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How to make the juiciest, smoked turkey! This easy recipe is perfect for beginners and uses dry-brining to make a tender and moist turkey.
The BEST Smoked Turkey recipe that makes a perfectly moist and tender turkey without any stress – let the smoker do the work for you! This is a super simple way to make a gorgeous, super-flavored turkey that will impress your guests.
Dry-brining makes the turkey super juicy and smoking the bird at a low temperature for the first 4 hours cooks the whole turkey evenly. This technique makes sure that the turkey is perfectly tender and not overcooked like many other recipes, which is the key to a perfect Thanksgiving turkey.
And if you’re having a smaller dinner or need an additional turkey main course check out my Air Fryer Turkey Breast recipe or my favorite stuffed turkey breast! It is a Thanksgiving showstopper with its Cranberry Pecan Stuffing and easy Apple Cider Gravy.
Why we love this recipe
- Dry brining is less messy and uses less space in the fridge
- So flavorful because of the fresh herbs and the smoke
- No weird ingredients
- Super juicy, perfectly cooked on the inside with crispy skin that seals in moisture
- Hands-off recipe, let the smoker do the work
- More space in the oven for all the sides
Ingredient Notes
Here is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom for quantities.
- Turkey – A farm-fresh turkey works best! Discard the giblets and other stuff (you can use it to make broth)
- Salt – I use kosher salt
- Herbs – This recipe uses fresh sage, rosemary, thyme, and parsley. I recommend using them all for the best flavor but feel free to skip one of them if you are not a fan.
How to make this recipe
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.
- Prep: Finely chop the herbs (Image 1) and combine with the salt (Image 2). Rub the herb mixture all over the turkey and in the cavity (Image 3).
- Wrap and Chill: Place the turkey in a bag and seal it tight or put it in a large enough plastic container and cover it with plastic wrap (Image 4). Put in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours, then unwrap and let sit in the fridge unwrapped for another 12 to 24 hours.
- Smoke: On the day you want to cook the turkey, preheat your smoker to 180 degrees F. Place the turkey in a roasting pan, breast up (Image 1 below). Transfer to the smoker and smoke for 4 hours (Image 2 below).
- Increase Temperature: After 4 hours, increase the temperature to 325 degrees F and cook the turkey for about 2 more hours until it has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh (temperature will go up while the turkey rests). Tent the turkey if needed. Image 3 below
- Rest: Take the turkey out of the smoker and let rest for 20-30 minutes before carving. Image 4 below
Expert Tips
- If you are using a frozen turkey make sure you plan enough time for your turkey to thaw! It needs about one day in the fridge for every 5 pounds of turkey to defrost completely.
- We use a Traeger Ironwood 650 (affiliate link) pellet grill and love it!
- The longer you dry-brine the better the turkey! Dry-brining makes the turkey moist and tender and keeps the skin from drying out and getting leathery during smoking.
- Use a disposable aluminum roasting pan. Less clean up and it is usually more compact and fits better into a smoker.
- Don’t wash the turkey before dry-brining it! It’s not necessary and will only contaminate your sink.
- Use a meat thermometer and always go by temperature, not time! Smoking times vary depending on your smoker, outside temperature, size of the turkey, etc.
- The government recommends cooking turkey breast to 165°F, but in my experience, it’s best to only cook it to 160°F and then let it rest. The temperature will still go up while the turkey rests and the meat will be juicy and not overcooked.
- Let the turkey rest after cooking so it is moist and juicy and not overcooked.
- If the skin gets too dark during the last hour of cooking cover the bird with a large piece of aluminum foil.
- Use the pan drippings to make the gravy while the turkey rests.
- Depending on the size of your turkey and your smoker cooking time can vary slightly always make sure the meat is fully cooked before serving.
- Use the super-smoke feature on your Traeger for extra smoke flavor!
- I don’t recommend stuffing the turkey. The low smoke temperature is not ideal for stuffing and the bird will cook faster without it.
