What’s not to love about smoked turkey? You get tasty and tender meat, and the smoky flavor is just irresistible. Even better, smoked turkey is healthier and has less calories than most other smoked meats, meaning you can indulge without feeling guilty.
Is good smoked turkey hard to find in your area? If so, you should consider making your own smoked turkey. It’s not as hard as you might think, and to prove it, we are about to show you how to smoke a turkey on a grill or smoker at home.
Smoking a turkey imparts an unbelievable depth of flavor that simply cannot be replicated with a traditional oven roast. The smokey, hearty taste is a fantastic way to elevate your holiday bird or weekday dinner. But many home cooks don’t own a designated smoker, and are unsure how to achieve those same smoky results without this specialized equipment.
Luckily with a few handy tips and tricks you can easily smoke a turkey to tender, juicy perfection using just a regular charcoal or gas grill. I’m going to walk through a complete step-by-step guide to smoking a turkey without a smoker, along with helpful advice and troubleshooting for success. Let’s get started!
The Benefits of a Smoked Turkey
Before we dive into the how-to, let’s look at why you should try smoking your turkey in the first place
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Incredible smoky flavor – Hardwood smoke permeates the meat, giving it a rich, savory taste. Apple, hickory, cherry, and maple all make great smoked turkey.
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Super moist and tender – Slow smoking over indirect heat keeps the turkey incredibly juicy. Connective tissues break down for very tender meat.
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Beautiful caramelized exterior – The turkey skin gets deliciously crisped and browned from the smoke.
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Showstopper presentation – A smoked turkey looks impressive and tastes amazing. Great for holidays or anytime.
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Unique twist on leftovers – Smoked turkey leftovers make incredible sandwiches, casseroles, soup, and more.
Equipment Needed
You likely have most, if not all, of the basic equipment needed for this recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Gas or charcoal grill
- Aluminum drip pan or foil
- Wood chips or chunks (apple, hickory, cherry etc.)
- Meat thermometer
- Oven mitts and tongs
Optional extras:
- Water pan – adds moisture
- Spray bottle – for spritzing
- Remote digital thermometer – monitors temp
Step 1: Prep the Turkey
Proper prep ensures the bird cooks evenly and absorbs maximum smoke flavor:
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Thaw – If frozen, thaw turkey in fridge 1-2 days before smoking.
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Trim – Remove giblets and neck from cavities. Rinse out any debris.
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Dry – Pat turkey completely dry inside and out with paper towels.
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Season – Generously season inside cavity and outside skin with salt, pepper and any other dry rub spices.
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Oil – Lightly coat skin with olive or vegetable oil to help crisping.
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Rest – Let turkey sit at room temperature 30 mins while you prep grill.
Step 2: Prep the Grill
Setting up your gas or charcoal grill for proper indirect smoking is key:
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Place a drip pan filled with water, wine, broth or fruit juice under where turkey will sit.
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If using charcoal, bank lit coals on only one side of grill.
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For a gas grill, turn off burners except for one side.
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Add wood chips or chunks to coals or dedicated smoker box. Soak chips in water first for smoldering.
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Heat grill to 225-275°F, with turkey on no direct heat side.
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Use a thermometer to monitor grill temp. Maintain steady low heat.
Step 3: Smoke the Turkey
Once your grill is prepped for smoking, it’s turkey time:
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Place seasoned turkey breast up over drip pan on indirect heat side.
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Maintain even, consistent grill temp between 225-275°F.
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Add more soaked wood chunks or chips every 45-60 mins for smoke.
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Cook turkey until breast is 165°F and thigh 175°F, about 5-6 hours for a 12 lb bird.
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Monitor temps with a meat thermometer in breast and thigh.
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Lightly tent with foil if browning too fast or skin over-crisps.
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Drain and replenish water pan as needed to keep moist.
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Spritz turkey with apple juice or broth every hour for extra moisture and flavor.
Step 4: Finish and Rest
You’re in the home stretch once turkey reaches perfect doneness:
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Carefully remove turkey from grill using mitts and tongs.
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Loosely tent with foil and let rest 30-45 mins before carving.
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This allows juices to redistribute for ultra moist meat.
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Use a sharp knife to carve turkey. Slice against the grain of meat for tenderness.
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Serve with your favorite sauce or gravy, using pan drippings if possible.
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Enjoy your incredibly juicy and delicious smoked turkey!
Troubleshooting Smoked Turkey
Smoking turkey does take some technique. Here are tips to troubleshoot common issues:
Problem: Uneven cooking, raw areas
Solution: Check positioning over indirect heat, rotate turkey. Monitor temps.
Problem: Skin too dark, drying out
Solution: Tent loosely with foil if browning too fast. Add water to drip pan.
Problem: Temperature spikes
Solution: Don’t open lid too much. Maintain steady heat around 250°F.
Problem: Wood burning, not smoldering
Solution: Soak chips longer. Use a smoker box. Limit air flow to coals.
Problem: Not enough smoke flavor
Solution: Add more wood more often. Try different wood types like hickory or mesquite.
Smoked Turkey Tips & Variations
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Brine turkey overnight before smoking for super moist meat.
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Cook to 5°F lower temp than fresh turkey since smoked cooks longer.
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Use a remote thermometer with alarm to monitor temps hands-free.
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Inject boneless turkey breast with creole butter or broth for added flavor.
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Play with different wood varieties, like apple, pecan, mesquite, for flavor.
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Glaze turkey with sauce or maple syrup last 30 mins for sticky exterior.
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Stuff herb butter or citrus slices under skin for infused flavor.
