Juicy Smoked Turkey
Inside: Learn how to brine turkey in apple cider and bourbon for smoking and how to smoke it on a gas grill for tender, juicy, foolproof results.
Brining and smoking a turkey is easier than you might think, and you can do it so that the meat is tender and moist every time. The secret is a wet brine, which plumps the bird’s cells. My brine recipe for smoked turkey uses apple cider, bourbon, and whole spices. A 12-hour to 24-hour soak ensures a juicy and flavorful smoked turkey every time.
I’ve made more than my share of Thanksgiving dinners and turkeys, from Brined Roast Turkey to Stuffed Turkey Tenderloin and Marinated Roast Turkey Breast to Spatchcock Grilled Turkey.
This simple smoked turkey is one of our favorites because it has a delicious slow-smoked flavor and the meat stays moist, even the breast.
I smoked this turkey on our gas grill, but you can use a charcoal grill, pellet smoker or traditional water smoker.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- This makes a moist and tender brined smoked turkey perfect for any occasion.
- The cider bourbon turkey brine only takes 20 minutes to assemble and the recipe can be doubled for larger birds (this one is for a 10-12 pound turkey).
- You can play with different woods to subtly change the flavors.
- It makes you a BOSS.
Ingredients:
- Turkey–You can use a fresh or frozen bird. I prefer an organic turkey, but that’s up to you. Remember to remove the neck and giblets package from the cavity before brining.
- Brown Sugar–brown sugar won’t make the turkey meat taste sweet, but it does work in the brine solution to infuse the flesh with moisture.
- Maple Syrup–again, the turkey won’t taste like a stack of pancakes. Trust me. You’ll also need some for the basting mixture to mop the turkey on the grill.
- Kosher Salt– I recommend Diamond Kosher Salt, which is less salty by volume than Morton’s. If you have Morton’s, cut the amount of salt by ⅓. Do not substitute iodized (table) salt. It’s not the same thing and will make the bird WAY TOO salty.
- Cloves–Use whole cloves, not ground.
- Peppercorns–Use whole black peppercorns, not ground.
- Thyme–I use a whole bunch of fresh thyme in the brine for the smoked turkey.
- Dried Bay Leaves–another layer of flavor for the turkey brine.
- Unsweetened Apple Cider–is most of the liquid for the brine. Avoid spiced or sparkling cider. If cider isn’t available, you can also use unsweetened apple juice. You’ll also need some for the basting liquid.
- Ice–to chill the turkey brine (and add liquid) after dissolving the sugar and salt. You never want to put a turkey into a hot brine, as that would start to poach the meat instead of brining it.
- Bourbon–I use an inexpensive Bourbon, not the fancy stuff. Jim Beam or Jack Daniel’s work fine.
- Water–I use just enough to cover the turkey in the brine, but since turkeys are generally large, it can take a quart or more.
- Chicken Stock–for the basting liquid.
- Apple Cider Vinegar–adds a bit of tanginess to the basting liquid.
Why Brine A Turkey?
- We’ve all experienced a bone-dry turkey: stringy, flavorless, and unappetizing. Brining is like an insurance policy against that.
- When you soak a turkey (or any other protein) in a brining solution, the brine permeates the flesh, plumping the meat’s cells and tenderizing it. This results in a juicy, tender, delicious bird.
- All brine recipes combine salt and water; their essential function is to tenderize and moisten the meat.
- Other ingredients, like apple cider, brown sugar, bourbon and maple syrup, enhance the flavors and keep it interesting. To me, this is the best turkey brine for smoking. You can also use it for other meats like pork or chicken.
Step-by-step instructions:
- Combine the brown sugar, kosher salt, maple syrup, cloves, peppercorn, bay leaves and thyme in a large saucepan. Add the apple juice and simmer over medium heat, occasionally stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve.
2. Stir in the bourbon, cold water and ice. (The ice will help cool the brine to room temperature so you don’t inadvertently poach or cook the meat.)
3. Remove the giblet package from the turkey and place it in a large receptacle to hold it covered in brine. Add the apple cider brine to the receptacle, cover and brine it in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.
4. Submerge the wood chips in water using a chip soaker or add them to a large bowl covered with water. Weigh down the chips by carefully floating a plate over them. Soak the chips for an hour or so.
5. Transfer the soaked wood chips to a smoker basket (top left) or make foil pouches and fill with the wood chips (top right). Seal the edges and poke holes all over the pouch to allow smoke to escape.