- Different-sized turkey: Smoke time stays the same (4 hours) but cooking time after increasing the temperature will change, check out the table below
Recipe FAQs
Hickory pellets are my go-to because they are very versatile and add a mellow smoke flavor that is not too overpowering. We buy a big back at Costco so we always have some on hand. Apple and Pecan are sweeter but work well too. Another great option are the Traeger Turkey Blend Pellets (affiliate link) which are perfect for turkey.
It takes about 6 hours for a 15-pound turkey but varies depending on your smoker and the size of your turkey.
You need about 1.5 pounds of turkey per person. So if you are feeding 8 people, you should buy at least a 12-pound turkey. Get a bigger bird if you want a good amount of leftovers for soups and sandwiches.
Keep in mind that the turkey should rest for 20-30 minutes before slicing into it. But if it is done even earlier and you are not ready to eat for 1 hour or longer you can place it with the roasting pan in an insulated cooler to keep warm.
Leftovers
Leftovers are one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving! We always buy a bigger turkey so we have plenty of leftovers. Some of our favorite recipes are our creamy leftover turkey soup, Instant Pot Turkey Soup, and sandwiches with all the fixings.
We also always make a deconstructed chicken pot pie with leftover turkey and biscuits on top – my absolute favorite.
Leftovers can be kept for 3-4 days in an airtight container stored in the fridge. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner!
What to serve with Smoked Turkey
- Cranberry Sauce
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Asparagus
- Pomegranate Pear Salad
Looking for Thanksgiving dessert?
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Smoked Turkey
Ingredients
- 15 lb farm-fresh turkey
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
- 2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 4-5 Tbsp kosher salt, about 1 tsp per pound
Instructions
- Combine chopped herbs and kosher salt. Rub mixture all over the turkey, including the cavity.
- Place turkey in a bag and seal tight or put in a large enough plastic container and cover with plastic wrap. Put in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours, then unwrap and let sit in the fridge unwrapped for another 12 to 24 hours.
- On the day you want to cook the turkey, preheat your smoker to 180 degrees F.
- Place the turkey in a roasting pan, breast up. Transfer to smoker and smoke for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, increase the temperature to 325 degrees F and cook the turkey for about 2 more hours until it has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh (temperature will go up while the turkey rests). Tent the turkey if needed.
- Take the turkey out of the smoker and let rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.
Notes
- If you are using a frozen turkey make sure you plan enough time for your turkey to thaw! It needs about one day in the fridge for every 5 pounds of turkey to defrost completely.
- We use a Traeger Ironwood 650 (affiliate link) pellet grill and love it!
- The longer you dry-brine the better the turkey! Dry-brining makes the turkey moist and tender and keeps the skin from drying out and getting leathery during smoking.
- Use a disposable aluminum roasting pan. Less clean up and it is usually more compact and fits better into a smoker.
- Don’t wash the turkey before dry-brining it! It’s not necessary and will only contaminate your sink.
- Use a meat thermometer and always go by temperature, not time! Smoking times vary depending on your smoker, outside temperature, size of the turkey, etc.
- The government recommends cooking turkey breast to 165°F, but in my experience, it’s best to only cook it to 160°F and then let it rest. The temperature will still go up while the turkey rests and the meat will be juicy and not overcooked.
- Let the turkey rest after cooking so it is moist and juicy and not overcooked.
- If the skin gets too dark during the last hour of cooking cover the bird with a large piece of aluminum foil.
- Use the pan drippings to make the gravy while the turkey rests.
- Depending on the size of your turkey and your smoker cooking time can vary slightly always make sure the meat is fully cooked before serving.
- Use the super smoke feature on your Traeger for extra smoke flavor!
- I don’t recommend stuffing the turkey. The low smoke temperature is not ideal for stuffing and the bird will cook faster without it.
- Different sized turkey: Smoke time stays the same (4 hours) but cooking time after increasing the temperature will change, check out the table below
10-14 pounds 1.5-2 hours
15-20 pounds 2-3 hours
20-25 pounds 3-3.5 hours
26-30 pounds 3.5-4.5 hours
