The Masterbuilt 560 electric smoker makes smoking tender, juicy turkey easy even for beginners. With proper preparation and using the right techniques, you can turn out amazing smoked turkey for holidays and anytime.
Why Smoke Your Turkey on the Masterbuilt 560?
There are several excellent reasons to use the Masterbuilt 560 instead of roasting your turkey in the oven:
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Incredible smoky flavor – The smoker infuses the meat with delicious flavor you can’t get from an oven. The smoke tenderizes and seasons the turkey inside and out.
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Moist and tender – The low, slow smoking cooks the turkey gently, breaking down proteins for moist, tender meat. No dried out birds!
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Precise temperature control – With the Masterbuilt 560 handling the temperature settings, smoking turkey is foolproof. No worrying about burning or undercooking.
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Hands-off cooking – Once loaded in the smoker, the turkey smokes to perfection without needing to babysit it
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Gorgeous presentation – A beautifully bronzed smoked turkey makes a stunning centerpiece
How the Masterbuilt 560 Smoker Delivers Perfect Results
The Masterbuilt 560 has features that make it excellently suited for smoking birds up to 20 pounds:
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945 square inches of cooking space – Plenty of room for sizable turkeys with extra space.
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Accurate temperature dial – Easily set and maintain ideal smoking temp from 100°F to 275°F.
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Automatic wood feeding – Holds hours worth of wood chips to produce consistent smoke.
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Dual meat probes – Monitor temps without opening the smoker.
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Insulated body – Helps hold in heat for stable temperatures.
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Grease management – Detachable drip pan and easy cleanout system.
With the Masterbuilt 560 handling the temperature and smoke, all you need to focus on is preparing the turkey.
Turkey Prep Tips for Smoking Success
Properly preparing the turkey is crucial for best results:
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16-18 lb. size – Too large and they won’t smoke evenly. Too small and they may dry out.
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Safe thawing – Thaw 1 day per 4 lbs. in the fridge at 40°F or below.
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Dry brining – Gently dehydrate the skin uncovered in the fridge overnight.
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Generous seasoning – Coat all over with olive oil, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.
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Proper trussing – Truss wings and legs tightly to the breasts to maintain shape.
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Use a drip pan – Put disposable foil pan beneath filled with water for moisture.
Once prepped, load the turkey into the preheated smoker.
Step-By-Step Smoking Process
With the Masterbuilt 560 dialed into 275°F and filled with your favorite smoking wood, follow these steps:
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Place prepared turkey directly on racks, breast up. Insert meat probes avoiding bone.
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Smoke 4-5 hours, until breast temp reaches 165°F and thighs reach 175°F.
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Baste all over with butter or oil every hour for crispy, flavorful skin.
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Add more wood as needed to maintain thin blue smoke.
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Allow turkey to rest 20-30 minutes before carving to let juices absorb.
The Masterbuilt 560 delivers perfect results every time with minimal effort required on your part. Just prep, load, relax, and enjoy!
Handy Tips for Turkey Smoking Success
Use these pro tips and tricks to take your smoked turkey to the next level:
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Inject flavor – Inject broth, juice, or melted butter into the breasts and thighs for added moisture and taste.
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Stuff the cavity – Fill with aromatics like onions, apples, and herbs for flavor. Avoid bread stuffing.
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Crisp the skin – Bump temp to 300°F the last 30-60 minutes once meat is nearly done.
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Make turkey stock – Simmer neck, giblets, veggies in water while smoking turkey. Use for gravy.
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Let rest properly – Never slice into smoked turkey straight from the smoker. Waiting allows juices to absorb.
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Carve correctly – Place breast up on cutting board. Remove legs/wings, then slice breast across the grain.
Creative Flavor Ideas for Masterbuilt Smoked Turkey
The Masterbuilt 560 allows you to infuse any flavor profile into the turkey. Try unique wood and seasoning combinations:
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Apple Cider Smoked – Inject with cider, smoke with apple wood, baste with cider, maple syrup, and butter.