6. Remove the grill grates on one side of the grill. Place the smoker box or pouch directly over the fire elements.Preheat the grill to 350°F until the wood chips start to smoke, then replace the grate and close the lid. Let the smoke build for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the turkey from the brine and use paper towels to dry it well, inside and out.
Place the meat on the cool side of the grill (where the burners aren’t lit) and close the lid. (You can put the bird directly on the grill grates or set it in a turkey rack inside a disposable aluminum pan to catch turkey drippings. The rack helps elevate the turkey and allows the smoke to penetrate everywhere).
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Try to keep the smoking temperature between 225° and 275° F. Use your grill’s thermometer to gauge it.
7. While the turkey smokes, make the basting solution by mixing the chicken stock, apple cider, vinegar, maple syrup and bourbon. After smoking for about 1½-2 hours, begin to baste the bird every 20-30 minutes.
After a few hours, the wood chips will stop smoking (they’ve burned off), and the turkey will continue to cook indirectly on the grill. Just keep basting it and monitoring the temperature every half hour until you reach the “safe zone” for internal temperature.
8. At about the 2-hour mark, start checking the internal temperature of the meat with an instant-read thermometer. Insert the probe into the breast or thigh without touching the bone to get an accurate reading. Depending on the size of the bird, it can take 3-4 hours or more.
An instant-read thermometer is the only surefire way to know. I recommend the Thermapen One {affiliate link}, it’s most chefs’ choice and the one I use at home.
9. Pull the smoked turkey off the grill when the breast temperature reaches 155°-160°F.
10. Transfer the smoked turkey to a wooden cutting board and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving so the juices can redistribute throughout the meat.
Pro-Tips:
- If using a frozen turkey, thaw it completely before submerging it in the brine.
- Before making the turkey brine, ensure your receptacle is large enough to accomodate the turkey and the brine to submerge the poultry.
- Brining bags work; however, you’ll also want a receptacle to hold the bird and brine solution. Why? Brining bags are large, and when filled with a liquid, the bag will naturally spread out flat, making it unlikely that you’ll cover the turkey with the brine. Look for something slightly larger and taller than your bird that will fit in your refrigerator, like a stock pot.
- You can also use a commercial-grade storage receptacle with a lid. You can find them on Amazon {affiliate link}. (I have one and love it–it’s also handy for brining my St. Patrick’s Day corned beef.)
- If you live in a colder climate, around 35° – 40° Fahrenheit, you can also use a clean 5-gallon bucket for brining the turkey. Cover it and store it on a patio or in a garage (just be sure it’s well covered and in a cold, but not freezing, spot).
- The smoke coming from the grill should be white — not black. Black indicates something’s on fire – the WRONG kind of smoke. It should waft in a steady stream from the closed gas grill.
- If the bird is browning unevenly on the grill, you can spin it 180° halfway through to continue cooking.
Variations:
- Fill the bird’s cavity with aromatics like onion, celery, carrots or fresh herbs before smoking it.
- For extra flavor, coat the poultry with a smoked turkey rub made from ¼ cup paprika, ¼ cup brown sugar, two tablespoons onion powder, one tablespoon garlic powder, one tablespoon salt and two teaspoons black pepper before smoking.
- You can also make this smoked turkey using a traditional charcoal grill or water smoker. You might need additional wood chips or use well-soaked large wood chunks (about 3″ to 5″ wide, and must soak for at least 4 hours before smoking).
- A pellet grill is an easy way to maintain a steady temperature. Use your favorite wood pellets and the temperature probe to determine when the brined smoked turkey is done.
FAQ’s
Depending on the size of your bird, it can be anywhere from 3-6 hours.
Keep the temperature under 300° F, preferably in the 225° to 275° range. Maintaining that range on some grills may be more challenging. Do your best, but don’t throw your hands in the air if it goes above 300 ° F. It happens. The most important part is ensuring that the poultry has at least 1½ -2 hours of smoking time to penetrate the flesh.
165° F is considered a safe internal temperature to eat poultry. I usually remove the turkey between 155°-160° to let the residual heat continue cooking into the safe zone.
Yes. You can use your favorite brine recipe; make sure that the turkey is completely submerged in the brine for 12-24 hours before smoking it.
Choose a light wood chip for smoking. We prefer fruit wood chips, like apple, cherry or pecan, but you can also use hickory wood. These softer woods will add a smoked flavor that doesn’t overpower the poultry.
Poultry is considered safe when the internal temperature reaches 165° F.
