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!
Servings: 10 servings
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
- 1 lemon cut into quarters
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 to 3 sprigs Fresh thyme
- 1 to 2 bunches fresh 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
Start with an unseasoned turkey: Avoid Kosher or self-basting turkeys. Both are pre-salted and will make the finished turkey too salty once you add the dry brine and injection marinade.
Make sure the turkey is fully thawed: The dry brine and injection work best when the turkey is completely thawed.
Salt type matters: Diamond Crystal kosher salt has larger grains than table salt. If using regular table salt, use half the amount. For larger turkeys, plan on about 1 tablespoon kosher salt per 5 pounds of turkey.
Choose your seasoning rub: Use a homemade BBQ rub, a store-bought blend, or a different spice mix such as Spiceology Smoke Junkie or Maple Bourbon Seasoning. If the rub contains large chunks of herbs or spices, grind them so they don’t clog the injector.
Smoking time will vary: Smoking at 250°F depends on turkey size and how steady your pellet grill temperature stays. Minimize opening the lid while basting. A 15-pound turkey usually takes about 4 hours, but always go by internal temperature, not time.
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: 1serving | Calories: 581kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 86g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 327mg | Sodium: 414mg | Sugar: 1g
