Pellet Grill Smoked Turkey

Smoked whole turkey on a white platter garnished with fresh rosemary, thyme, and kale, cooked on a pellet grill with golden crispy skin.

Learn how to make moist smoked turkey with crispy skin in the pellet grill.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 3

Resting Time 25

Servings people

Calories 735kcal

Author Joe Clements

Ingredients

12 lb turkey See note 1
2 sticks butter salted, room temperature
6 sprigs rosemary fresh
1 orange cut into quarters
2 stalks of celery cut in half
2 carrots cut in half
1 onion quarterd
6 cloves garlic

Smoked turkey rub

1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper freshly ground
1 tbsp garlic flakes ground garlic will also work
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp sage
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp dried minced onion
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp white pepper

For the brine

2 gallons water Less if you plan on cooling down with ice
1 cup Kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp black pepper
2 oranges cut into wedges
5 garlic cloves
fresh rosemary a few sprigs
fresh thyme a few sprigs

Instructions

To brine your turkey

Remove the giblets and neck from the inside of your thawed turkey.
Bring ½ gallon of water to a boil. Add Kosher salt, brown sugar, and black pepper. Remove from heat and let cool.
Place the turkey in the brine container and add 1 ½ gallons of water, followed by the brine mixture. Add four orange wedges, garlic cloves, and rosemary. Either add 5 lbs of ice to the brine container or store in the refrigerator overnight.

To smoke your turkey

Preheat your pellet smoker 325°F, using hickory, oak, mesquite pellets or a pellet blend.
Remove the turkey from the brine and wash it with cold water. Dry with paper towels.
To prepare the turkey for seasoning, stretch out the skin, and push back the membrane between the skin and the breasts.
Add ¼ cup of turkey rub to the butter and combine well. Cover the turkey in the compound butter, getting under the skin and inside the cavity.
Truss the turkey by cutting three strands of butcher twine about two feet long each. Bring the legs back to cross each other and tie them together. Tie each wing and pull them back, connecting the twine to the legs.
Stuff the turkey with celery, carrots, onion, rosemary, four orange wedges, and garlic.
Place turkey on a wire rack on a baking sheet and sprinkle about one tbsp of the turkey rub. Insert your meat probe thermometer into the lower part of the breast.
Place the turkey in the pellet smoker and smoke the turkey at 325°F for three hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. You can spray the turkey periodically with cooking oil or spritz with melted butter to enhance the flavor and texture of the turkey skin.
Let the turkey rest for at least 25 minutes until carving. Carve the turkey by separating the legs and thighs first, then remove the wings. Cut out each breast as close as you can from the breast plate, and slice against the grain.Strain the drippings and pour over the sliced turkey.

Smoked turkey rub

Combine all the ingredients.

Notes

1. Turkey Size

The ideal turkey size to smoke is between 10-14lb. You could go larger but if you need to feed more people then I would recommend smoking two smaller turkeys.

Allow for one pound of turkey per adult. That equals about half a pound of cooked turkey meat once the bones are removed.

2. Rubs & Seasoning

You can't go wrong experimenting with different rubs and seasonings. A store-bought BBQ rub will work, as will any chicken or poultry-specific rub. You could even keep things simple and go with salt and pepper. I used my Smoked Turkey Rub, which is a cross between a poultry-style rub and a more traditional barbecue rub.

3. How long does it take to smoke a turkey?

This recipe only takes about 20 minutes to prep, not including the brine time. The exact amount of time on the smoker until the turkey is ready can vary a lot depending on the size of your bird so always use a good thermometer and take your turkey off the smoker when it hits 165°F in the breast.

Nutrition