Smoked Whole Turkey

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 3 30

Brining time 1

Total Time 1 3 50

Servings

Calories 799kcal

Author Jordan Hanger

Ingredients

15 lb whole turkey
2 sticks celery
2 carrots
2 onions medium size
1 apple
1 orange
1 lemon
bunch of thyme
bunch of rosemary
3 tbsp poultry rub
3 sticks butter unsalted

Instructions

Brine your turkey for at least 8 hours up to 24 hours.
Heat your smoker to 250°F.
Pat turkey dry and stuff the cavity with aromatics such as onions, celery, carrots, apples, lemons, oranges, and herbs.
Cover the turkey with 1 stick of room temperature butter and season generously.
Smoke at 250°F for the first 2 hours.
Increase the temperature of your smoker to 350°F and continue smoking.
Melt the remaining 2 sticks of butter. When the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 135°F, baste the turkey and do so every 10 degrees.
Remove the turkey from the smoker when the internal temperature of the breast reaches 165°F.
Rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Notes

Do I have to brine my turkey? No, its optional. Brining is a way to add more flavor and moisture to your turkey, so it's well worth doing. See our turkey brine recipe.

What wood should I use for smoking? Cherry wood works so well with poultry, if you don’t like cherry or have it on hand, any fruit or mild wood will work.

Make sure you dry your turkey especially if you’ve brined it. You can pat it dry with paper towels and leave it in your fridge uncovered for 1-2 hours. This will help get the skin nice and crispy.

Stuff the cavity of your turkey for increased flavor and this will also help keep your turkey moist.

Truss the turkey legs by crossing them together and tying with butcher's twine. This helps keep the stuffing in and also with the presentation later.

Nutrition