Get Smoky with Your Turkey!
Smoking turkey may seem intimidating, but have no fear! With the proper technique and a close eye on temperature, you can absolutely achieve juicy, tender smoked turkey perfection using just a standard grill and wood chips. From whole birds to just breasts, give your next turkey a delicious smoky treatment. Get creative with different wood types and flavorings too. Your family will be so impressed!
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Preparing Turkey for the Smoker
Before putting your turkey in a smoker, you need to prep it. If you have a frozen whole turkey, your first step should be thawing your turkey. Otherwise, you may experience a longer cooking time and an uneven cook. You can thaw your frozen turkey by placing it in a 40°F fridge for 24 to 36 hours.
After thawing your turkey, take the giblets and neck out and dry or wet brine the whole turkey overnight. If you have a fresh turkey, you can skip the thawing process move right to brining it. Brining will enhance the turkey’s flavor and ensure that the meat stays moist throughout the smoking process. Learn more about how to brine a turkey here.
You cannot smoke a turkey without these items:
- Smoker or Grill: If you do not have a smoker, you can use a grill to smoke your turkey. However, if you want your turkey to have that distinct smoky flavor, you should only use a wood smoker or charcoal grill.
- Honeysuckle White Turkey: You can buy and smoke a fresh or frozen whole turkey. If a whole turkey is too big for you, buy a bone-in turkey breast.
- Seasonings: You can buy a dry rub or make your own by mixing kosher salt, pepper, onion powder, and any other spices you like.
- Large Roasting Pan with Cooking Grate: The grate will hold the turkey, and the pan will catch the drippings during the roasting process.
- Wireless Thermometer: Your wireless thermometer will let you know when your turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. A wireless thermometer is better because you don’t have to keep opening the smoker to check the turkey’s doneness. Frequently opening the smoker or grill can cause lost heat and increase your cooking time.
Instructions for Smoking a Turkey
Now that you have everything you need to make smoked turkey, here’s how to smoke a turkey in a grill or smoker:
You can make a smoked turkey with a gas or electric smoker, but a charcoal grill or wood smoker is your best choice for maximum smoky flavor. You can also use a pellet grill. If you plan on using a charcoal smoker or grill, soak your wood in water to help it burn slower. The best woods for smoking turkey include apple, hickory, cherry, or pecan wood.
While soaking your wood, clean the grates of your smoker or grill, then season the grates with oil or a non-stick cooking spray. You can then load in your wood and fire up the smoker or grill to preheat it.
Take your thawed turkey and pat the inside and outside dry with paper towels. If the turkey skin isn’t dry, your seasonings may not adhere to it, and you may not get crispy skin. You can season your turkey with a store-bought dry rub or make your own. In addition to kosher salt and black pepper, your homemade dry rub can include brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and onion powder.
If you dry brined the turkey, it may not need extra seasonings. You only need to coat it with oil before placing it on your smoker or grill. However, if you wet brined the turkey, coat its dried body with oil before applying your dry rub. After covering the turkey with your seasonings, insert your oven-safe wireless thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey thigh. Do not stuff a turkey before smoking.
Place your seasoned turkey breast side up on your preheated grill or smoker. Put a pan under the turkey to collect drippings, or flames could flare up and char it. Close your smoker or grill to smoke the turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
The exact amount of time it will take the turkey to reach an internal temperature of 165°F will depend on the size of the turkey and grill temperature.
When smoking at 225°F, it can take about 30 to 45 minutes to cook one pound of turkey. That means a 12-pound turkey should take at least six hours to cook in a smoker.
To smoke your turkey faster, increase the smoker’s temperature to 250°F to 275°F. At 250°F, it can take about 25 minutes to cook one pound of turkey, meaning you will need about five hours to smoke a 12-pound turkey. A 275°F smoker will cook one pound of turkey in about 20 minutes – a four-hour cook time for a 12-pound turkey. Any of these temperatures will work great for smoking your turkey, as long as it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
After smoking your turkey to an internal temperature of 165°F, take it out of the smoker or grill, but don’t cut it. Instead, place the turkey on a wire rack to rest for at least 20 minutes.
Resting your turkey before carving allows its juices to redistribute and settle. If you cut the meat without resting it, the juices will escape, resulting in a loss of juiciness and flavor.
How do you smoke a turkey without a smoker?
FAQ
How to smoke a turkey if you don’t have a smoker?
Bring your grill to 250 degrees and place turkey in an aluminum pan in the center of the grill. Add apple wood chips/chunks every hour for four hours to your coals. The amount of time it takes to smoke the turkey typically takes about five hours for a 12-pound turkey.
Can you smoke a turkey in your oven?
To make this recipe, you rub a small split turkey (or half a turkey) with a smoky seasoning mixture. Let it cure overnight then slow roast it in your home oven for a few hours. The cure flavors the meat and helps it retain moisture. The result is a juicy moist bird with the flavor of outdoor BBQ and none of the fuss.
How do you smoke a turkey on a regular grill?
Place turkey in the middle of a smoker or on the grill preheated to 225 degrees. Maintain temperature between 225 to 250 degrees during the entire cooking process. Cooking time should be 2 to 2 1/2 hours, depending on the size of the bird. Figure on 11-13 minutes per pound.
Is there a way to smoke meat without a smoker?
You can smoke meat without a traditional smoker or charcoal/wood chips by using creative alternatives. For instance, a foil packet filled with smoked spices or tea leaves can add flavor when heated in an oven. Another option is a liquid smoke marinade or rub to replicate the taste.