Looking for a delicious Traeger smoked turkey breast recipe? Whether you’re cooking for a special occasion like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a weeknight dinner, my recipe is a crowd-pleasing dish that is easy to prepare and always leaves you with juicy and tender meat.
My guide below will cover everything you need to know to prepare and smoke a perfect turkey breast, including preparation, seasoning, smoking techniques, and tips for serving and storing leftovers. So, let’s fire up the Traeger and get started!
Table of contents
Why This Recipe Works
Using a pellet smoker like a Traeger ensures incredibly tender, smoky meat. The secret lies in two key steps: brining and spatchcocking.
First, we brine the turkey to lock in moisture and infuse it with flavor from the inside out. Then, by spatchcocking (butterflying) the bird, we ensure even cooking and achieve that coveted crispy skin that everyone fights over.
When smoked low and slow over hardwood pellets, your turkey develops a beautiful mahogany color outside while staying remarkably juicy inside. Each bite delivers a perfect balance of subtle smoke and natural turkey flavor, enhanced by our savory herb and garlic rub.
The result? Meat so tender it practically falls apart, wrapped in skin that crackles when you cut into it. This isn’t just turkey – it’s a smoky, succulent masterpiece that’ll have everyone asking for seconds.
What You’ll Need
- Turkey Breast
- Apple Juice or Cider
- Water
- Salt
- Brown Sugar
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Barbecue Rub
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
How To Cook Turkey Breast on a Traeger
1: Create the Brine
Whisk together 4 cups of apple juice, Worcestershire sauce, and water in a large bowl. Dissolve the salt and brown sugar into the wet mixture.
2: Brine the Turkey
Submerge the bird into the brine breast side down. Cover and refrigerate for approximately 12 hours. Drain the brine and pat the breast dry with paper towels. The brine helps to add flavor and ensure it doesn’t dry out in the smoker.
3: Spatchcock the Turkey
Snip out the backbone and crack the chest bone. Now that the cavity is open, flatten the turkey. Place the turkey breast side up and flatten some more.
4: Season the Turkey
Pat the turkey breast dry again. Apply the barbecue rub, onion powder, and garlic powder.
5: Smoke the Turkey
I prefer hickory wood or cherrywood with turkey breast but pick your favorite and load up your Traeger.
Put the turkey breasts on the grill breast skin up and insert the temperature probes if you have them. Smoke the turkey at 275°F for about four hours. Spritz with apple juice every 30 minutes.
Spritz with the remaining cup of apple juice every 30 min.
6: Finish the Turkey
When the internal temperature reaches 165°F, the turkey is ready. Check the internal temperature at the thickest portion of the bird. Be careful not to touch the bone.
Remove the turkey and let it rest for 30 minutes. Carve, serve, and enjoy.
Smoker Temperature
Smoke a turkey breast at 275°F. This low temperature will ensure that it doesn’t cook too quickly. The longer cooking time will ensure the turkey is juicy with a lovely smoky flavor.
The smoke will have more time to permeate the meat, resulting in smoky turkey breast! That is the main reason we like to cook low and slow.
How Much Turkey Breast Do You Need Per Person?
You need to allow 1¼ lbs of raw turkey per person if you’re using bone-in turkey breast and have chosen boneless meat. The general rule of thumb includes allocating around ¾ pounds per person.
It’s important to calculate this before you shop. You want to ensure you have enough food for everyone and some for leftovers.
How Long To Smoke Turkey Breast On A Traeger
Smoke the turkey breast for 20-25 minutes per pound at 275°F. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the turkey breast and the cooking temperature.
Don’t have a Traeger? I have also done a turkey breast on a Pit Boss, which produces a similar golden crispy skin and juicy, flavorful meat.
Tips For Cooking Turkey Breast On a Traeger
You can place the turkey directly on the grill grates. However, it is beneficial to use a baking pan or drip tray.This will make cleaning up easy. You can also use the drippings to make gravy!
Save the bones and innards to make turkey stock or gravy in the future.
Leave the meat thermometer in the turkey to monitor the internal temperature constantly. This will prevent you from overcooking it.
Since the turkey breast has no dark meat, you don’t want to cook it past 165°F. White meat dries out very quickly when it gets too hot.
You can buy frozen turkey breast for this recipe. Just make sure it’s completely thawed out before smoking.
What To Serve With Smoked Turkey Breast
This juicy turkey breast pairs well with many traditional side dishes!
Here are some of my favorite sides for smoked turkey breast;
What to Do With Your Leftover Turkey Breast?
The best part about cooking up a turkey is the leftovers, my favorite recipes for leftover turkey are cheese and turkey baked sliders and buffalo turkey dip. Both are almost better than the original.
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Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast
Equipment
- Traeger Grill
- Wood Chips of choice
Ingredients
- 7 pound bone-in turkey breast
- 5 cups apple juice or cider
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbs barbecue rub
- 1 tbs garlic powder
- 1 tbs onion powder
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together 4 cups of apple juice, Worcestershire sauce, and water. Dissolve the salt and brown sugar into the wet mixture.
- Submerge the bird into the brine breast side down. Cover and refrigerate for approximately 12 hours. Drain the brine and pat the breast dry with paper towels.
- Snip out the backbone and crack the chest bone. Now that the cavity is open, flatten the turkey. Place the turkey breast side up and flatten some more.
- Pat the turkey breast dry again. Apply the barbecue rub, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Smoke the turkey at 275°F for about 4 hours. Spritz with apple juice every 30 minutes.
- Spritz with the remaining cup of apple juice every 30 min.
- When the internal temperature reaches 165°F, the turkey is ready. Check the internal temperature at the thickest portion of the bird. Be careful to avoid touching the bone.
- Remove the turkey and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Carve, serve and enjoy.
Smoke On!
Charlie
Author: Charlie Reeves
Hi, I’m Charlie, I have been meat-smoking and grilling for the past 15 years. I have an array of different smokers, thermometers, and have a love for finding the right wood and charcoal combo My favourite recipes are my EXTRA CRISPY smoked pork belly, juicy pulled pork, smoked brisket, duck poppers, and ANY SEAFOOD I grill).
I loves sharing his tips with beginners, helping them navigate the world of smoking. I find it’s not just about cooking; it’s a quest for that perfect smoky flavor.
You will usually find me playing with the kids, perfecting my brisket bark, or sipping beers with boys around the fire. Can’t wait to share all my delicious smoking and grilling recipes with you!
You can read more about me on our About Us page.
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