Smoked Turkey Recipes

Try one of these smoked turkey recipes and you'll be amazed at the results. It's amazing how good a properly brined, seasoned and smoked bird tastes, when compared to a typical roasted turkey. Truly amazing!

Tips for Smoking Turkey

After choosing your turkey, the most important step in creating luscious smoked turkey is brining the bird. Smoked turkey brine tremendously improves taste and texture, plus it helps keep the turkey moist. Brining a turkey definitely has its advantages.

After brining, a second layer of flavor can be added with the application of a wet or dry turkey rub seasoning. After a lifetime of eating only turkeys seasoned with sage, salt and pepper, I enjoy experimenting with other more exciting flavors on my turkey. A little cumin, coriander, or nutmeg can go a long way towards making your smoked turkey something truly memorable.

The smoking process adds a third layer of flavor to the turkey. Choosing the appropriate smoke wood is an important decision. For example, hickory smoke is great in small amounts, but too much hickory is overpowering and bitter. Use the smoke to compliment the seasonings that were used in the brine and turkey rub.

One quick note about the actual smoking process: since the smoker temperature is kept at 275-300°F, you will actually be "smoke roasting" your turkey. Cooking at a higher-than-normal smoker temperature ensures that your smoked turkey is safe to eat. It also gets that bird cooked quicker so the the eatin' can begin sooner!

Smoked Turkey Recipes

If you're just starting out as a turkey smoker, I suggest you first make this basic easy smoked turkey recipe. It starts with a basic turkey brine, then is lightly smoked. Using this simple recipe, you'll get experience and also understand what the true taste of smoked turkey is like...without all the spices and seasonings. After that, go ahead and progress to some of the more complicated smoked turkey recipes. When you get the hang of it, you'll be creating recipes of your own!

Cranberry Smoked Turkey Recipe - The brine contains cranberry juice cocktail, and there's a really unique turkey rub recipe for seasoning the outer surface. Smoked with cherry or apple wood, it turns out really nice!

Smoked Turkey Legs - After the legs are brined for 24 hours, they are rinsed for another 24 hours, then smoked. These smoked drumsticks are cured with a curing mix...the meat will be pink when the legs are done.