Are you looking for a delicious and easy way to cook turkey breast? Look no further than smoked turkey breast! This method is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other special occasion.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about smoking turkey breast, from choosing the right cut of meat to achieving the perfect level of doneness. We’ll also provide you with two fantastic recipes from renowned pitmasters, Martin Earl and Jeff Phillips.
Smoked Turkey Breast: The Basics
Choosing the Right Cut of Meat
For smoking you’ll want to choose a boneless, skinless turkey breast. This will ensure that the meat cooks evenly and doesn’t dry out. You can find boneless skinless turkey breasts at most grocery stores.
Brining the Turkey Breast
Brining is an essential step in smoking turkey breast. It helps to keep the meat moist and flavorful. There are many different brining recipes available, but a simple brine made with water, salt, and sugar is all you need.
Seasoning the Turkey Breast
Once the turkey breast is brined, it’s time to season it. You can use your favorite poultry rub or simply season it with salt and pepper.
Smoking the Turkey Breast
The ideal temperature for smoking turkey breast is between 225°F and 275°F. The cook time will vary depending on the size of the turkey breast, but it will typically take 3-4 hours.
Checking for Doneness
The best way to check for doneness is to use a meat thermometer, The turkey breast is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F
Two Fantastic Smoked Turkey Breast Recipes
Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe by Martin Earl
This recipe from Martin Earl, founder of Thermoworks, is a classic that’s sure to please everyone at the table
Ingredients:
- 2 boneless, skinless turkey breast halves
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- BBQ rub or another seasoning
- 1 C kosher salt
- 1/2 C sugar (optional)
- Other brine ingredients, optional (we used a half bottle of hot sauce)
Instructions:
- Brine the meat: Combine the cup of kosher salt (and the sugar if using) with one gallon of water. Stir to combine until all the salt is dissolved.
- Place the breasts in the brine and put the brine in the refrigerator for 3–6 hours.
- Cook the turkey: As the meat approaches the end of its brining time, preheat your smoker to 275°F (135°C). If using BillowsTM BBQ Control Fan, set the fan-control channel on your Smoke X2 for that temp.
- Remove the meat from the brine and discard the brine.
- Pat the meat dry with paper towels.
- Smear the mayo onto the surface of the meat, scraping it with a gloved finger so that only a bare coat remains.
- Season the breasts on both sides with your favorite poultry rub.
- Place the turkey in the smoker and probe a breast with your Smoke X2. Set the high-temp alarm for 157°F (69°C).
- Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 157°F (69°C).
- Remove the turkey from the smoker and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Smoked Boneless Turkey Breast for Thanksgiving Recipe by Jeff Phillips
This recipe from Jeff Phillips, pitmaster and founder of Smoking-Meat.com, is perfect for Thanksgiving.
Ingredients:
- Boneless turkey breasts (each one weighs about 3 lbs and feeds 5 to 6 people)
- Turkey brine recipe (below)
- Cooking oil
- Jeff’s original rub
Instructions:
- Make the Brine: Get the brine made up a day or two early so it can cool down in the fridge before you need to use it.
- Initial Prep: There’s not a lot to do to these boneless wonders. Remove the outside packaging but leave them in the net they come in as this holds them in that football shape while they cook.
- Brining the Turkey Breast(s): Place the netted turkey breasts into a large zip top bag and pour brine over them to cover.
- Seal the bag and place it down in a larger bowl in case of leakage.
- Brine the turkey in the fridge for about 4 hours.
- When the brining is complete, rinse the turkey breasts under cold water and discard the brining liquid.
- Season the Turkey with Jeff’s Original Rub: Once again, leave the nets in place around the turkey breasts.
- Brush some cooking oil onto the turkey breasts and season liberally with Jeff’s original rub.
- Set Up Smoker: Setup your smoker for cooking at 225-240°F with indirect heat. Fill the water pan if your smoker has one.
- Make sure you have enough wood for 3-4 hours of smoke. I used apple wood for these but any good smoking wood will work great.
- Let the smoker preheat for about 30 minutes and you are good to go.
- Smoke the Turkey: Place the turkey on a Weber grill pan or a Bradley rack for easy transport to and from the smoker. You can also use an ordinary cooling rack for this.
- Set the pan or rack on the smoker grate and close the door to let the cooking commence.
- You can expect these boneless turkey breasts to take about 3.5 to 4 hours but time is not an indicator of when the turkey is done.
- Remember that the only way to know if your turkey is both safe to eat and not overcooked is with an accurate digital thermometer.
- I monitored the temperature of my smoker and the turkey breasts with the “Smoke” thermometer by Thermoworks and I have been so impressed with this new smoking gadget!
- The main part of the unit stays outside by the smoker.
- The receiver part of the unit goes around your neck, in your pocket or on the table next to where you are.
- This is the best product that’s come out in a long time for us smokers.. range is about 300 feet, big, easy to read numbers, batteries last 1800 hours, it lights up, it’s splash proof and it’s super easy to set the high and low alarms.
- The best part is that it comes paired together from the factory so when you turn it on, it’s immediately ready to go.
- Get your hands on one of these and you’ll see what I mean.. it looks and feels extremely tough. Check it out!
- Turkey is safely done at 165°F however, as we’ve discussed before, turkey tends to keep cooking for several minutes after you remove it from the heat.
- I usually figure on about 3 degrees of carryover cooking on these and to be on the conservative side of safe, I remove them from the heat at 162°F.
- Finish and Serve: When the boneless turkey breast has reached 162°F, remove it from the heat immediately and carry it into the house.
- Tent a loose piece of foil over it and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. During this time, it will rise to 165°F and the juices inside will redistribute throughout the turkey.
- When the rest time is finished, remove the netting with scissors or a sharp knife. Be careful so you don’t disturb the rub crust on the outside more than is necessary.
- Slice the boneless turkey breast into ½ inch pieces and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temp do you pull smoked turkey breast?
The ideal temperature to pull smoked turkey breast is 165°F. However, you can remove it from the smoker at 162°F and let it rest for 10-15 minutes. During this time, the internal temperature will rise to 165°F.
How long does it take to smoke a turkey breast?
The cook time for smoked turkey breast will vary depending on the size of the breast, but it will typically take 3-4 hours.
Can I smoke a turkey breast without brining it?
You can smoke a turkey breast without brining it, but it will not be as moist and flavorful. Brining helps to keep the meat moist and tender.
What kind of wood should I use to smoke turkey breast?
Apple, hickory, and pecan are all good choices of wood for smoking turkey breast.
What should I serve with smoked turkey breast?
Smoked turkey breast is delicious served with a variety of side dishes, such as mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and green bean casserole.
Additional Resources
- Thermoworks Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe: https://blog.thermoworks.com/turkey/smoked-turkey-breast/
- Smoking-Meat.com Smoked Boneless Turkey Breast for Thanksgiving Recipe: https://www.smoking-meat.com/november-17-2016-smoked-boneless-turkey-breast-for-thanksgiving
- National Turkey Federation: https://www.eatturkey.com/