Smoking turkey on a pellet grill is perfect for any occasion where you want to serve something special without spending all day in the kitchen. Whether you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner, a Christmas feast, or just a weekend family gathering, smoked turkey brings that traditional flavour that everyone in our family knows and enjoys.
Table of contents
Easy Pellet Grill Turkey
The beauty of using a pellet grill is the convenience – you get all the smoky, rich flavor of traditional barbecue with the ease of setting a temperature and walking away. No more dried-out breast meat or undercooked thighs that you get with conventional roasting.
The consistent, low-temperature cooking ensures every part of the bird stays moist and tender, while the smoke penetrates deep into the meat for incredible flavor. Plus, it frees up valuable oven space for all those holiday sides. From intimate dinner parties to large holiday celebrations, smoked turkey on a pellet grill delivers impressive results that make any meal feel like a special occasion.
What You Need for a Smoked Turkey
- The turkey
The size depends on how many people you’re feeding, the occasion, and the number of sides you’re serving. See how much turkey you’ll need per person here.You could also try using turkey tail, its really juicy and full of flavor. - Wood pellets:
Make sure you have enough wood pellets. I usually grab a few bags for when we plan to smoke a turkey - A Smoker
I use my Pit Boss for this bird, but if you don’t have a smoker, you can turn your gas grill into one. - Meat thermometer:
You will need to check the internal temperature of the turkey constantly. Do this with a digital meat thermometer during the smoking process. We recommend picking up an instant-read thermometer. - Brine Ingredients
- Butter
- Brine For Turkey
- Boiling Water
- Salt
- Whole Orange
- Whole Onion
- Cloves Of Garlic
- Whole Bay Leaves
- Thyme
- Ground Black Pepper
- Cold Water
- Sugar
How to Smoke a Turkey on a Pellet Grill
Step 1: Prepare the Brine Base
Start with 4 cups of boiling water. Add 1.5 cups of salt and .5 cups of sugar. Stir to ensure everything is combined. Add in the rest of the brine ingredients and stir to combine.
Step 2: Brine the Turkey
Once the brine has completely cooled, add the turkey and ensure it’s totally submerged. Put it in the fridge for 12-16 hours
Step 4: Prep the Turkey
Give the turkey a good rinse and dry it off with paper towels. Rub the whole bird with butter and place it on the rack. Let the turkey come up to room temperature.
Step 5: Prepare the Smoker
Prep your pellet smoker for indirect cooking at 450°F. Add your flavored wood (usually cherrywood) and a drip pan filled with water to keep the turkey moist.
Step 6: Smoke the Turkey
Smoke the turkey at 450°F for one hour, then reduce the temperature to 225°F. Continue smoking for around 13 minutes per pound until the thickest part of the turkey (usually the thighs) hits 175°F.
Step 7: Remove and Carve
Remove from the pellet grill and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute themselves.
8 Trade Secrets to The Perfect Smoked Turkey
1. No Need to Stuff Your Turkey
It’s best not to stuff the turkey when you’re smoking it. Firstly, it’s not necessary. Secondly, it can seriously ruin the airflow inside. Thus, never stuff the turkey when you’re smoking a turkey.
2. Getting The Skin Crispy
If you want smoked turkey with crispy skin make sure you don’t tent the turkey with foil or wet brine. Dry brining your turkey is the best method for crisp skin.
4. Grill Size Matters
Just make sure that you have at least a 24-inch pellet grill. (You need to make sure that it’s big enough to hold a whole turkey.)
5. Don’t Use a Roasting Pan
You want to smoke your turkey on the grill gates. If you use a roasting pan you find that your turkey won’t crispy up. I do usually place a pan under the grates, which is filled with water. This water pan helps to create a moist environment.
6. Get Leftovers?
If you have some leftovers and you will want to know how to reheat a whole smoked turkey, it can be tricky so make sure you follow the steps closely.
7. Avoid carving your Turkey
Don’t carve the whole turkey. Take your smoked turkey out, break it up into smaller pieces, and then begin cutting it. This way you’re able to get all the meat from each part of the turkey.
Choose the Right Wood Chips, Chunks, or Pellets
I like to use applewood or cherrywood wood chips for smoking turkey; it gives it a nice, mild flavor.
Optimal Temperature for Your Pellet Grill
Your pellet grill needs to be between 450ºF for the first hour then 225°F for the rest of the cook. The turkey will be ready when the internal temperature of the turkey thighs hits 175°F and/ or the turkey breast internal temperature hits 165°F. You may notice that the internal temperature will continue to climb after you pull it from the smoker, don’t worry.
Using the Smoked Turkey Drippings
You can save any smoked turkey drippings and create a delicious gravy. This is the smoked turkey gravy we prepare every year at Thanksgiving.
📌 Did you try this recipe?
Have you made this delicious recipe and loved it?
I would love it if you took a minute to leave a star rating and review. It is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that; thank you!
📌 Please also pin the image below, then you can find the recipe for the next time you want to cook.
🦃 What to Serve with Smoked Turkey
- Roasted Broccoli
- Maple Glazed Carrots
- Grilled Garlic Bread
- Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole
- Smoked Mac and Cheese
- Smoked Corn Bread
Pellet Grill Smoked Whole Turkey
Equipment
- pellet grill
Ingredients
Smoked Turkey
- 1 whole turkey
- 3 tbsp butter
Brine for Turkey
- 4 cups boiling water
- 1.5 cups salt
- 1 whole orange
- 1 whole onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 4 whole bay leaves
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 1 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1.5 gallons cold water
- .5 cup sugar
Instructions
Brining The Turkey
- First, you need to start with 4 cups of boiling water. Then add 1.5 cups of salt and .5 cups of sugar. Stir to ensure everything is combined.
- Then add in the rest of the brine ingredients. Stir to combine
- Once the brine has completely cooled, add the turkey and ensur eit totally submerged and put it in the firdge for 12-16 hours
Smoking The Turkey
- Give the turkey a goo rinse and dry the turkey off with a paper towel.
- Then give the whole bird a good rub with butter and place it on the rack. I always let my turkey come up to room temperature.
- Then I prep our pellet smoker for indirect cooking. I get it up to 450°F. I add my flavored wood (usually cherrywood) then add my drip pan filled with water to ensure the turkey stays moist.
- First you smoke the turkey at 450°F for an hour. Then bring it down to 225 °F, then smoke your turkey for around 13minutes per pound. That means when I cook a 15-pound turkey at Thanksgiving it usually takes for a 13 pound turkey;13 x 12 = 156 minutes= 2 hours 36 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the turkey which is usually the thighs hits 175°F
- Remove from the pellet grill when the thickest part of the turkey which is usually the thighs hits 175°F
- Then I take it out and let it rest for at least30 minutes before carving it. This allows the juices to redistribute themselves.
Hopefully, your bird will come as good as mine! If you have any questions I am always here to help!
Happy smoking and feasting!
Justin
Author: Justin Carrtington
Hi I’m Justin, I am one of the taste testers (hard job I know) here at Simply Meat Smoking! I have been grilling, smoking and cooking up a storm since I was young. I like use all types of fuel from charcoal to gas, wood and even electric!
When I not trying to perfect my ribs or brisket I am hanging out with my friends,mainly acting like a big kid.
You can read more on our About Us page.