Due to carryover cooking, the meat will continue to cook even when resting. Therefore, I recommend pulling it off the grill when it reaches around 158°-160°. This helps ensure that the brined smoked turkey is juicy and moist.
Storage:
- Carved turkey leftovers can be wrapped in an airtight container or foil and stored in the refrigerator for up to five days.
- The uncarved portion should be stored in an airtight container or food storage bag and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezing:
- Leftover turkey can be frozen well-wrapped in freezer paper for 2-3 months.
- The turkey carcass and bones can be stored in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Leftovers:
- Save the turkey carcass to make homemade turkey stock.
What goes with a brined smoked turkey?
Whether you’re making this recipe for a summer cookout or a smoked Thanksgiving turkey, you’ll want some tasty sides to serve with it. Here are a few ideas.
What to make with leftovers:
More ways to cook turkey:
Brined Smoked Turkey
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- 4 cups wood chips can use apple, cherry, pecan, hickory or other soft-flavored wood chips
- smoking boxes or tin foil pouches pricked with holes for the smoke to escape
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE BRINE:
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup kosher salt
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 10 whole cloves
- 20 whole black peppercorns
- 1 bunch fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cups unsweetened apple juice preferably organic, unfiltered)
- ½ cup bourbon
- 6 cups cold water
- 8 cups ice
FOR SMOKING THE TURKEY:
- 1 10-12 pound turkey
FOR THE BASTING LIQUID:
- 1 cup chicken stock from rotisserie chicken or low-sodium broth
- ½ cup apple juice
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
DIRECTIONS:
MAKE THE BRINE:
- In a large stock pot, combine ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup kosher salt, ⅓ cup maple syrup, 10 whole cloves, 20 whole black peppercorns, 2 bay leaves and 1 bunch fresh thyme.
- Add 8 cups unsweetened apple juice and simmer over medium heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Stir in ½ cup bourbon, 6 cups cold water and 8 cups ice until the ice is melted.
- Check temperature of the brine before brining the turkey — it should be at room temperature or cooler <70°.
- Find a receptacle large enough to hold the turkey and the brine — could be a cooler, or I go to the restaurant supply store to get one of their large plastic food storage containers or brining bags.
- Place 1 10-12 pound turkey in the receptacle and pour in the cool brine. The brine should cover the bird, but if it doesn't quite, add a few more cups of water and/or apple juice. Alternately, if your container just isn't big enough for more liquid. Let the turkey brine for half the time, then flip it over to brine with the other half fully submerged. Brine the bird for 12-24 hours.
FOR SMOKING THE TURKEY
- 1-2 hours before smoking, add 3-4 cups of wood chips to a large bowl and cover with cool water. Float a plate on top of the wood chips to help them stay submerged and absorb the water.
- Remove the turkey from the brine and transfer to a baking pan. Pat completely dry with paper towels and discard the brine.
- Place the turkey on a rack set over a baking pan (to catch drippings and prevent flare-ups). Use kitchen twine to tie the drumsticks together. Tuck the wing tips behind the bird. This will prevent them from drying out and give a nicer presentation.
ASSEMBLE THE BASTING SOLUTION:
- In a 2 cup measuring cup or a mop bucket, combine 1 cup chicken stock from rotisserie chicken , ½ cup apple juice, ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons bourbon, 2 tablespoons maple syrup and stir to combine.
HOW TO SMOKE A TURKEY ON A GAS GRILL:
- Set up the gas grill for indirect heat. (The heating elements are on for one half of the grill while the turkey sits on the opposite side.) Heat that side to about 350°.
- Fill 2-3 smoking boxes with the drained wood chips (or set up smoking pouches by filling aluminum foil with wood chips, sealing the pouches up by crimping the edges together and poking holes all over the pouch). Place the smoking boxes or pouches directly over the heating elements of the grill (below the grill grates) and heat until they start smoking a white smoke.
- Reduce the heat so that you just maintain a steady smoke with the grill temperature hovering between 225°-275°.
- Place the turkey on the opposite side of the grill and close the lid. After 1½ to 2 hours, begin basting the turkey every 20-30 minutes with the basting solution.
- Start checking the turkey with an instant-read thermometer at about the 2-hour mark. You want to achieve a breast temperature around 155°-160°F for perfect doneness — the turkey will continue to cook after you take if off the heat. Depending on the size of your turkey, this could take anywhere from 4-5 hours.
TO SERVE:
- When the breast meat has achieved 155°-160°F, remove it from the heat and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving.
