A properly cooked turkey with all the trimmings is a true sight to behold. The star of any Thanksgiving feast.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much room in the oven for anything else when cooking a 15-pound thunder chicken because it takes up a lot of kitchen space.
By smoking your turkey, you can use your oven for other recipes and transform your ordinary bird into a delicious, smoky barbecue.
Hence, continue reading to learn how to smoke a turkey in an electric smoker if you have a small kitchen but a great desire to serve up mouthwatering new takes on holiday classics.
Hey there, fellow grill masters and smoke enthusiasts! Are you craving a succulent, smoky turkey breast that will tantalize your taste buds and leave you craving for more? Look no further than Masterbuilt’s Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe, a culinary masterpiece that’s guaranteed to impress even the most discerning palate.
This recipe is not just about throwing a turkey breast on the smoker and calling it a day. It’s about infusing the meat with incredible flavor through a unique injection marinade and a carefully selected seasoning blend. The result is a juicy, tender, and smoky turkey breast that will have your guests raving about your culinary prowess.
Ingredients:
- Main:
- 1 (6 to 7 oz) buttery Creole marinade (your preferred brand)
- 1 turkey breast (6 to 7 lbs)
- 1/2 cup your favorite seasoning
- Optional:
- Hickory wood chips (for added smokiness)
Instructions:
- Preheat your smoker to 225°F. This low and slow cooking method ensures that the turkey breast cooks evenly and retains its moisture.
- Prepare the turkey breast. Wash it thoroughly and pat it dry with paper towels. Using a marinade injection syringe, inject the turkey breast with the Creole marinade in several locations. This will infuse the meat with flavor from the inside out.
- Season the turkey breast generously with your favorite seasoning. Don’t be shy! This is your chance to add your personal touch and create a flavor profile that suits your taste.
- Place the turkey breast on the middle rack of your smoker. Close the lid and let the magic happen.
- Smoke the turkey breast for 4 ½ to 5 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your turkey breast, so be sure to use a meat thermometer to ensure it’s cooked through.
- Let the turkey breast rest for 10-15 minutes before carving and serving. This allows the juices to redistribute, resulting in a more tender and flavorful bird.
Tips and Tricks:
- For an extra smoky flavor, add a handful of hickory wood chips to the smoker box during the preheating process.
- If you don’t have a marinade injection syringe, you can simply rub the marinade all over the surface of the turkey breast.
- Be sure to use a sharp knife when carving the turkey breast. This will help you achieve clean, even slices.
- Serve the smoked turkey breast with your favorite sides, such as mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, or stuffing.
Masterbuilt’s Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe is a culinary masterpiece that’s sure to impress your family and friends. With its juicy, tender, and smoky flavor, this dish is perfect for any special occasion. So fire up your smoker, grab your ingredients, and get ready to create a culinary masterpiece that will leave everyone wanting more.
Additional Resources:
- Masterbuilt’s website: https://www.masterbuilt.com/
- Masterbuilt’s Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe: https://www.masterbuilt.com/blogs/recipes/smoked-turkey-breast
- Tips for smoking turkey breast: https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-smoke-a-turkey-breast-995798
What would chips are best for smoking turkey?
You might want to try apple, cherry, peach, maple, or any of the other options in our list of turkey smoke woods; wood chips with a slightly sweet flavor go well with poultry.
I’ll often use a mix of apple and hickory wood chips throughout the smoke. I think turkey meat is nicely complemented by the combination of the strong smoke flavor of hickory wood and the sweetness of applewood.
Turkey meat isn’t as delicate as fish, but using pure hickory or mesquite can be slightly overpowering.
To ensure that your turkey smokes consistently and doesn’t develop unsightly colonies of bacteria that ruin days, make sure it has been properly thawed out.
You might need to begin the process up to a week before Thanksgiving if you intend to brine your turkey for a few days. This is because you’ll need to give the turkey enough time to thaw before brining.
We have compiled a comprehensive guide on defrosting turkeys to make the process as simple as possible, but here are a few key points to keep in mind:
- For every 4-5 pounds (1 kg), allow about 24 hours for the defrosting process. 8-2. 2kg) of turkey to make sure it is properly thawed.
- Defrosting your turkey at room temperature is a terrible idea. Bacteria such as Salmonella or Campylobacter will grow colonies every 20 minutes at this temperature.
- Washing your turkey in the sink just makes everything and you more contaminated with bacteria.
Brining is the process of soaking meat in a solution of water, salt, and flavorings to make it more tender. This method is called ‘wet brining. ’.
The brine of your turkey allows the salt to seep into the meat, breaking down proteins and flavoring the meat. A good brine enhances the taste of smoked turkey and helps to keep it moist.
Some people argue that wet brining is a waste of ingredients, and that you only need to salt the meat. I’ve tried both and I generally wet brine for a special occasion.
Use our turkey wet brine recipe, but feel free to experiment with different combinations of aromatics.
Toss to combine, then add all ingredients to a pot, stir, and add water. Bring to a gentle boil.
Let the mixture cool and add some more cold water or ice.
You can use a large container with a sealed lid or a brine bag. Use an insulated cooler and keep adding ice to it as it melts if your refrigerator is too small.
After the allotted time has passed, remove the turkey from the brine and use paper towels to pat it dry.
Choose the perfect turkey
The first thing to figure out is how many hungry turkey eaters you’ll host. One pound of turkey, after the giblets and bones have been removed, provides approximately half a pound of flavorful smoked turkey meat for each adult.
So, if you’re hosting 10-12 guests, you need a turkey that weighs around 10 to 12 pounds.
Generally smaller turkeys in that range are better for smoking.
Always consider the size of your smoker. The majority of electric smokers come with detachable racks, so you should have adequate vertical room, though that does take up room if you also want to smoke other things.
Turkeys also come in a range of types, from self-basting to heritage. For a full breakdown of exactly what those terms mean, check out our turkey buying guide.
The first step is to thaw your turkey without getting food poisoning because, like most Americans, there’s a good chance you’ll be purchasing it frozen.
How to Smoke a Turkey in Masterbuilt Electric Smoker | Dry Brine, Inject & Season
FAQ
How long does it take to smoke a turkey on a Masterbuilt electric smoker?
Do you wrap a turkey with foil on an electric smoker?
Should I use water in pan when smoking a turkey electric smoker?
Is it better to smoke a turkey at 225 or 250?