in the brine 24 hours before smoking it. (This is the best way to inject flavor and moisture.)
- Prep the grill/smoker and put the turkey on the smoker in time to prepare it for the day’s main meal. (Cook time will vary depending on the size of the turkey. A larger turkey will need to cook longer, and smaller turkeys will need less. Always check the internal temperature.)
Be Sure To Pin It For Later!
Where does this smoked turkey recipe come from?
Since this recipe comes from one of my brothers and great friends, I think it is fitting to tell you a little about him. You see, I am the youngest of five children, and my brother, Colby, is the closest in age to me. We are 1 1/2 years apart and currently have the youngest kiddos in the family.
Although we were both born and raised in Louisiana, Colby has made the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, area his home for over a decade. He is happily married to a wonderful lady, Teresa, and has two precious sons, Levi and Colson.
Like me, Colby loves to cook, travel, and try new foods. He’s not afraid to change a dish, be adventurous with his ingredients, or even fail when attempting to create something unique. He’s specifically become quite talented with his grill and smoker. He enjoys barbequing, smoking various types of meats, and exploring different marinades to add the most flavor to his special cuts of beef and pork.
Since we don’t live close anymore, I only get to taste his delicious creations on holidays or in the Summer when I visit. I have three kids myself, and they are all pre-teens and teens. So, I take them to Six Flags in Arlington, Texas, as often as possible. It works out perfectly because my brother and mom only live about 15 minutes from the theme park. My family provides me with a nice (and FREE) place to stay while I come and enjoy their company and the scenery. (I LOVE TEXAS!)
Not only do we cook and eat great food when we are together, but we participate in many adventures, too:
Holiday Fun:
- Grand Prairie Lights – This drive-thru light display has a holiday village in the middle complete with Santa Clause, free carnival rides, tons of snacks, and hot cocoa.
- Main Street in Grapevine – We love to walk main street during the holiday season. All of the local shops are open. Plus there are tons of street vendors selling everything from cakes and cookies to hot sauce! There is also a skating rink in front of the train station and a theater showing Christmas movies.
- Ice Skating and Christmas Tree Lighting at the Galleria – If you can stand the crowds, the Christmas tree lighting in the Galleria mall is SPECTACULAR! The year that we went there were also Olympic skaters putting on a show around the tree. It was magical to say the least!
- Six Flags Holiday in the Park – My family is full of thrill seekers and we won’t be deterred by a little cold weather. Grab a cup of hot chocolate and hop on your favorite roller coaster. I promise you, the experience is a little bit different when the temperatures drop. The park is also decorated for Christmas and covered in lights. Not to mention, there are lots of Christmas shows happening all over the park. It is so much fun!
Summer Fun:
- Six Flags in Arlington – A thrill seekers dream! With some of the largest roller coasters in the South, this is the place to get your adrenaline fix.
- Burger’s Lake – We have fallen in love with this hidden gem. It’s a HUGE chlorinated lake complete with two sandy beaches, volleyball, 7 diving boards, water slides, and more! It’s the perfect place to cool off and spend the day.
- Hurricane Harbor – Speaking of cooling off… this waterpark is the perfect place! The water slides are BIG and so is the wave pool.
Seasonal Fun:
- Hockey games – We’ve went to a local semi-pro hockey game and my kiddos had a blast! We even walked away with a puck! (And the rink is connected to a legit pizza place that had great food!)
- NBA games – If you’ve never been to a professional basketball game, you are missing out! The Dallas Mavericks are worth seeing and not just for their basketball skills. The stadium itself is beautiful, the food is delicious, and all of the other continuous entertainment during the game is top notch!
Tips for How to Smoke the Best Whole Turkey :
- When you are finished carving the turkey, save the carcass, bones, and trimmings to make broth for gumbo later. You can freeze the bones until you are ready to make the broth.
- To make a delicious smoked turkey gravy, place a drip pan underneath the grate on which the turkey sits to catch the turkey drippings.
- If you don’t have fresh garlic or prefer, substitute garlic powder for the roasted garlic in the marinade.
- You can stuff the cavity of the turkey with any aromatics you like; just keep them in large pieces. These items don’t impart a ton of flavor to the bird; they are there to maintain the integrity of the cavity. You don’t want it to sag or collapse as it cooks and softens.
Let me show you How to Smoke the Best Whole Turkey on YouTube!
How to Smoke the Best Whole Turkey Ingredients:
- 16 lb. frozen turkey (Let it thaw before you start the brining process.)
Turkey Brine Recipe:
- 1 white onion
- 1 red apple
- 4 stalks celery
- 1 lime
- 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons thyme leaves
- 1 large orange
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
Marinade, injection, and wet rub:
- 3 bulbs garlic roasted with olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 3 sticks salted butter
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
Seasoning Outside of turkey:
- 1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Cavity of turkey:
- 1 red apple
- 1 lemon
How to Smoke the Best Whole Turkey Instructions:
Making the wet brine:
- First, pour 1 gallon of cold water into a large pot and heat it on the stove over high heat.
