Delicious, easy whole smoked turkey breast with just a few simple steps! This is a smoked turkey with NO BRINE for no mess or extra planning. A turkey dry rub for smoking and a few hours in the smoker produce the most delicious, juicy turkey breast ever! I particularly love this with a squash casserole with Ritz cracker topping, aka heaven. Leftovers are really nice in creamy turkey salad, too!
One thing about turkey: people either love it or “meh” it and really love sides. I fall on the “sides are preferable” side (lol) of things generally, unless the turkey is really freaking good.
(although, if you dont have a smoker, I have a roasted turkey breast and foolproof whole roast turkey that are also really, really good!)
I LOVE smoking turkeys for Thanksgiving or Christmas. The benefits are endless: the oven is free for side dishes to bake, and the low + slow way the smoker works means that the turkey stays super flavorful and juicy. [feast_advanced_jump_to]
Smoking a bone-in turkey breast results in incredibly moist, tender meat infused with delicious smoky flavor However, proper smoking time is key to preventing the lean breast meat from drying out Follow this guide to learn how long to smoke a bone-in turkey breast for the best results.
Benefits of Smoking Bone-In vs Boneless Turkey Breast
Turkey breast comes in two forms:
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Bone-in – The breast half with ribs and skin intact.
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Boneless – The breast meat alone without bones or skin.
Bone-in turkey breast has several advantages over the boneless version
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More flavor – The bone adds extra turkey flavor during smoking.
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More juicy – The bone conducts less heat, slowing cooking so the meat stays moist.
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Better texture – The bone helps the meat retain a more tender, delicate texture.
So for the most flavorful, foolproof results, a bone-in turkey breast is recommended.
Choosing the Right Size Bone-In Breast
Bone-in turkey breast halves are sold in sizes ranging from around 3 pounds up to 10 pounds or more. For easy smoking, choose a breast in the 5-7 pound range. Larger breasts may not fit as nicely on your smoker grates. Smaller ones can dry out faster.
Aim for about 1/2 to 3/4 pound of turkey per person when estimating how much to buy. A 5-6 pound breast feeds 6-8 people.
How Long Per Pound to Smoke Bone-In Turkey Breast
The general rule of thumb for smoking bone-in turkey breast is around 45 minutes per pound, smoking at a low temperature between 225-250°F
So a 5 pound breast takes about 3.75 hours (5 lbs x 45 minutes per lb = 225 minutes total).
Here are estimated smoking times for various bone-in breast sizes:
- 3 pound breast: 2 to 2.25 hours
- 5 pound breast: 3.75 to 4 hours
- 7 pound breast: 5.25 to 6 hours
- 10 pound breast: 7.5 to 8 hours
The key is maintaining a low, slow smoking temperature between 225-250°F. This allows the breast to cook through without drying out.
How to Tell When It’s Done
Relying just on time can lead to under or overcooked turkey. The best doneness test is temperature. Use an instant read meat thermometer, inserted into the thickest part of the breast without touching bone.
Target temperature is 165°F for safe doneness. Once the breast hits 160-165°F, it’s ready to come off the smoker.
If smoker temperature rises above 275°F, the breast can overcook and dry out quickly. Keep the temperature steady in the 225-250°F range.
Step-By-Step Smoking Method
Follow these simple steps for juicy, flavorful smoked bone-in turkey breast:
Ingredients:
- 5-7 lb bone-in turkey breast half
- Olive oil or melted butter
- Favorite dry rub or seasoning
Instructions:
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Prepare smoker for 225-250°F temperature. Add preferred smoke wood like hickory, apple, cherry, etc.
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Rinse turkey breast and pat dry with paper towels. Coat all over with olive oil or melted butter.
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Generously season breast with dry rub, salt, pepper, herbs, garlic, etc.
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Place breast skin-side up on smoker grates. Maintain 225-250°F temperature.
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Smoke for 45 minutes per pound, until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
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Remove breast from smoker once 165°F. Tent with foil and let rest 15 minutes before slicing to serve.
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Slice breast across the grain. Serve with favorite side dishes.
Proper smoking time and temperature are the keys to tender, juicy bone-in turkey breast with incredible flavor. Master the simple smoking method above for mouthwatering results every time.
Common Smoking Mistakes
It’s easy to dry out the lean turkey breast meat while smoking. Avoid these common mistakes:
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Smoking at too high temperature – Stick below 275°F for best moisture.
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Not using a meat thermometer – Temperature indicates doneness better than time.
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Touching bone with thermometer – Leads to false high readings. Insert into meatiest area.