RECIPE VIDEO:
NOTES:
NUTRITION:
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Wow! Amazing flavors! My family loved this and the turkey sandwiches the next day were delicious.
I have only begun experimenting with smoked turkeys. I love the moist, tender results from smoking but I’m not a big fan of the smoked flavor. The first turkey I smoked, from a different recipe, was way too spicy, so I looked for something milder.
I was pleasantly surprised with this recipe. The turkey came out perfectly moist, tender, and browned, with a lightly smoked flavor. At first, I missed the traditional flavor of turkey and gravy, but everyone liked it, and the leftovers went quickly too. Will definitely try again.
I must admit to never have brined a turkey. This method made such a difference at our Friendsgiving. The turkey was so golden brown and really super juicy. The cider gravy was the perfect finishing touch, I could have just eaten it like soup, so good!
Brining the turkey definitely makes for a succulent bird. Can we just talk about that cider gravy for a minute?! I’m drooling at the mere thought of it. I’m definitely trying that this year.
Oh….I’ve never brined a turkey before, but you make it look so easy. Thanks for the step by step direction with clear photos. And that cider gravy is a must no matter what. That will be my “something new” on the table this year. For Sure!!
Brining the turkey is so essential – I still remember the first year we did it. The meat was so juicy and delectable, we never looked back. We got a fancy new gas grill last summer, and it has a smoker component that I haven’t gotten to use yet (mostly, because I have no idea how haha). I think a smoked turkey might be the best way to inaugurate it. Will bookmark this tutorial to follow when we do!
Oh wow, this looks gorgeous!! I had my turkey recipe all picked out for Thanksgiving, but now I’m so, so tempted to change it. Or at least to make that cider gravy… And then drink it with a straw- LOL. It sounds SO yummy!!
The colour on your turkey is GORGEOUS! It looks like it was taken right out of a magazine! The cider gravy you paired it with sounds delicious as well. I never thought to smoke a turkey before so you’ve given me an idea for next year when the weather is much warmer outside to give it a try.
OMG, there are so many layers of flavor in this recipe! From the brine, the wood you use for smoking, the basting liquid, and the gravy-I’m hungry now after reading through the whole thing. And I’ll have to check out that thermometer. I’ve had such terrible luck with thermometers and it’s such an important tool to have in the kitchen.
That brine sounds like perfection! We’ve brined our turkey in a similar fashion before, but what I’ve never done is whip up an apple cider gravy. And that needs to happen. I’m such a sucker for apple cider, or anything apple-y for that matter! So I’m head over heels for this recipe. We’re hosting Friendsgiving this year, so I’ll be giving this a spin 🙂
Whoah! Smoked turkey is something I can honestly say I’ve not had for the holidays. I have a giant, bone-in, Kosher turkey breast in the fridge right now for Thanksgiving this week, and I think you’ve convinced us to smoke it, Lisa. Thanks for this awesome recipe! Just bookmarked and can’t wait to dive in to this deliciousness 🙂
This has been very helpful. I’m a big fan of brining, especially poultry and pork. Your article has so much good info, I’m going to save this for later. Your cider gravy sounds amazing and much different than what I usually make. I’m going to save this and try it. Thanks for this article, I will using this on TG day.
What a lovely turkey recipe perfect for Thanksgiving! Looks so tasty and flavorful!
Wow…I bet no one turns down an invitation to your house for Thanksgiving. That turkey almost looks too pretty to eat but I would be the first to help myself to the turkey platter on Thanksgiving. That’s a winner of a recipe.
Wow, this turkey looks absolutely perfect! My mother swears by brining a turkey, too but we’ve never smoked one! I’ll have to pass it along to my t-day hostess 🙂
That is one gorgeous turkey Lisa!!! I’d almost (ALMOST) hate to cut into it lol!! I love all your brining tips here- I’ve never cooked a whole turkey and would have zero idea where to start. And here it is, too early for lunch, and I AM STARVING now!! I want it!
How gorgeous! This would totally blow people away served at Christmas dinner and that gravy sounds divine!
I have always wanted to smoke a turkey, you just can’t beat the flavor. I absolutely LOVE the cider brine, on my list to make for sure!
YES!!!! Smoked turkey is THE BEST!!! I live in Canada, and sometimes for the holiday dinners (especially Christmas), it can be really cold outside. Last year I wanted hubby to smoke the turkey. The weather was like -30, so I did not have the heart to make him go outside. Hopefully this year it will be warmer. Smoked turkey is the best. Your gravy sounds like the perfect addition, and I would love it on mashed potatoes for sure.