Have you been looking for the perfect Traeger turkey recipe that guarantees you a juicy, deliciously smoky turkey with crispy golden skin for your holiday meal?
I brined the turkey 24 hours before I planned to smoke it, resulting in the most succulent turkey I have ever served to our family for Thanksgiving. This recipe is also perfect for any family gathering, such as Christmas, Sunday night dinner, or any other holiday meal.
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Table of contents
Traeger Turkey Recipe
Finally, a super simple smoked turkey recipe! I have been searching, testing, and finally found and mastered a delicious method for Traeger turkey. I found that some recipes are 20 steps long, but this one is easy and comes out perfectly every time, so you have time to focus on all your guests
Just remember to plan out all your trimmings and sides. That is one of the most important parts of a turkey dinner, but don’t worry—I have included my favorites below.
What You Need
- Turkey
- Butter
- Oil Olive
- Rub
Brining Liquid:
- Brown Sugar
- Salt
- Apple Juice
- Cold Water
- Oranges
- Ginger
- Bay Leaves
- Garlic Cloves
- Whole Cloves
Basting
- Unsalted Butter
- Thyme
- Sage
- Parsley
- Brown Sugar
How to Make Traeger Smoked Turkey
Step 1: Prep Your Turkey and Brine
If you’re using a frozen turkey, you must allow time to defrost. It is recommended that you thaw your turkey in the refrigerator. Allow 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds of turkey.
To make the brine add the apple juice, brown sugar, and salt to a large saucepan. Over high heat, bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Once dissolved, boil for one minute, then remove from the heat. Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate until 40°F.
Add the remaining ingredients to the apple juice mixture in a large container. Place the turkey into the brine breast side down. You might need to weigh down the turkey with a weight to keep it fully submerged. Set aside in the fridge for 12 – 24 hours (for best results, leave for 24 hours).
Dry the Turkey:
Remove the turkey from the brine after 12 (or ideally 24) hours. Thoroughly pat dry with paper towels, set on a rack inside a baking tray lined with baking paper, and place in the fridge to air dry overnight. This step is not essential, but it will give you nice crispy turkey skin.
Optional – Inject Your Turkey
Add butter to a bowl, cover with a paper towel, and microwave for 30 seconds. After it has melted, add oil, paprika, sea salt, BBQ rub, lemon pepper, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the bowl and whisk until combined.
You’ll now want to add the marinade to a Marinade Injecting Syringe and inject it into the turkey breast and thighs. When injecting the turkey, stick the injector into the turkey breast and move it around to distribute the melted butter throughout the muscle fibers.
Step 2: Truss the Turkey
Remove the turkey from the fridge. Tie the legs together and fold the wings under the body. Set aside and let rise to room temperature. Now, you can start to prepare and preheat your smoker to 350°F.
Step 3: Prepare the Wet Rub and Season Turkey
Add two tablespoons of butter to another bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. After it has melted, add two tablespoons of olive oil to create a binder, which will help the rub stay in place.
Stir the rub into the melted butter and oil to make a paste, and generously work this paste into the turkey skin and cavity.
Then, tuck the wing tips under the turkey and loosely stuff the cavity with fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage for amazing aromatics.
Step 4: Smoke Your Turkey!
We started preheating the smoker in step 2, but ensure it’s set to 250°F. Place a small rack into a disposable aluminum pan so the smoke can circulate around the turkey.
Transfer the prepared turkey to the roasting pan and place it on the grill grate. Place your turkey in there, and then reduce the temperature to 230°F.
Step 5: Adjust the Temp
After two hours, increase the temperature to 350°F. Continue smoking the turkey until a meat thermometer reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the breast.
This should take 6 – 8 hours, depending on the size of your turkey. Continue smoking the turkey until the breast temperature reaches 150°F.
After the turkey breast reaches an internal meat temperature of 150°F, increase the smoker’s temperature to 350°F until the thickest part of the breast reaches 165°F.
