Smoked Turkey

You want some oohs and aahs when you place the holiday Turkey on the table. There’s a bit of ceremony involved in the presentation and the carving but the real joy starts with that first taste. Sweet Daddy D’s Smoked Turkey is dry brined and rested so the skin is crisp and the meat is moist. Add a touch of smokey flavor for a turkey that will be memorable for your guests. Don’t tell anyone, but it ain’t as hard as it looks to turn out a wonderfully moist bird for all to enjoy. 

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Jump to:

• Why Dry Brine?
• Here’s What You Need
• Here’s What You Do
• Hints and Tips
• Recipe
• Smoked Turkey
• Comments or Questions?

Why Dry Brine?

Our goal is to produce a juicy, well-cooked turkey with crispy skin. It starts with a dry brine process to help promote moisture with the use of salt. It’s high science, but any couyon can do it. Most brining processes involve marinating the turkey in a salty water solution, but with a dry brine, a dry mixture of salt and seasonings do all the work. The salt draws moisture to the surface of the turkey, both from the meat and from the atmosphere. That moisture melts the salt in the brine which is then absorbed, along with some of the herbs and spices, back into the bird. Ample time is needed for this process to be effective; no less than an hour but the longer the better. I usually dry brine for at least an hour per pound. Don't worry that you'll be left with a salty turkey because we will rinse off the excess brine when we are done.  The crispy skin part is achieved by doing a naked rest. No, you don’t have to get naked (that part is totally optional). After we rinse the dry brine off, it will go in the refrigerator to dry out the skin a little. As such, after spending some time in the smoker, the skin will be nicely browned and crisp.  

Here’s What You Need

Equipment

Here is some of the equipment I used to prepare this recipe:

Cambro prep bowls, Glass prep bowls, Cutting boards, Chef's Knife, Measuring cups, Measuring spoons, Brining bag, thermometer, instant-read thermometer, Prep Trays

Lagniappe-Some of my Thermoworks Tools

I am a participant in ThermoWork's Affiliate Program, so I will receive a small commission on any sale through my website links.

Measure twice, cut once. You have a lot of time and effort invested in cooking, so make sure to use tools that are reliable and of high quality. That's particularly important when you are tracking and measuring temperature and time. There can be a fine line between perfectly cooked and horribly under or overcooked. That's why I have relied on products from Thermoworks for years to give me accurate information I can count on. I have found their products to be high-quality and durable and their customer service to be second to none. Check out the Thermoworks website...you won't believe the range of products they have for measuring just about everything.

Here’s What You Do

First...you have a beer. This process takes some time and will require a bit of planning. The good news is that you’ll have a chance to consume a few beers during the process. Start with one beer while you read the recipe and think through the process. Do you have to thaw your turkey? Do you have everything that you need for your smoker? What sort of wood will you use for smoke flavor? The actual preparation should start the day before you smoke it, giving you time for the brine and naked rest. (It may start even earlier if you have to defrost your bird.) Make sure you have all the ingredients and you know what you’re going to do with them before you start. It’s really pretty simple if you prepare, but there are some moving parts. I think I’ll have another beer.

Prepare the brine and rubs

Mix all the ingredients for the dry brine and the dry rub and place them in separate airtight containers. Gather all the ingredients for the injection (wet rub). Even though you won’t mix that until right before you’ll use it, you need to give it some thought. If you decide not to inject you can rub the butter solution all over the turkey. Nothing wrong with that. We'll talk more about the injection in the Wet Rub/Injection section below. Next, gather the items you will aromatics to stuff in the cavity, tie the herbs together in a bouquet garni. Place everything in a large prep bowl and stick it in the fridge. You won’t need them for a while either so you can wait to slice the fruit and vegetables but don’t wait until the last minute and find out you don’t have something you want. Besides, you’ll have a lot going on getting the bird ready for the smoker. 

Dry Brine the Turkey

Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity and set them aside for a stock (these can be frozen if you're not going to use them for a while). Rinse the entire bird, inside and out under cold water, then pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or some paper towels. Place generous amounts of the Dry Brine in the cavity and all over the outside of the turkey, making sure to get into every nook and cranny. Place the turkey on a rack on a baking sheet (you want something to catch the juice which will be generated during the brine). You can place the turkey in a Brining Bag, or make a loose tent of wax paper. Let the brining turkey sit in the fridge for about 12 to 14 hours or about 1 hour per pound.

Naked Rest

OK, clothing is optional for this part. When the Dry Brine period is over, remove the turkey from the fridge and carefully rinse off the dry brine under cold water. Make sure to get inside the cavity and in all the nooks and crannies. Thoroughly dry the turkey with paper towels both inside and out. Place the bird on a prep tray and return it to the fridge uncovered for 4 to 5 hours. The surface of the skin will dry and become somewhat translucent.

Wet Rub/Inject

Injecting is optional; the mixture can also be spread over the turkey and rubbed in with your hands. About 10 minutes before the end of the naked rest, strain the lemon juice to remove the seeds and most of the pulp, melt the butter then add all the ingredients together and stir to dissolve. If injecting, make sure your needle has a large enough orifice to handle the dry ingredients. The cayenne and white pepper should be very fine (and mostly dissolved) so they will pass through the needle without problems. Inject about half of the solution into various thick parts of the breast, thighs and legs. There are no magic spots to inject, just try to evenly distribute the injections with a few pretty deep and a few not so deep. Pour the remaining wet rub over the turkey and rub it all over the bird with your hands. Loosen the skin and rub some butter mixture under the skin and rub a little in the cavity.

Prepare the cavity

After getting the buttery rub all over everything, sprinkle some black ground pepper and some of the Dry Rub inside the cavity. Slice the onion, garlic, celery, apple, orange and lemon (or whatever combination you choose). Stuff those along with the herb bundle inside the cavity, trying to fill every bit of the void.

Apply the Dry Rub

With the cavity full, place the turkey on the prep board, breast side up. Sprinkle the Dry Rub all over the outside of the turkey and rub it in with your hands. The buttery wet rub will facilitate this process. Insert the thermometer probe (this is how to do that) and let the rubbed bird sit out while you get the smoker ready. The closer to room temperature the better.

Prepare the smoker

Every smoker is a little different and you should prepare it as you normally do. I like to place an aluminum pan under the grate to catch juices that can flavor the gravy. This is not low and slow, so set up your smoker for a temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit with your choice of smoke wood. Depending upon how long it takes your smoker to come up to temperature, you can start anytime after the naked rest. 

Place the Turkey on the smoker

Place the turkey on the smoker when it's ready. Ideally, set it right on the grate, but you can set it in an aluminum pan or place one under the grate to catch the juices.

Adjust the vents to maintain 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Smoking time should be about 15 minutes per pound, but use this only as a guide. I do not recommend cooking by time. The turkey is only done when the breast reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit degrees and the thighs reach 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Read about tracking the time and temperature in the Hints and Tips section below. As a guide, it should take a little over 3 hours, but try not to lift the lid very often. When the bird is about 5 degrees under your desired target temperature, remove the turkey from the smoker, tent loosely with aluminum foil and set it aside to rest. Carryover heat will continue to cook the turkey so it will reach the desired finished temperature. Here’s a short interesting article about carryover cooking if you want a full understanding. It may be the difference between perfectly cooked meat and a hockey puck!

Hints and Tips

Here are some other ways to prepare your Holiday Turkey:

What will you serve with your Smoked Turkey? Check out these suggestions for Thanksgiving and Holiday fare from Sweet Daddy D:

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