🔥 Smoked Turkey

Ingredients

• 11 lb Whole turkey, thawed, neck and giblets removed; 8 to 12 lb is best for smoking
• 2 tbsp Olive oil

• Rub

• 1 tbsp Brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Kosher salt
• 2 tsp Smoked paprika, or sweet paprika
• 1 tsp Garlic powder
• 1 tsp Onion powder
• 1 tsp Ground black pepper
• 1 tsp Dried thyme

Nutrition

Steps

You’ll need: smoker, or a covered charcoal or gas grill set up for indirect heat, hardwood chunks or chips (apple, cherry, hickory or oak), grill or oven thermometer for the smoker’s air, food thermometer, disposable foil pan.

1. Pick a turkey of 8 to 12 lb: bigger birds take too long to heat through at smoker temperatures (USDA). It must be fully thawed, and don’t stuff it.
2. Take the neck and the bag of giblets out of both ends of the bird; save them for stock. Don’t rinse the turkey: washing raw poultry spreads germs around the sink (USDA). Pat it dry with paper towels and wash your hands.
3. Set up the smoker or grill for indirect heat and bring the air inside to 225 to 300°F (USDA’s range); about 275°F is a good target. Check it with a thermometer at the level of the bird, not the lid gauge.
4. Mix the rub. Rub the turkey with the oil, then the rub, inside and out. Set it breast side up on the grate away from the fire, with the foil pan under it to catch drips.
5. Add the wood: a few chunks on the coals, or chips in a smoker box or foil packet on a gas grill. Thin, blue-gray smoke is what you want; thick white smoke tastes bitter. Add wood for the first 2 to 3 hours only.
6. Keep the lid closed and hold the air temperature at 225 to 300°F, adding charcoal as needed. USDA estimates 20 to 30 minutes per pound in a smoker, so an 11-lb bird takes about 4 to 5½ hours. Wind and cold weather add time.
7. Check the temperature with a food thermometer in three places, not touching bone: the thickest part of the breast, the innermost part of the thigh and the innermost part of the wing. Every spot must read at least 165°F (USDA). Smoked turkey often looks pink just under the skin even when it’s done; trust the thermometer, not the color.
8. Let the turkey rest 20 minutes before carving, so the juices settle (USDA). Tent it loosely with foil; it stays hot for 40 minutes or more.

🌡 Safe temperaturesTurkey 165°F. Check the thickest part with a food thermometer (USDA). More on food safety.