How To Smoke a Turkey Smoked Turkey Recipe BBQ Recipes. Smoking a turkey is absolutely the best way to cook a whole turkey. Smoked%20Turkey-2%20copy.jpg' alt='Smoking A Turkey' title='Smoking A Turkey' />The flavors cant be beat and it is so juicy and so moist that you will never cook your holiday turkeys in the oven or the fryer ever again. Most people dont get to have the luxury of having a perfectly smoked turkey, but with your smoker and this recipes. Turkey recipe on how to slow smoke a whole turkey with a turkey brine and have a moist and delicious smoked turkey recipe. Smoke turkey in an electric smoker with ease. These tips from CharBroil will ensure you have a juicy, tasty turkey. How To Smoke a Perfect Turkey Article by Brad Bolton Another great cooking method to take your turkey flavors to another level is to cook a Smoked Turkey. Turkey and smoke are a natural pairing, as anyone whos looked at a deli case can tell you, but theres a difference between coldcut smoked turkey, with its hamlike. Smoked turkey is a treat for the holidays. Much more flavorful than oven roasted, this is the best method for making the best possible turkey. When preparing a smoked turkey, brining before its smoked improves texture and moistness. Seasonings and smoke add flavor. I know what youre thinking. But Russ, it just turned October, and youre already posting about Thanksgiving turkey While thats true, theres a simple explanation. BBQ skills. I have tried about every method there is for cooking turkey from roasting it to deep frying it, but slow smoking a turkey is the way to go. I have never had another turkey from anywhere that was as as moist and delicious as when I smoke it. I like to brine my turkeys for 2. If you want to skip the brine, it will turn out just fine. I do think that the brine creates a moister turkey and I highly recommend it if you have the time. Brine for Smoked Turkey 2 gallons of tap water. Brown Sugar. 1 cup Molasses. Honey. 1 cup Salt cup Killer Hogs The BBQ Rub. Bay Leaves. Fresh Thyme Bundle. Tbsp Whole Peppercorns. In a large stock pot bring 1 gallon of water to a boil and add the brown sugar, molasses, honey, bbq rub, and bay leaves. Once the ingredients have dissolved turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool. I make this the night before and refrigerate until time to brine. Place the turkey in a large plastic bag then place it in a cooler. If you can find the XL storage Ziplock bags, they will work the best. I have used a new kitchen trash bagPour the brine over the turkey and add the other 1 gallon of water. Make sure you have the bag already in cooler because it makes this process a lot easier. The turkey should be submerged in the liquid. Now you just have to keep your turkey cold for 2. If its cold outside I always keep my cooler in my garage. Of course, if you have a big enough pot you can skip the bag and the cooler and just put the turkey straight into your refrigerator, but my wife isnt willing to give up that much space in our frig this time of year. Now that your turkey has brined for 2. You want to make sure you wash it very good and remove any pieces inside the cavity and neck. Cut a couple apples in half and stuff in the cavity. I also add onion and celery. This will add mass to the turkey helping it cook even and gives it some additional flavor. To season the turkey skin I use a mixture of 1 cup Kosher Salt. Granulated Garlic. Tbsp Poultry Seasoning. First spray the outside of the turkey with cooking spray to help the seasonings stick to the skin and keep the outside from getting to dark. Apply the seasoning mix to the outside making sure to cover everything then apply a light layer of Killer Hogs The BBQ Rub. The next step is to inject the turkey. You can use a store bought injection like Tonys Creole Butter, but I created my own version. Heres the recipe Turkey Butter Injection. Tbsp hot sauce. 1 tsp Granulated Garlic. Cajun Seasoning I used Louisiana brandMelt the butter in a sauce pan and add the chicken broth, hot sauce, garlic, and Cajun seasoning. Spring Roll. Whisk the ingredients together and remove from heat once incorporated. It doesnt need to come to a boil. Let the injection cool and shoot it into the turkey. You can check out the BDI Injector I used in my video here Hit the breast in 3 4 locations on each side and do the same for the legs and thighs. Before placing the turkey on the smoker, use butcher twine to secure the legs and wings. Let your bird come to room temp about 3. Your smoker needs to be up to operating temp 2. Setting your temp higher at 2. It normally takes about 3 3 12 hours to get it to the proper internal temp, but as you know some cookers cook differently. Different people will tell you to cook your turkey to all different temps. Really, its a personal preference. I want to take mine to 1. Larger birds may need to go to higher temps but 1. If you can grab the leg and it feels like its coming off, its done. To make your life a lot easier every BBQer and griller needs a Thermapen an instant read thermometer. And using a DOT probe thermometer will allow you to monitor the Turkey while you cook and even set to alarm when it hits the right internal temp. When you stick the turkey, juices should run out clear. There should be no trace of blood or pink colored liquid. I start checking the internal about the 2 hour mark just to see where it is. At this point if the outside is starting to get dark, Ill lay a piece of aluminum foil over it. The foil acts as a tent and will prevent the skin from browning any further. Once I see a temp of 1. You can baste your turkey with apple juice every few hours to give it more flavor and keep it really moist. I let my turkey smoke for 2 hours, then check my coals and then take a look see at the bird. If it looks dark, give it a good spray. If it looks fine, check it out in another 3. Keep a good smoke on it the entire time and start checking the internal temp after 1 hrs. If you do notice that the turkey is getting darker than you want it, Take a big piece of aluminum foil and tent the bird. This will keep it from getting any darker. Remove the turkey once you get it to the proper internal temp and allow it to rest before carving. If you dont let it rest, all of the juice will run out when you start carving resulting in a dry turkey. Get my Smoked Bone In Turkey Breast Recipe Here.