Step 6: Continue Smoking and Basting Turkey
You can start basting the turkey when enough turkey drippings have accumulated in the bottom of the pan. These can be used to baste the turkey.
Continue smoking the turkey until a meat thermometer inserted in the inner part of the thigh reaches 180°F and the breast temperature reaches 165°F.
Step 7: Rest The Turkey
Once the turkey is cooked, remove it from the gas smoker and rest for 20 – 30 minutes uncovered.
What Size Turkey to Buy
The size of the turkey depends entirely on the number of guests you plan to host. Ideally, plan for 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per guest.
Remember that some of that weight may also account for the bones, neck, and internal organs, commonly referred to as giblets. Hence, if you have more than 10 guests, you should consider smoking another turkey or a turkey breast.
What Temperature to Smoke Turkey At
You’ll want to do most of the smoking at 250°F, allowing the smoke flavor to penetrate the meat. Then after two hours we will increase the temperature to 350°F, which enables the smoke to penetrate the meat, and the higher temperature helps to crisp the skin.
How to Get Crispy Smoked Turkey Skin
Not only does the hotter second part of the cook help to get crispy skin, you also need to brine it if you want crispy skin. The wet brine adds flavor to your turkey, while the second stage of dry brining helps to dry out the skin. The drying of the skin is what really makes a difference when it comes to crispy skin.
How to Store Leftover Turkey
Smoked turkey is good for 3-4 days in the fridge. Make sure it is in an airtight container tightly covered and sealed. You may also choose to freeze leftovers, as they can be a quick meal for up to 4 months. You should always slice the turkey before freezing it.
Once sliced, you can wrap it in foil, put it in a ziplock bag, and freeze it until you next fancy some turkey.
What to Do with Turkey Leftovers
You can work with your turkey leftovers in multiple ways to whip up an exciting and quick dinner on a weeknight. Here are some ideas
Create a smoked turkey dip, by combining with cream cheese, hot sauce, yoghurt and a few other ingredients. Of course, there are always turkey sandwiches, but you can also go a step further and make yummy baked oven sliders.
Another thing you can do right after Thanksgiving is to make a broth with the leftover turkey bones and carcass, which can then be made into a fantastic creamy turkey soup!
Can I Smoke My Turkey the Day Before and Reheat It?
Yes, you definitely can! This can be a fun way to spread the work of Thanksgiving out over multiple days! Just keep a note that you need to store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator after cooking.
Tips for Making the Best Smoked Turkey
These are some pointers you should always follow to make the best-smoked turkey possible:
- Smoke Two Turkeys Instead
If you’re feeding more people, it’ll be better to smoke two smaller turkeys instead of one large one. A larger turkey takes longer to cook and, as a result, can result in a dry finished product due to the lengthy cooking time. Multiple smaller birds will allow you to cook faster, have plenty of meat, and have meat that is still juicy. A 12-14 pound turkey is the ideal maximum size while cooking. - Skip the Stuffing
It’s not recommended that you stuff your smoked turkey with traditional stuffing. Not only does stuffing the turkey add to the total smoking time, but the stuffing may not heat up sufficiently to kill any bacteria present, which can pose a food safety risk. Besides obvious safety reasons, the heat and smoke must circulate freely throughout the bird to achieve optimal flavor. Furthermore, the turkey will cook much faster without a stuffed cavity. - Always Rest the Turkey
Although you may be tempted to skip the resting period once the turkey is done smoking, don’t! If you accidentally slice the turkey as soon as it comes off the grill, the juices will most likely run out, resulting in a dry turkey. - Don’t Wrap in Heavy Duty Foil
To prevent the smoked turkey’s skin from becoming soft or rubbery, only lightly tent the turkey as it rests. Do not wrap or use heavy-duty foil that will create steam under the foil. - All Eyes on the Temperature
The internal temperature of the meat can continue to rise after you remove the turkey from the grill, so make sure to keep an eye on it. - Don’t Toss Out the Bones
Don’t toss out the turkey bones and carcass. Instead, you can make a delicious smoky broth with them. You can then use the broth to make a creamy turkey soup. - Smoke Extra
- You can smoke extra turkey to keep as leftovers, which can be popped out and whipped up into an easy dinner at any time. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to four months.
