Everyone loves deep fried turkey nuggets, me included! However, if you’re looking for something different that is also very easy and super delicious, give this smoked wild turkey recipe a try. It tastes great and would also be a great gateway food for those new to trying wild turkey.
Smoking a wild turkey breast may seem intimidating but with the right techniques it can result in juicy, flavorful meat that your family and friends will rave about. Whether you are an avid hunter lucky enough to harvest your own turkey or purchased a wild turkey breast from a butcher, smoking is a fantastic preparation method that infuses great smoky flavor into the mild tasting meat.
In this comprehensive guide, you will learn step-by-step how to brine season smoke, and carve wild turkey breast so you can consistently achieve outstanding results.
Why Smoke Wild Turkey Breast?
Wild turkey has a slightly gamier, richer taste compared to domestic turkey. Smoking helps mellow out the strong wild flavor while adding a lovely smokiness. The mild smoky taste perfectly complements the turkey without overpowering it.
Smoking also helps keep the lean breast meat incredibly moist tender and juicy. With the right brining and smoking techniques you’ll never have to worry about dried out turkey again!
Tips for Choosing Wild Turkey Breasts
When selecting wild turkey breasts for smoking you’ll want to look for a few things:
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Size – Go for breasts that are at least 2 to 3 pounds. The larger, thicker breasts hold up better during long smoking times. Avoid skinny, flat breasts if possible.
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Uniform Shape – Try to pick breasts that have a consistent thickness so they cook evenly. Avoid oddly shaped or extremely tapered breasts.
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Intact Skin – Skin helps protect the delicate white meat from drying out. Choose breasts with the skin still on if you can.
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Freshness – The breast should look raw, glossy and feel firm to the touch. Pass on breasts that seem dried out or have discolored spots.
Trimming and Portioning the Breast
Once you have your ideal wild turkey breast, it helps to do some trimming and portioning before brining. This allows the meat to brine and smoke more evenly.
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Remove any feathers, quills or pin feathers. Use tweezers or pliers if needed.
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Cut off the thin, tapered end section of the breast. This thinner meat tends to overcook and dry out.
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Remove the tenderloins and reserve for another use, like stir fries.
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Detach the skin from the breast meat if desired. Turkey breast can be smoked with or without skin.
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Slice off any excess fat deposits or sinewy silverskin membrane.
Brining the Turkey Breast
Brining is a crucial step to ensure your smoked turkey breast stays juicy and flavorful. A saltwater brine seasons the meat while also helping it retain moisture.
Here is a simple brine recipe perfect for wild turkey breasts:
Brine Ingredients:
- 1 gallon water
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1⁄2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 lemon, sliced
Combine all the brine ingredients in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool completely before adding turkey. Place the turkey in the brine, cover and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours. For larger breasts, increase brining time to 48 hours.
After brining, rinse the turkey breasts and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels before applying a spice rub.
Seasoning the Breast
A flavorful dry spice rub adds lots of taste and forms a nice crust when smoked. Here are two excellent rub options:
Cajun Spice Rub
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Herb and Pepper Rub
- 2 tablespoons dried sage
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Liberally season the brined turkey breasts with your choice of rub, pressing it into the meat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes up to overnight to allow rub to penetrate meat before smoking.
Setting Up Your Smoker
Smoking wild turkey breast requires maintaining a consistent low temperature (200°F to 250°F) for several hours. The best smokers for poultry are charcoal, pellet, or electric. You’ll also need:
- A digital meat thermometer to monitor internal temp
- Drip pan filled with water or apple juice
- Hardwood chips or chunks – try hickory, apple, cherry, pecan
Soak wood chips 30 minutes if needed. For electric smokers, load wood into chip box. Charcoal smoker users will add chunks directly to hot coals.
Bring smoker up to temperature before adding turkey breasts. Place a drip pan filled with liquid closest to heat source. The water pan helps regulate temperature and adds moisture.
Smoking the Turkey Breast
Once your smoker maintains a steady temperature between 200°F to 250°F, you’re ready to smoke the wild turkey breast.
- Place turkey breast skin-side up directly on grill grates.
- Insert digital meat thermometer probe into thickest part of breast, without touching bone.
- Smoke turkey breast until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. This will take approximately 5 to 8 hours. Time varies based on size of breast and smoker temperature.
- After desired internal temp is reached, transfer turkey to a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Let rest 10 to 20 minutes. The internal temperature will rise 5°F to 10°F during this time.
The turkey breast is fully cooked once it reaches 165°F. Do not overcook or breast meat will dry out.
Add wood chips or chunks to your smoker every 45 to 60 minutes to generate sufficient smoke. Try not to open the smoker frequently, which causes temperature fluctuations.
Maintaining proper temperature and avoiding opening the smoker is key to juicy smoked turkey breast!
Adding Flavor
For spectacular flavor, try basting the turkey breast during the last 1-2 hours of smoking time. Use a mop or basting brush to coat turkey every 30 minutes with your choice of:
- Melted butter
- Olive oil or vegetable oil
- Apple juice or cider
- Chicken or turkey stock
- Barbecue sauce
- Honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar dissolved in warm water
The basting liquid adds moistness while producing a beautifully glazed exterior crust.
