Traeger Smoked Turkey
Our Traeger smoked turkey is flavored with a dry brine and injected with a savory turkey injection. The result is a juicy, flavorful, and perfectly seasoned bird that will surely be the star of your holiday feast!
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Servings: 10 to 12 servings
Calories: 581kcal
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey 14 to 16 pounds
For the Dry brine
- 4 tablespoons BBQ seasoning dry rub
- 3 tablespoons Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
For the Injection and Mop Sauce
- 7 tablespoons BBQ seasoning dry rub
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup olive oil
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Tabasco
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
Optional Aromatics to Stuff the Bird
- 1 onion quartered
- 2 lemons quarters
- 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- Several sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 to 2 bunches of sage
Instructions
- Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and loosen the skin over the breast and legs (slide an upside-down spoon under the skin to make this task easier).
- Place the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet or in a large casserole dish (make sure you use something that will hold in the juices that will seep out).
Dry Brine the Turkey
- Combine 4 tablespoons of BBQ seasoning and the Kosher salt in a small bowl.
- Sprinkle the dry brine into the cavity of the turkey, under the skin of the breast and legs, and all over the outside of the turkey.
- Bend the wings back and tuck them under the breast. Use butcher's twine to tie the legs together (this will help the turkey cook evenly on the pellet grill).
- Place the turkey uncovered in the refrigerator for 48 to 72 hours.
Inject the Turkey
- Preheat the pellet grill to 250°F.
- Combine the ingredients for the injection and mop sauce in a medium saucepan. Stir until the butter is melted. Remove the sauce from the heat and let it come to room temperature. Pour about half of the marinade into a separate dish and reserve it to use as a mop sauce.
- Draw up the remaining marinade into a turkey injector and slowly inject it in several places all over the turkey (see the notes if you have never injected a turkey before).
Smoke the Turkey
- Stuff the onion, lemon, and fresh herbs inside the cavity of the turkey. Insert a leave-in thermometer probe into the thickest part of the turkey breast.
- Place the turkey directly on the grill grates or place it in a pan if you want to collect the drippings. Close the lid and smoke the turkey for 1 hour, then start basting the bird with the reserved marinade every 30 to 45 minutes.
- Continue to smoke the turkey until the internal temperature reaches 140°F to 145°F then increase the temperature on the Traeger to 350°F.
- When the internal temperature reaches 160°F (4 to 6 hours*), transfer the turkey to a cutting board, cover it with aluminum foil and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes. The internal temperature will continue to rise to 165°F or higher while it rests.
Notes
- Since this smoked turkey gets so much flavor from the dry brine and injection marinade, start with an unseasoned turkey. Do not use a Kosher turkey or a self basting turkey, both of which have been pre-seasoned. Your turkey will be too salty if you use a Kosher or self-basting turkey.
- Make sure the turkey is completely thawed before you apply the brine and turkey injection.
- The type of salt you use for the dry brine is important. We used Diamond Kosher salt which has larger grains than table salt. If you use regular table salt, you should only use half the amount.
- If you have a larger turkey, adjust the amount of salt in the dry brine. Use approximately 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt for every five pounds of turkey.
- You can make your own BBQ seasoning rub or use a store-bought brand. Alternatively, instead of using BBQ seasoning, try a different spice rub. Some suggestions are Spiceology Smoke Junkie or Maple Bourbon Seasoning. If you use a seasoning with large chunks of spices or herbs, grind them down with a mortar and pestle so they don’t get stuck inside the turkey injector.
- The length of time it takes to smoke a turkey at 250°F will vary based on the size of the bird and temperature fluctuations on the pellet grill. Try not to leave the lid open too long when you baste the turkey. A 15 pound turkey will usually take about 4 hours to smoke but always check the doneness based on the internal temperate and not the time it takes to roast.
Injecting the turkey:
Some of the marinade will flow back out of the puncture holes that you inject into the turkey. Keep the turkey on a tray to collect the juices. Push the needle down to the bone and get the injection between the meat and the bone. Next, pull the needle up slightly and slowly inject it directly into the meat. If you have to re-load the turkey injector, try to use the same injection hole to finish injecting that area before poking a new hole. Try to use the same injection hole and angle the needle in 5 or 6 different directions and slowly lift the needle out as you inject the marinade. After you inject the marinade in one area, make another puncture hole several inches from the first and repeat the process. Use the length of the needle as your guide to measure the distance between puncture holes.Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 581kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 86g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 327mg | Sodium: 414mg | Sugar: 1g