Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to smoke a turkey breast? ›

How long does turkey breast take to smoke? Plan for about 35 minutes per pound when smoking a turkey breast. For this recipe we estimate a 5 3/4- to 6-pound turkey breast needs about 3 1/2 to 4 hours in a smoker.

Brining helps to keep the moisture in the breast while it cooks, and it helps to add flavor. The salt penetrates the meat, which makes it overall more tender and juicy. How long do you brine turkey breast? Brine the turkey for 8-12 hours for the best results.

I take the low and slow very seriously and tend to keep the heat on the low side even for poultry in most cases. 225 -240 degrees is what I recommend and adhere to to make sure the sugar in the rub does not burn.

Q: Is it really necessary to brine the turkey before smoking it? A: Absolutely not. If you want to make it really easy just unwrap the turkey, apply my rub on the outside and smoke it. It will still be delicious and better than what 99% of Americans are eating on Thanksgiving day.

This will help you monitor the turkey and make sure it is not over cooked! Cook the bird upside down, meaning the breast meat down, then flip it halfway through based on your estimation.

Smoking is almost impossible to mess up. When I've done it, I've found there's a natural stall point where the meat temperature kind of drags for 60-90 minutes between about 145-155 F.

You can baste or spritz with chicken broth while smoking the turkey to help keep it moist as well as help crisp up that skin. The butter of this recipe will really get that skin crisp, so the spritzing is more to keep it from drying out.

Start hot, then finish low. The secret to the crispy skin is all in the temperature. Pellet grills have made it so easy to get smokers up to higher temps, and this is to your advantage. Starting the smoker hot then turning it down to more traditional low n slow temps is how the achieve great textured skin.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Remove turkey breast from packaging and rewrap in aluminum foil (to prevent sticking, first spray aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray). Place foil-wrapped turkey breast in shallow roasting pan. Heat at 350° F for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Dry surface for best results

I dry the meat with paper towels and let it sit at room temperature for half an hour or so while I am starting my smoker. Cold meat will cause condensation in a hot smoker, remember that.

Is smoked turkey breast fully cooked? ›

Butterball smoked turkeys are a fully cooked, hassle-free turkey option that offers easy preparation, less mess, rich flavor and a shorter cooking time.

SHOULD YOU WRAP TURKEY IN FOIL WHEN SMOKING? Unlike cooking a turkey in an oven, you won't want to wrap your turkey in aluminum foil for smoked turkey. If your turkey's wings are baking too quickly, you can cover them with foil, but otherwise, there's no need.

It's an enzyme that will break down the meat, tenderizing it and absorbing the flavor at the same time. Injecting solves the problems of a marinade or brine not getting deep into the meat in a timely fashion.

Place the turkey directly on the grill grates, close the lid, and smoke the turkey. At 225 degrees F, you can plan on approximately 30 minutes per pound for your turkey to smoke. For example, this 15 pound turkey will take 7 and 1/2 hours at 225 degrees F. I always plan an extra 30 minutes, just in case.

Get your smoker going at 275 degrees F. You can use whatever wood you have on hand, but apple wood goes great with this turkey breast (it compliments the cider brine perfectly!). Smoke for 3 hours, or until the internal temp of the turkey breast reaches 165 degrees F with an internal thermometer. Rest and enjoy.

Cover turkey loosely with foil. Add wood chips to the smoker according to the manufacturer's directions. Place the roasting pan in the preheated smoker. Smoke the turkey, basting every 1 to 2 hours with juices from the bottom of the roasting pan, for 5 hours.