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Skipping resting period – Resting allows juices to redistribute so meat stays moist.
With practice, you’ll become a pro at smoking incredibly delicious bone-in turkey breasts. Use an instant read thermometer and keep the temperature low. Then relax knowing your smoked turkey will turn out perfectly juicy.
Delicious Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe Ideas
Here are some tasty ways to serve your smoked bone-in turkey breast:
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Slice and pile on sandwiches with cranberry sauce, lettuce, and mayo.
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Dice for salads, soups, pasta, rice bowls, and more.
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Shred for turkey tacos, quesadillas, nachos, flatbreads, and pizza.
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Pair slices with classic Thanksgiving-style sides.
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Use for quick weeknight skillet dinners like fajitas, stir fries, etc.
With its wonderful smoky flavor and tender, moist meat, smoked bone-in turkey breast is extremely versatile. Now that you know the perfect smoking time and method, you’ll be enjoying delicious turkey year-round!
Step By Step Instructions
Start by measuring and mixing the ingredients for the dry rub. Place a wire cooling rack inside of a baking sheet, then put the turkey breast on the rack.
Drizzle the turkey breast with some oil (anything you cook with is fine), and rub the spice blend all over the turkey breast.
Then, place the turkey breast in the fridge UNCOVERED and let it rest overnight. This will allow the skin to dry out a bit and get really crispy in the smoker.
Now, its time to cook the turkey!
To smoke, follow the instructions on whatever smoking device youre choosing to use. Mine is gas, so I light it, fill a pan with smoking wood chops and a pan with water, stick the turkey in, and wander off.
Set your smoker to cook on low, 175F-200F is the ideal range here. The higher the temp, the faster the turkey will cook, so keep an eye on it and adjust the temperature on the smoker as needed to maintain a low cooking temperature.
A note on wood: sometimes with these long smoking endeavors, the wood will stop smoking after 3 hours or so if youve only used a bit of wood. That is FINE. As long as the gas or charcoal are still going the bird will still be cooking. Frankly, things taste pretty darn smokey after 4 hours of being covered in wood smoke.
I like to test the internal temperature of the bird after about 3 hours, then again every hour or so until the turkey breast is done. Digital or standard thermometers work fine, dont obsess over it. I use a digital candy thermometer.
The ideal internal temperature for a healthy cooked turkey is 165F. The turkey will continue to cook AFTER it is out of the smoker, so remove it from the smoker sometime between 155F and 160F – itll be fully cooked, I promise.
Take the bird out, let it rest, prepare your other side dishes.
Smoked Turkey Breast FAQ
The general rule of thumb for smoking a whole turkey is 30 minutes per pound plus one hour when smoking on low heat (175F-200F). I find this to be a bit generous, but its good for planning purposes. The turkey is ready to be removed from the smoker when the thickest part of the thigh reaches 160F (it will continue to cook after it is removed from the smoker to reach 165F, the correct internal temperature for turkey).
Turkey breast smokes for about 20 minutes per pound when smoking on low heat (175F-200F). Its ready to be pulled from the smoker when the thickest part of the best reaches 160F with a meat or candy thermometer.
For a whole turkey breast, be sure you smoke the turkey breast side up to maximize crispy skin all over. Although, Ive smoked a turkey breast upside down before and its completely fine. This is not something Id worry about, sorry to the purists.
Smoked Bone In Turkey Breast
FAQ
How long does it take to smoke a bone-in turkey breast at 225?
- Preheat smoker to 225°F.
- Wash turkey well and pat dry. …
- Ingredients. …
- Place on middle rack of smoker and smoke for 4 ½ to 5 hours, about 45 minutes per pound, or until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Is it better to smoke a turkey breast at 225 or 250?
Forget Low and Slow for Smoking Turkey
Many hardcore barbeque and smoking aficionados will argue that smoking meat (including poultry) is best when done at a lower temperature range of 225 to 250℉.
How do you keep a turkey breast from drying out in the smoker?
Bathing turkey breasts in a salt bath for 3–6 hours will work especially well on the outermost parts of the meat, which also happen to be the parts taht overcook and dry out the most. By using salt as a thermal defense solution, we can get turkey that is more perfectly done throughout, not just in the very center.
How long does it take to cook a bone-in turkey breast?
| Estimated Roasting Time†† | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weight in Lbs. | Roasting Time at 350° | Slow Cooker Time on Low |
| 3-5 lbs. | 1-2¼ hours | 5-6 hours |
| 5-7 lbs. | 2¼-3 hours | 6-7 hours |
| 7-9 lbs. | 3-3½ hours | 7-8 hours |