- Keep the Lid Closed
- Heat and smoke tend to escape every time you lift the lid of your smoker, so your Traeger smoker will have to work much harder to keep up with the temperature settings. This is especially important on cold days.
- There’s no real reason to do it; your thermometer will tell you everything you need.
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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.
📌 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
Serving this smoked turkey with good side dishes makes a great holiday table. Some side dishes you may choose to serve with your smoked turkey;
- Maple Glazed Carrots
- Traeger Bacon Mac and Cheese
- Traeger Grilled Honey Carrots
- Traeger Smoked Brussel Sprouts
Can I Use This Turkey Recipe With a Different Grill?
Yes, you absolutely can! We happen to have a Traeger grill, but even if you have a different brand of wood pellet grill, you’ll still have great results with this recipe. I have also put my other recipes for turkey below.
- Pit Boss Smoked Turkey
- Pit Boss Smoked Turkey Breast
- Turkey Smoked in an Electric Smoker
- Traeger Spatchcock Turkey
Traeger Smoked Turkey
Equipment
- 1 Pellet smoker
Ingredients
- 1 10 pound turkey
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
Brining liquid
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 cup salt
- 2 L apple juice
- 3 L cold water
- 3 whole oranges cleaned and quartered
- 4 ounces ginger thinly sliced
- 6 leaves bay leaves
- 6 cloves garlic cloves peeled and crushed
- 15 whole cloves
Basting liquid
- 200 g Unsalted butter
- 1 bunch Chopped fresh herbs thyme, sage, parsley
- 1 tsp brown sugar
Instructions
- To a large saucepan add the apple juice, brown sugar and salt.
- Over a high heat bring to the boil making sure you stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Boil for one minute once dissolved then remove from the heat. Cool at room temperature then refrigerate until 40°F.
- In a large container, add the remaining ingredients together into the apple juice mixture.
- Place the turkey into the brine breast side down. You might need to weigh down the turkey with a weight to keep it fully submerged.
- Set aside in the fridge for 12 – 24 hours (for best results leave for 24 hours).
- – After 12 (or ideally 24) hours remove the turkey from the brine.
- Thoroughly pat dry with paper towels and set on a rack inside a baking tray lined with baking paper and set in the fridge to air dry overnight.
- Remove the turkey from the fridge. Tie the legs together and fold the wings under the body.
- Set aside and let rise to room temperature. Now you can start to prepare and pre heat your gas smoker.
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter to another bowl and microwave for another 30 seconds.
- After it has melted, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and stir in the rub to make a paste. Generously work this paste into the turkey skin and cavity.
- Then, tuck the wing tips under the turkey and loosely stuff the cavity with fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, and fresh sage for amazing aromatics.
- Preheat your Traeger Grill to 350°F
- Place a small rack into a disposable aluminum pan so that the smoke can circulate around the turkey.
- Transfer the prepped turkey to the roasting pan and place the roasting pan onto the grill grate.
- Place your turkey in there then turn it down to 230°F.
- As a rule of thumb at 230°F a whole turkey will take around 30 minutes per pound.
- You need to smoke the turkey until a meat thermometer reaches 165°F in the thickest park of the breast.
- This should be around 5– 8 hours depending on the size of your turkey.
- Continue smoking the turkey until the breast temp comes to 150°F.
- After it reaches an internal meat temp of 150°F, increase the smoker’s temperature up to 350°F until the thickest part of the turkey breast reaches a temperature of 165°F.
- You can start basting the turkey when enough turkey drippings have accumulated in the bottom of the pan.
- Continue smoking the turkey until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Once the turkey is cooked remove from the gas smoker and rest for 20 – 30 minutes uncovered.
Smoke On!
Charlie
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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