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Mediterranean Herb Smoked – Inject olive oil and lemon. Coat with oregano, thyme, rosemary. Baste with olive oil, wine, and lemon.
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Cajun Smoked – Inject Creole butter. Coat with Cajun seasoning. Baste with melted butter and Tony Chachere’s.
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Bourbon Smoked – Inject bourbon. Coat with brown sugar rub. Baste with bourbon, honey, and butter.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different woods, herbs, spices, juices, and more to find your perfect flavor.
FAQs About Smoking Turkey on the Masterbuilt 560
How long does it take to smoke a turkey?
12-15 lbs take 4-5 hours at 275°F. Larger birds up to 20 lbs may take up to 6 hours. Cook to 165°F breast, 175°F thighs.
What is the ideal smoking temperature?
Between 250-275°F. Higher than 300°F can cause drying. Lower than 225°F will extend cook times greatly.
Should you brine or inject a turkey?
Brining isn’t necessary but can help retain moisture. Injecting the breast and thighs adds flavor and juiciness.
What wood is best for smoking turkey?
Fruit woods like apple, cherry, pecan, and orange compliment turkey beautifully. Oak and hickory also work well.
Master Smoked Turkey on the Masterbuilt 560
The Masterbuilt 560 electric smoker takes the guesswork out of smoking tender, juicy turkey. With the right preparation and cooking techniques, you can achieve the perfect bird, beautifully bronzed and full of flavor. Show off your smoking skills by serving smoked turkey this holiday season or anytime a tasty bird is called for.
Camp Chef Vertical XXL Pro Smoker – Biggest Smoker for Turkey
The Camp Chef XXL Pro Smoker must be one of the best value for money models based on it’s size.
Boasting a huge 1,806 square inches of cooking space inside a precise PID controlled cooking chamber, you can cook turkey for a crowd in here!
It’s vertical design means it won’t take up a huge amount of space in your backyard. They’ve added down and out ventilation to create very even heat distribution throughout. And, with WiFi you can control it all remotely too.
This smoker is a vertical pellet barbecue. So, it does burn hardwood pellets and needs electricity. But, one of the coolest things about the Camp Chef XXL Pro is that it gives you more control when it comes to how smoky you want your meat to be.
How does it do this when other pellet smokers don’t?
Firstly, you can set the smokiness of your pellets on a scale from 1 through to 10. But, it’s also got a cool Smoke Box where you can add charcoal, wood chunks or wood chips to customize your flavor even more.
Specializing in low and slow smoking, the Camp Chef XXL gives you the ability to be a bit more creative while still having the ease of set and forget smoking.
Perfect for turkey. But, it’ll get a good lot of use year round too.
Specs for the Camp Chef XXL Vertical Pellet Smoker
Fuel type: Hardwood pellets
Electricity required? Yes
Barbecue material: Dual layered stainless steel door
Grate material: Unspecified
Cooking capacity: 1,806 sq. in.
Pellet hopper capacity: 30 lbs
Temperature range: 150-300°F
Price guide: $$$
Model: PGSBXXL
Dimensions: 55(H) x 24(W) x 15.5(D)
Weight: 145 lbs
Warranty: 3 years
- Ample Cooking Space: The XXL Pro Vertical Smoker gives you lots of space with multiple, adjustable racks allowing you to smoke large turkeys or multiple birds at the same time.
- Precise Temperature Control: The PID digital temperature control system accurately maintains your set temperature for set and forget smoking.
- Customizable Smoke Flavor: You’re starting with hardwood pellet smoke but can add charcoal, wood chunks or woodchips to the Smoke Box for more control over smokiness and flavor.
- WiFi Control: Set, operate and watch your cook from your smartphone.
- Includes 2 Meat Probes: No extra meat thermometer required to monitor your turkey’s temperature and get it cooked just right.
- Dedicated Smoker Only: The low and slow temperature range means that there’s no grilling on this one.
- Requires Electricity: It’s a pellet smoker that needs electricity to run.