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SMOKED TURKEY BREASTS

Smoked turkey is often praised for its rich, smoky flavor and tender texture. When turkey is smoked, the slow cooking process allows the flavors of the smoke to seep into the meat, resulting in an incredibly flavorful and juicy bird. Additionally, the smoking process helps to preserve the meat, making it a popular choice for holiday meals or special occasions.

  • Servings 8-10
  • Dish Main
  • Time 4 hours
  • Skill Home Cooks

Ingredients

For the Turkey rub: ingredients

2 Tbsps dark brown sugar
2 tsps garlic salt
2 tsps celery salt
2 tsps paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 tsp cayenne pepper

Set up the smoker: ingredients

For the Turkey: ingredients

1 (4-5 lb) boneless, skin-on turkey breast
1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
3⁄4 cup turkey rub

Equipment

Aluminum Foil
Cutting Board
Foil Pan
Grill Gloves
Meat Thermometer
Mixing Bowl
Sharp Knife
Slicing Knife
Smoker
Tongs
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Parts

For the Turkey rub:

Step

Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl, and reserve.

Set up the smoker:

Step

Set the smoker for indirect cooking at 275°F/135°C. While the smoker is heating up, prepare the turkey breast.

For the Turkey:

Step

Remove the turkey breast from the packaging.

Step

Remove the skin from the turkey breast. (You should be able to pull the skin off the breast without using a knife.)

Step

Slather the turkey breast with mayo.

Step

Apply the rub, and massage it into the turkey breast. Note: the mayo will start to turn orange as the spices absorb into the mayonnaise, and you shouldn't see any "dry" rub on the turkey breast!

Step

Reshape the raw breast into its “natural" form as best as possible, and place the turkey on the indirect part of your smoker.

Step

Let the turkey breast smoke for 1-11⁄2 hours or until the breast reaches an internal temperature of 135°F/57°C.

Step

Once the turkey reaches 135°F/57°C remove it from your smoker and place it into a half foil pan, then cover it with foil.

Step

Place the turkey back on the smoker and smoke it until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F/71°C. Note: try very hard to not go over 160°F/71°C.

Step

Once the turkey breast is 160°F/71°C, remove it from the smoker. Do not remove the foil but let the turkey rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing.

Step

During the rest period, the turkey breast will carry over to 165°F/74°C.