- Second, chop the onion, apple, oranges, celery, lemon, lime, garlic and fresh ginger.
- Third, add the chopped vegetables to the large pot of water.
- Next, add brown sugar, black pepper, thyme leaves, and salt to the vegetables and water.
- Then, bring the mixture to a boil to dissolve the sugar and salt.
- Finally, turn the heat off once the salt and sugar are dissolved.
- If you will brine the turkey immediately, add a lot of ice to the brine to cool it as quickly as possible.
Brining the turkey:
- First, add a lot of ice straight to the hot brine to decrease the temperature quickly. You don’t want to place the raw turkey in a hot brine. (If you have time to let the brine cool to room temperature, that would work great, too, but we are moving quickly.)
- Second, place the turkey into a clean 5-gallon bucket and pour the cooled brine over the raw turkey.
- Third, cover the entire turkey with an extra layer of ice, place the lid on the bucket, and store it in a cool area. We sat our bucket outside because the temperature was cool enough.
- Finally, Let the turkey brine for 24 hours.
Making the roasted garlic:
- First, take three bulbs of garlic and chop the heads off them.
- Second, rub a generous amount of olive oil over the exposed garlic.
- Third, wrap the garlic bulbs in aluminum foil.
- Next, roast the garlic in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.
- Then, remove the roasted garlic from the oven and squeeze the bottom of the bulbs to remove the roasted garlic cloves.
- Finally, mash the roasted garlic cloves with a fork and set aside.
Making the marinade/injection:
- First, melt three sticks of salted butter and add to a mixing bowl.
- Second, add the roasted garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt to the butter.
- Finally, use an immersion blender to incorporate roasted garlic into the melted butter and spices fully.
Prepping/Injecting the turkey:
- First, remove the turkey from the brine and place it onto a baking sheet.
- Second, dry the turkey with paper towels. This will help eliminate all liquid and give the finished turkey crispy skin.
- Third, take an injection needle and fill it up with the butter marinade mixture.
- Next, put the injection needle underneath the skin, straight into the breast meat, and inject the butter marinade.
- Continue injecting the different areas of the turkey with the butter marinade until 1/4 of the marinade has been used. Ensure you inject the butter marinade into the legs, wings, breasts, and thighs.
- Then, slide your hand between the skin and meat of the turkey on the breasts to separate the two, and using your hands, rub 1/4 of the butter marinade.
- Rub another 1/4 of the butter marinade all over the outside of the turkey.
- Finally, sprinkle a final seasoning of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper all over both sides of the turkey.
Stuffing/tying the turkey:
- First, chop the apple and lemon into large pieces and stuff them inside the seasoned and injected turkey cavity. This step isn’t so much about flavor as it is about giving the cavity support so that it doesn’t collapse during cooking.
- Next, take some kitchen twine and tie up the legs of the turkey.
- Finally, tuck the wings of the turkey underneath the body. The turkey should be sitting breast side up.
Prepping the pellet smoker and smoking the turkey:
- First, let the pellet grill do one complete white smoke cycle.
- Second, let the grill come up to 300 degrees F.
- Third, place the brined, injected, and seasoned turkey onto the grill grates inside of the grill and close the lid.
- Smoke the turkey for 3 – 4 hours or until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 160 degrees F. (Use a meat thermometer to check this. We always check the thickest part of the breast and use an instant-read thermometer.)
- At the halfway mark, take the remaining 1/4 of the butter marinade, and using a pastry brush, baste the turkey all over.
- Take the turkey off the grill and rest for at least 20 minutes. This will allow the turkey to finish the cooking process and reach 165 degrees F. and also let the juices redistribute for a super flavorful and moist bird.
- Finally, carve your turkey and serve with your favorite sides!
Storage for the Best Whole Smoked Turkey:
- Leftover turkey can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
What are the Macros for the Best Whole Smoked Turkey?
Makes 36 servings (Nutritional information below is for 1 serving = 8 oz.)
- Calories – 411
- Protein – 42 grams
- Carbs – .75 grams (net)
- Fat – 23.6 grams
Check out some of my other Thanksgiving recipes!
The BEST Stovetop Southern Cornbread Dressing
Better than Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad
If you try this recipe and love it, please consider giving it 5 STARS.
Also, tag me on:
- Instagram – @jessie.w.thompson
- Facebook – @Jessie’s Food, Faith, and Family
- TikTok – @jessiesfoodfaithandfam
How to Smoke the Best Whole Turkey
Today, I want to share a recipe that most people think is too difficult to attempt at home. But I will prove that isn't true. This is my brother's best smoked turkey recipe. It's now become a tradition that my brother, Colby, makes the Thanksgiving turkey, and I'm not complaining! This delicious smoked turkey is super moist, flavorful, and easy to make. Don't believe me? Well, don't just take my word for it. Let me show you how to smoke the best whole turkey, and you can try it for yourself!
