Masterin’ Smoked Turkey the Aaron Franklin Way, Y’all

As someone who loves smokin’ meat in my backyard, I’m always lookin’ to pick up tips from the best in the business. And when it comes to smoked turkey, no one does it better than the legendary Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue in Austin, Texas. If you wanna learn how to make tender, juicy, smokey turkey with a perfect pink smoke ring like Aaron, here’s how to master his technique from start to finish.

Pickin’ the Right Turkey

• Aaron swears by fresh, never-frozen turkeys from small, local farms. The meat has more flavor and juiciness than a big ol’ frozen Butterball from the grocery store.
• For the best results, go for a free-range heritage breed like a Narragansett, Bourbon Red or Standard Bronze. These birds develop way more flavor walkin’ around than those cooped up in factories.
• Figure 1 turkey per 8 to 12 folks. You’ll want a 12 to 16 pounder for the ideal cookin’ time.
• No need to brine it! The natural juices will be juicy enough.

Gettin’ Your Tools in Order

You’ll need

• A good size smoker – Franklin uses an offset smoker with a firebox on the side.
• Lump charcoal – avoid briquettes with fillers. Go natural!
• Smokin’ wood – Franklin likes post oak logs. I use hickory chips in mine.
• Meat thermometer – track that internal temp!
• Disposable foil pan – to catch the drippings.
• Spritzer bottle – for spritzin’ on some apple juice every now and then.

Seasonin’ Simply

• Franklin keeps the seasoning real simple – just salt and pepper. Use around 2 Tbsp kosher salt and 2 tsp fresh cracked pepper.
• He seasons the night before for the flavors to penetrate deep. But seasonin’ right before the smoke works too.
• Rub the seasoning all over the turkey, inside and out. Get in those crevices!
• Don’t bother trussin’ it. You want even cookin’.

Smokin’ Low and Slow

Here’s the fun part! Fire up the smoker with your charcoal and wood, Then

• Place the turkey breast-side up in a disposable foil pan and pop it in the smoker.
• Keep the temp between 225°F and 275°F.
• Every 45 mins, spritz the turkey with apple juice to keep it moist.
• Smoke for around 5 hours until the breast hits 160°F and the thighs are 175°F.

The low n’ slow method lets that smokey flavor sink right in.

Restin’ and Carvin’

• When the turkey hits temp, take it off the smoker and let it rest for 30 mins. This lets the juices redistribute.
• Now just carve it up! Slice the breast meat and serve the legs whole.
• Don’t forget to scoop up the rendered turkey fat from the pan to make a killer gravy.