Traeger Smoked Turkey: A Journey to Flavorful Perfection

When it comes to the holiday season, we all know turkey is the undisputed king. There’s nothing like a massive bird adorned with decorations on Christmas Day, and Thanksgiving would be nearly meaningless without the country’s most recognizable game bird. If you smoke your turkey to perfection, it will be perfectly cooked and your home will be filled with happy people.

Turkeys can be prepared in a variety of ways, and many of us grew up eating overdone birds. There’s nothing wrong with roasting. The best roast turkeys are gorgeous to behold with delicious, crispy skin. But given that smoked turkey is the stuff of holiday feast legend, we believe it’s about time you broke with tradition.

Theres no single way to make “smoked turkey. The ultimate objective is to achieve a natural smoke flavor, and there are numerous methods to do so.

We’ll walk you through a few of the various approaches in this guide so you can select the one that works best for you.

If you’re ready to join the revolution but are worried Traegering a turkey could be tricky, don’t panic. Not only does smoking produce an incredible bird, it’s also a whole lot easier than roasting. After you do all your prep, smoked turkey is pretty much fool-proof. Just follow our comprehensive guide, and we promise this Thanksgiving will be one for the history books.

We must first discuss how to select the ideal turkey for your special day before discussing how long to smoke a turkey or what kind of brine to use.

The size of turkey you’ll need to smoke depends on the number of guests. The general rule of thumb for buying turkey is 1 1/2 lbs. per person.

But be warned if youre feeding a big group. We advise staying with a turkey that weighs no more than 16 pounds before rushing out to find the largest one you can find. Why? Because almost all birds over 16 pounds are almost certainly male, and male turkeys are not as tender as females. If you cook a large male bird, your meat will be a little bit tougher.

For this reason, smoking several smaller turkeys or adding a bone-in turkey breast to your whole bird is the best option if you’re cooking for a large holiday gathering. It will also take less time to smoke smaller birds.

In addition to turkey size, you should also be wary of bird quality. Do yourself a favor and stay away from any labels in the meat aisle that say “enhanced” or “basted.” You give up control over your preferred flavor profile if you purchase a turkey whose flavor has already been altered. You’ll also probably be paying extra for water weight and not getting as much meat as you’re expecting.

Finally, always buy fresh. If you’re cooking for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you’ll need to be on your A-game. Many stores don’t have these birds in large quantities until the week before a holiday, but you can usually order a fresh turkey ahead of time. Ideally, buy your turkey no more than four or five days before you’re planning to smoke it.

Fresh turkey not an option? It’s not a crime to buy frozen. You’re just going to need to commit more time to the cause. For every five pounds of turkey, it typically takes 24 hours to thaw, meaning that a 16-pound turkey could take three days to thaw.

After choosing the right turkey, you need to get your brine ready. Brine is the foundation of every legendary turkey. It’s what gets your meat ready for smoking and gives your turkey meat all of those savory, earthy flavors.

It’s all a matter of salt concentration. Your brine’s salts cause a delectable chemical reaction that allows the liquid to seep into your meat’s cells. The salt keeps the brine liquid from leaving the meat cells once it has entered them, so the flavors you’ve added will gradually seep into the meat of your bird.

We recommend you brine your bird for 24 hours. If you’re low on time, even an hour or two in a brine bath is better than nothing. You can also inject brine directly into your turkey prior to smoking.

First, you’ll need a liquid of some kind. Plain water, beer, or stock are excellent choices if you want to go for a traditional savory flavor. If you’re looking for something sweeter, add a few cups of vinegar, juice or wine. Our maple-brined turkey recipe even includes a hearty glug of bourbon. It all depends on your palate.

Next, you need salt. You’ll typically want to add half a cup of salt for every gallon of liquid used.

Finally, you need to add your herbs and spices. A lot of recipes will call for celery, carrots, onions, and other typical bird accompaniments like sage. Add all these ingredients together on medium-high heat until your salt dissolves, and then let cool. Make sure your brine is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit before you add it to the turkey.

Check out our orange brine and turkey rub kit if you want to save time by skipping this step or just want to enjoy some tried-and-true flavor combinations.

Many store-bought turkeys come with giblets — the liver, heart, gizzard, and neck of the animal. Usually, the giblets are in a paper bag in the turkey cavity. You can use the giblets to add flavor and texture to homemade turkey gravy.

If you arent planning to use the giblets, you still need to remove them. Leaving them in during smoking will increase cooking time and could give an off-smell to the final product.

After your turkey is done resting, most recipes will call for some sort of rub. A well-prepared poultry rub brings out the meat’s inherent flavor and gives the skin a delicious hue.

Trussing a turkey means securing the legs close to the body of the bird. Some store-bought turkeys come with a built-in plastic truss. You can also use kitchen twine to tie the ends of the legs together.

The point of trussing is to make the surface of the bird a more regular shape. Sometimes, this can prevent hotspots on certain parts of the bird, which could dry out the meat.

Experts at Traeger BBQ say you can smoke a turkey with stuffing inside, and this is a common technique. Youll put the stuffing into the cavity of the turkey during the preparation process. As the turkey cooks, the stuffing does too.

Your bird will release flavorful, luscious bits of fat to the bottom of the cooking surface as it cooks. You can incorporate turkey drippings into your turkey gravy. Once the turkey is done cooking, remove the bird and strain the remaining liquid into a container. Add the strained drippings into your gravy.

High to Low Method

Cooking a turkey in your Traeger on high to low heat preserves flavor and promotes crispy skin. After setting the bird’s temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit for the last 30 minutes of cooking on High, you

Turkey Times and Temperatures

According to our experts, the biggest mistake people make when smoking a turkey is not allowing enough time for cooking. You should plan for an hour a pound but always gauge doneness by internal temperature. For poultry, 165 degrees Fahrenheit is recommended. Internal temp is how you’ll ultimately be able to be sure your turkey is smoking evenly. The best way to keep track of your internal temperature is with a MEATER wireless meat thermometer.

Pellet grills are ideal for an even cook because they’re built to circulate hot air throughout. That means all you need to do is use a temperature probe to check the thickest part of the breast and make sure the meat reaches 165 degrees. When your breast reaches this temperature, the thighs should be around 180 degrees.

How you get there is up to you. Here are four popular methods of cooking Thanksgiving turkey.

The PERFECT TURKEY on a Traeger Pellet Grill | Holiday Recipes

FAQ

How long does a 20lb turkey take on a Traeger?

How long does it take to smoke a turkey on a Traeger at 225?

Should I use a roasting pan for turkey in the Traeger?

Is it better to smoke a turkey at 225 or 250?