Is It Done?
Use these tests to check when turkey breast is fully smoked:
- Meat thermometer reads 165°F at thickest part
- Meat has turned opaque and is pale pink throughout
- Clear juices run from breast when pierced with a fork
The turkey should look moist but not raw or undercooked when sliced. If underdone, continue smoking until 165°F internal temperature is reached.
Letting It Rest
Never skip letting the smoked turkey breast rest before slicing if you want lusciously moist meat! Resting allows juices to redistribute evenly throughout the breast.
After removing turkey from smoker, let rest 10 minutes covered with foil. The meat will continue cooking a bit more as it rests.
For whole turkey breasts, increase resting time to 20-30 minutes.
Slicing and Serving
To serve your flavorful smoked wild turkey breast, simply slice across the grain into thin slices. Arrange slices on a platter and spoon over any juices from resting.
Smoked turkey breast makes fantastic sandwiches layered on bread or rolls with mayo, lettuce, and tomatoes.
For a full meal, try serving slices with any of these classic side dishes:
- Coleslaw or potato salad
- Macaroni and cheese
- Creamed spinach or corn
- Mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes
- Gravy, cranberry sauce, or chutney
Leftover turkey slices keep well refrigerated for 5 days or frozen up to 3 months. Enjoy smoked turkey breast in casseroles, soups, salads, wraps, and more!
With the proper brining, seasoning, smoking, and resting techniques, you will be rewarded with the most tender, juicy and flavorsome wild turkey breast imaginable. Now that you know how to smoke wild turkey breast like a pro, get ready to impress lucky family and friends with this amazing dish!
Directions for Smoked Wild Turkey Deli Meat
1. Make sure your turkey breast(s) is free from any feathers and or shot pellets. Place the breast in the Hi Mountain Brine (read package for mixing details). If you choose to bypass the Hi Mountain brine, use 1 quart of cold water to ¼ cup of Kosher salt. Set this in the fridge overnight to 36 hours. The brine helps keep it juicy and moist.
2. Remove from the brine, pat dry and place on a wire rack, uncovered in the fridge for a few hours. Overnight would be fine as well. This allows the brine to continue to work it’s magic, and will help smoke adhere to the meat.
3. Once the breast is done drying in the fridge, remove it and season with your rub of choice. We are ultimately going to roll this breast and tie it so it cooks more evenly, so season the “inside” lightly. Once you have the breast seasoned on the inside, roll it up starting with “tail” end and use butcher twine or grill pins to keep it tight. Rub a little extra virgin olive oil on the outside as a binder and season the outside. We went with Pullywissle Wild Game Trigger’d not only for taste, but it has a relatively small amount of salt compared to other seasonings we have on hand.
4. Set your pellet smoker to 225deg and place the turkey breast(s) on the center rack. Smoke it until an internal of 158-160deg. I highly recommend using an internal meat probe of some sort to ensure we do not overcook this lean turkey breast. As it rests, it will continue to rise a little, getting closer to everyone’s “comfort temp” of 165. I have been smoking store turkeys and pulling at 158deg for a few years now and its super juicy and is cooked through.
5. Allow your turkey to rest for at least 10 mins. Once its cooled down, you can begin slicing or put it in the fridge to eat cold later. You could also vac seal it once its completely chilled and keep it for later in the year. We chose to slice it super thin with our LEM slicer (thickness setting of just over 1) and place it on toasted Italian loaf.
Chad Mendes: How To Smoke Wild Turkey Breast!
FAQ
How long to smoke wild turkey breasts?
Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 160℉, 5-8 hours.
Is wild turkey good smoked?
The meat from a wild turkey is so lean and—especially if it’s an older tom—dense, it doesn’t lend itself to a long, dry sit in a smoker. However, with some preparation and the right technique, you can end up with a moist, delicious wild turkey from the smoker.
Do you need to soak wild turkey breast before cooking?
Place either the whole turkey or the breast meat in cold water that is lightly salted for about 8 hours or overnight. If you are just using the breast meat, soak it in the water in the refrigerator. If using the whole bird, a clean cooler with ice water works well.
How do you keep a turkey breast from drying out when smoking?
Salting and resting the turkey in the fridge overnight provides extra insurance for moisture retention and flavor. Adding hardwood to the fire gives the meat a delicate smokiness but doesn’t overshadow the mild breast meat.
How do you smoke a wild turkey breast?
Jeremiah Doughty’s recipe for smoking up some field-to-plate wild turkey breast starts with a 12-hour brine before getting a BBQ rubdown that complements the wood-fired flavor perfectly. In a large glass bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, pepper and water. Add the turkey and weigh down to completely submerge if necessary.
What is smoked wild turkey?
Smoked wild turkey is a real treat to be shared with your loved ones. Try this smoked wild turkey recipe. The breast meat is cured with Tender Quick then smoked lightly for great flavor. A simply delicious wild turkey recipe.
Can you smoke a boneless turkey breast?
Grab the best meat to smoke or grill! JENNIE-O® Boneless Turkey Breast is perfect for smoking, slow cooking or grilling. Find it near you.