Super Easy Smoked Turkey

Name: Super Easy Smoked Turkey
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 7 h 55 min
Yield: 1 12-pound turkey
Ingredients: 1 (12 pound) whole turkey, thawed if frozen, neck and giblets removed; ¾ cup kosher salt; ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted

Rating: 5 stars

7 Ratings
7 Reviews
6 Photos

Foolproof smoked turkey recipe with tender and juicy results!

By Jill C

Gallery

Recipe Summary

prep:

10 mins

cook:

6 hrs

additional:

1 hr 45 mins

total:

7 hrs 55 mins

Servings:

Yield:

1 12-pound turkey

Nutrition Info

Ingredients

Original recipe yields 12 servings

The ingredient list now reflects the servings specified

1 (12 pound) whole turkey, thawed if frozen, neck and giblets removed
¾ cup kosher salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions

Step 1
Place turkey in a roasting pan. Rub salt all over and inside turkey. Let sit for 1 hour.

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Step 2
Preheat smoker to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). If your smoker is equipped with a water pan, fill it.
Step 3
Rinse salt off turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Return to roasting pan and baste with melted better. Cover with aluminum foil and place in smoker.
Step 4
Cook for about 3 hours; remove aluminum foil. Continue to cook, uncovered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the turkey thigh reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
Step 5
Remove turkey from the smoker and tent with aluminum foil. Let it rest in a warm area before slicing, 45 to 60 minutes.

Cook's Notes:

A gas smoker is used in this recipe. Pecan is the primary wood I use in my smoker. Charcoal can be used as well.

Check the water pan every 2 to 4 hours and add hot water as needed. Add damp wood chips as needed to maintain cooking temperature at 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).

This method works with turkeys weighing 12 to 20 pounds. Increase cooking time to reach safe internal temperature, approximately 30 minutes per pound.

Editor's Note:

Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of salt. The actual amount of salt consumed will vary.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

773 calories; protein 90.7g; fat 42.9g; cholesterol 295mg; sodium 5914mg. Full Nutrition

Reviews (7)

Most helpful positive review

Jill C

11/06/2018

Re-Edit - Here's how our smoker gets a turkey workout - in the backyard up in the mountains while camping off grid at my mom's etc. Seriously the easiest turkey recipe ever. A few tips - I use Alton Brown's rapid thawing method - In a large cooler. After dry salt brine is done rinse and then submerge the turkey in fresh cool water (in cooler) for about 15 minutes to make sure as much salt is removed as possible. Remove and pat completely dry. Do the butter bath and let it sit. Then if you want you can season with any other spices fruit etc you want. We like unadulterated turkey with just the butter bath post dry salt brine. But regardless if you season or not...Be prepared for the best turkey you've ever tasted! TIP on temping Do yourself a favor and go out and buy (got mine off Amazon) a dual probe wireless meat thermometer. Long pointy one goes into the thickest part of the thigh. Short stubby one goes in your hot box (oven grill smoker) there will be a little clip to attach it to the rack. Set the temps (hot box and meat ) and then you're free to walk away...kinda. You'll still need to keep an eye on the water pan and replenish as needed in your smoker. I love smoking but hate babysitting the smoker for 5 hours. The wireless thermometer allows me "some" freedom. Happy Smoking!:D Read More

Helpful

(8)

7 Ratings

5 star values: 7
4 star values: 0
3 star values: 0
2 star values: 0
1 star values: 0

Reviews: Most Helpful

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Jill C

11/05/2018

Helpful

(8)

Michele

06/18/2018

We made this for Father’s Day. My husband wanted to cook outside and we thought it would be a good way to experiment with his Acorn Charcoal Cooker I got him for his birthday. He made sure that the coals were perfect temperature and I seasoned the turkey the way I like it. I made a rub of sage, rosemary, crushed garlic, olive oil and salt. I make little holes in the skin and stuff it under the skin. Then I rubbed the outside with olive oil and sprinkled Tones rosemary garlic seasoning on it. I put a sliced orange, onion and lemon into the turkey cavity and placed the whole thing in the roasting pan with a foil tent. We also put an extra pan of water and blueberry ale in the cooker. We followed this recipes instructions for cooking and it was absolutely amazing! I loved how juicy and tender the meat was and the flavor was incredible! I had invited my parents and sisters and their families for dinner ( which might have been crazy because we had never attempted to smoke anything!) but Wow! We got rave reviews from everyone! My brother in law actually said he might have found something he likes better than fried turkey! Then everyone wanted to inspect the Acorn and wanted to know about this recipe. I have a feeling my family members are going to be purchasing an Acorn in the future and logging into Allrecipes for this turkey recipe! It was a great day and I really enjoyed the cooking time spent with my husband because we just sat together (making sure the temperature stayed corr Read More

Helpful

(3)

Brian Davis

12/20/2017

I used pineapples and onions that I placed inside the injected it with garlic and butter with herbs and smoked for 6 hours at 230. The seasonings is what topped it off Read More

Helpful

(2)

Joe Hooper

05/22/2018

Did my own smoke rub and used maple wood chips in smoker best turkey ever Read More

Helpful

(1)

Jen

12/26/2018

Great basic recipe. I also injected ours with butter. Simple and great-tasting! Read More

Helpful

(1)

Debra J

05/10/2020

Awesome!!!!! Read More

spice dumpling

12/27/2019

This was very simple to follow and ohhhh soooo good. Happy Holidays with this turkey. Read More

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All Reviews

I used pineapples and onions that I placed inside the injected it with garlic and butter with herbs and smoked for 6 hours at 230. The seasonings is what topped it off