Equipment
- 1 Pellet Grill/Smoker
- 1 Clean 5 Gallon Bucket with a lid
- 1 Large boiling pot
Ingredients
- 16 lb. frozen turkey Let it thaw before you start the brining process.
Turkey Brine Recipe:
- 1 white onion
- 1 red apple
- 4 stalks celery
- 1 lime
- 1 lemon
- 1 large orange
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
Marinade, injection, and wet rub:
- 3 bulbs garlic roasted with olive oil
- 3 sticks salted butter
- 2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
Seasoning Outside of turkey:
- 1 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Cavity of turkey:
- 1 red apple
- 1 lemon
Instructions
Making the wet brine:
- First, pour 1 gallon of cold water into a large pot and heat it on the stove over high heat.
- Second, chop the onion, apple, oranges, celery, lemon, lime, garlic and fresh ginger.
- Third, add the chopped vegetables to the large pot of water.
- Next, add brown sugar, black pepper, thyme leaves, and salt to the vegetables and water.
- Then, bring the mixture to a boil to dissolve the sugar and salt.
- Finally, turn the heat off once the salt and sugar are dissolved.
Brining the turkey:
- First, add a lot of ice straight to the hot brine to decrease the temperature quickly. You don’t want to place the raw turkey in a hot brine. (If you have time to let the brine cool to room temperature, that would work great, too, but we are moving quickly.)
- Second, place the turkey into a clean 5-gallon bucket and pour the cooled brine over the raw turkey.
- Third, cover the entire turkey with an extra layer of ice, place the lid on the bucket, and store it in a cool area. We sat our bucket outside because the temperature was cool enough.
- Finally, Let the turkey brine for 24 hours.
Making the roasted garlic:
- First, take three bulbs of garlic and chop the heads off them.
- Second, rub a generous amount of olive oil over the exposed garlic.
- Third, wrap the garlic bulbs in aluminum foil.
- Next, roast the garlic in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.
- Then, remove the roasted garlic from the oven and squeeze the bottom of the bulbs to remove the roasted garlic cloves.
- Finally, mash the roasted garlic cloves with a fork and set aside.
Making the marinade/injection:
- First, melt three sticks of salted butter and add to a mixing bowl.
- Second, add the roasted garlic, Italian seasoning, and salt to the butter.
- Finally, use an immersion blender to incorporate roasted garlic into the melted butter and spices fully.
Prepping/Injecting the turkey:
- First, remove the turkey from the brine and place it onto a baking sheet.
- Second, dry the turkey with paper towels. This will help eliminate all liquid and give the finished turkey crispy skin.
- Third, take an injection needle and fill it up with the butter marinade mixture.
- Next, put the injection needle underneath the skin, straight into the breast meat, and inject the butter marinade.
- Continue injecting the different areas of the turkey with the butter marinade until 1/4 of the marinade has been used. Ensure you inject the butter marinade into the legs, wings, breasts, and thighs.
- Then, slide your hand between the skin and meat of the turkey on the breasts to separate the two, and using your hands, rub 1/4 of the butter marinade.
- Rub another 1/4 of the butter marinade all over the outside of the turkey.
- Finally, sprinkle a final seasoning of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper all over both sides of the turkey.
Stuffing/tying the turkey:
- First, chop the apple and lemon into large pieces and stuff them inside the seasoned and injected turkey cavity. This step isn’t so much about flavor as it is about giving the cavity support so that it doesn’t collapse during cooking.
- Next, take some kitchen twine and tie up the legs of the turkey.
- Finally, tuck the wings of the turkey underneath the body. The turkey should be sitting breast side up.
Prepping the pellet smoker and smoking the turkey:
- First, let the pellet grill do one complete white smoke cycle.
- Second, let the grill come up to 300 degrees F.
- Third, place the brined, injected, and seasoned turkey onto the grill grates inside of the grill and close the lid.
- Smoke the turkey for 3 – 4 hours or until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 160 degrees F. (Use a meat thermometer to check this. We always check the thickest part of the breast and use an instant-read thermometer.)
- At the halfway mark, take the remaining 1/4 of the butter marinade, and using a pastry brush, baste the turkey all over.
- Take the turkey off the grill and rest for at least 20 minutes. This will allow the turkey to finish the cooking process and reach 165 degrees F. and also let the juices redistribute for a super flavorful and moist bird.
- Finally, carve your turkey and serve with your favorite sides!
Video
Notes
Makes 36 servings (Nutritional information below is for 1 serving = 8 oz.)
Calories – 411
Protein – 42 grams
Carbs – .75 grams (net)
Fat – 23.6 grams
