This smoked turkey recipe is the best way to prepare a whole smoked turkey on your grill to serve for Thanksgiving or any time you are wanting delicious smoked turkey.
If you don’t have a grill or a smoker you should just still want a juicy turkey recipe you should check out my turkey roulade recipe or spatchcock turkey recipe. No matter what turkey recipe you choose be sure to safely thaw your turkey first and then use the carcass to make turkey stock the next day.
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Why I love this recipe:
- This is the best smoked turkey recipe for a whole turkey because it frees up your oven for other side dishes.
- Customize the smoky flavor of your turkey by switching out your wood type to suit your taste. Apple, Cherry, mesquite or a combination are all delicious options.
- Use these turkey smoking instructions when making a smoked spatchcock turkey.
- Juicy turkey with a delightful smoked turkey flavor all from your own grill or smoker!
Ingredients for a whole smoked turkey:
- Turkey, whole, thawed
- Dry Turkey Brine Recipe – Optional but adds great flavors and extra moistness.
- Onion – sliced in half
- Apple – sliced in half
- Orange – sliced
- Juice – apple juice, apple cider or orange juice, for the roasting pan
- Herbs – rosemary, sage, parsley
Tools & Equipment to make a smoked turkey
- Roasting pan – disposable
- Grill with a smoker- I have a rectec grill that is a pellet fed grill but a smoke box in a grill will work as well.
- Wood for smoking – either pellets, chunks or chips. I recommend apple, cherry, or hickory for smoking poultry.
- Meat thermometers – I suggest 2 meat thermometers, one for the breast and one for the thigh
How to prepare a turkey for smoking
- Be sure the turkey is properly and safely thawed. I have several methods of thawing a frozen turkey safely if you are new to cooking a frozen turkey.
- If you are going to brine the turkey allow an extra day for brining. Follow my brining instructions in another post.
How to smoke a turkey
- Heat your smoker or grill to 225 F.
- Tuck the wings under to stabilize the bird and keep the wingtips from burning.
- Stuff the cavity of the turkey with the apple, onion, and herbs.
- Line the disposable aluminum pan with orange slices, placing the prepared turkey on top of the orange slices. Pour the apple juice ( or liquid of your choice) along with the turkey neck into the pan.
- Insert a meat thermometer into the breast as well as the thigh of the bird. Be sure these are oven-safe thermometers.
- Smoke the whole turkey on the grill or smoker for 30 minutes per pound.
- Once the thermometers have reached 165 remove the whole smoked turkey from the smoker and cover with foil allowing it to rest for 15 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
- Transfer the smoked turkey to a cutting board and carve for serving.
Common questions and answers:
Plan on smoking your turkey for about 30 minutes per pound when the smoker is set at 250F. Plan on at least 7 hours to smoke an average-sized turkey with a buffer of an additional 45 minutes, depending on size and rest time.
By smoking a whole turkey in a disposable aluminum pan, you are able to add a cup of liquid that will evaporate off as the turkey smokes, giving the turkey a moist environment to cook in.
The pan also will catch any turkey drippings, and allow the turkey neck to also smoke at the same time in the same drippings. Use these dripping and smoked turkey neck to make the most amazing turkey gravy.
Customize the smoky flavor of your turkey by switching out your wood type to suit your taste. Apple, Cherry, mesquite or a combination are all delicious options.
Plan 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per person when shopping for your whole turkey. Keep in mind that the raw weight includes bones, skin, wingtips, etc. that won’t necessarily be consumed at the table but go toward the total purchase weight.
1 1/2 pounds per person will allow everyone to get enough turkey at the Thanksgiving meal and you may even have leftovers the next day. 
Smoked Turkey Recipe ~ Whole Tureky
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 15 pound Turkey whole, thawed
- 1 recipe Dry Turkey Brine Recipe – Optional but adds great flavors and extra moistness.
- 1 Onion – sliced in half
- 1 Apple – sliced in half
- 1 Orange – sliced
- 1 cup Juice – apple juice apple cider or orange juice, for the roasting pan
- Herbs rosemary, sage, parsley
Instructions
How to prepare a turkey for smoking
- Be sure the turkey is properly and safely thawed. I have several methods of thawing a frozen turkey safely if you are new to cooking a frozen turkey.
- If you are going to brine the turkey allow an extra day for brining. Follow my brining instructions in another post.
How to smoke a turkey
- Heat your smoker or grill to 225 F.
- Tuck the wings under to stabilize the bird and keep the wingtips from burning.
- Stuff the cavity of the turkey with the apple, onion, and herbs. Line the disposable aluminum pan with orange slices, placing the prepared turkey on top of the orange slices.
- Pour the apple juice ( or liquid of your choice) along with the turkey neck into the pan.
- Insert a meat thermometer into the breast as well as the thigh of the bird. Be sure these are oven-safe thermometers. Smoke the whole turkey on the grill or smoker for 30 minutes per pound. Once the thermometers have reached 165 remove the whole smoked turkey from the smoker and cover with foil allowing it to rest for 15 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute.
- Transfer the smoked turkey to a cutting board and carve for serving.
Nutrition
Sarah Mock
CEO/Owner/Founder/Culinary Blogger
Sarah Mock is a classically trained Chef and graduate of Johnson & Wales University. A culinary blogger for 12 years Sarah helps the home cook prepare her recipes with professional results.
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