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Jump to Recipe Despite owning several smokers, when it comes time to cook the turkey, I find I almost always end up firing up my pellet grill. Smoking a turkey on the pellet grill is the easiest way to get a perfectly cooked bird with crispy skin and a subtle smokey flavor. It’s also a great way to free up space in your kitchen during busy holiday prep time. Table of Contents
Pellet grill smoked turkeyThe number one complaint I hear about smoked turkey (or any poultry, for that matter) is rubbery skin. This happens when the temperature never gets hot enough to crispen and render the fat in the skin properly. To avoid this, I always like to start low and slow, right around 225°F, and then ramp the temperature up to 350°F to finish. This technique is easy on a pellet grill where you can dial in the temperature and make a quick adjustment without fussing around lighting more fuel. If this is your first time using a pellet grill, read our article on how to use a pellet grill in 9 simple steps, then come back and you’ll be ready to smoke a turkey. You’ll also like: Whole Smoked Chicken on a Pellet Grill and Pellet Grill Smoked Brisket. Equipment you need
What pellets to use for turkeyFor this recipe, I used Cherry wood pellets from Bear Mountain. You can’t go wrong sticking with any of the common smoke woods like pecan, maple, or apple. Bear Mountain Cherry Wood Pellets 20lb Check Latest PriceSome people like to use oak or mesquite, although the later can pack a bit more punch. We have a whole article on the best wood for smoking turkey if you want to learn more. How to smoke a turkey on the pellet grill1. Brine the turkey for 24 hoursTurkey is one of the few types of meat that I like to wet brine. While some people argue that wet brining is a waste of ingredients, in my experience, it improves the final taste. Most people only smoke one turkey a year, so you might as well pull out all the stops to make it as good as you can. If you don’t have the time or just can’t be bothered, you can skip this step but I would recommend sprinkling the spatchcocked turkey with kosher salt and letting it sit in the fridge for a few hours before applying the rest of the rub. We have a turkey brine recipe you can use, but the exact ingredients aren’t crucial. I like to use a mixture of salt, sugar, spices fresh herbs and citrus. Leave the turkey in the brine mixture for 24 hours. When you are ready to move on to the next step remove the turkey from the brine and wipe it down with paper towels. If you have extra time you could place the turkey in the fridge for a few hours to help dry the skin out. This helps the skin get crispy, but I don’t think it’s required. 2. Spatchcock the turkeyIf you want that traditional-looking Turkey you could skip this step, but I find spatchcocking has so many advantages. You can get a more even coating of rub across the whole bird, it cooks faster, and more of the surface can absorb smoke. To spatchcock a turkey:
You can hold on to the backbone for making stock or delicious gravy. 3. Season the turkeyStart by applying a light coating of olive oil to help the rub stick and then apply a generous, even coating of your turkey rub. I love using my smoked turkey rub, which combines the herby elements of a poultry rub with some more typical barbecue flavors. Be sure to apply the rub all over, lifting the wings and legs to get a nice coating of rub across every surface. 3. Fire up the smoker to 225°FAllow the rub to sit on the turkey while you get your pellet smoker up to temperature. The first stage of the cook is all about getting some smoke flavor into the bird while gently bringing up the internal temperature. You could go as high as 250°F for this step, but I find on most pellet smokers that the level of smoke really drops off once you get above 225°F. If you have a smoke boost feature on your pellet grill, this would be a good time to use that. 4. Crank up the heat to crispen the skinOnce your turkey has been smoking for at least an hour, I like to bump the temperature on my pellet grill up to 350°F for the final stage of the cook. At this temperature, the grill will be producing very little smoke, so all we’re trying to do is get the skin nice and crisp before taking it off for a quick rest. Basting the skin a few times with melted butter helps get it nice and crispy and develops a better color. Once the temperature of the breast measures around 160°F you can remove it and cover it loosely with foil. Don’t wrap too tight, as you’ll make the skin go soggy after working so hard to make it crisp. After resting for 15 minutes, the breast will be a perfectly safe 165°F and you are ready to carve and serve. Pellet Grill Smoked TurkeyLearn how to make moist smoked turkey with crispy skin in the pellet grill. 5 from 3 votes Print Pin RateCourse: Main Course Cuisine: American Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 2 hours Servings: 8 people Calories: 57kcal Author: Jordan Hanger Ingredients
For the brine
InstructionsTo brine your turkey (optional)
To smoke your turkey
Notes1. Turkey SizeThe ideal turkey size to smoke is between 10-12lb. You could go up to 15lb but if you need to feed more people then I would recommend smoking two smaller turkeys.Allow for one pound of turkey per adult. That equals about half a pound of cooked turkey meat once the bones are removed. 2. Rubs & SeasoningYou can’t go wrong experimenting with different rubs and seasonings. A store-bought BBQ rub will work, as will any chicken or poultry-specific rub. You could even keep things simple and go with salt and pepper. I used my Smoked Turkey Rub, which is a cross between a poultry-style rub and a more traditional barbecue rub. 3. How long does it take to smoke a turkey?This recipe only takes about 20 minutes to prep, not including the brine time. The exact amount of time on the smoker until the turkey is ready can vary a lot depending on the size of your bird so always use a good thermometer and take your turkey off the smoker when it hits 160°F in the breast. How long does it take to smoke a turkey breast on a pit boss pellet grill?Transfer turkey to the grill and smoke for 3 to 3 ½ hours, or until an internal temperature of 165 F is reached, rotating after 1 ½ hours.
What temperature do you cook turkey on pit boss pellet grill?Cook time at 225°F is 30 minutes per pound, or when the temperature internally reaches 165°F.
How long does it take to cook a turkey breast at 225?Turkey breast takes about 35-45 minutes per pound when cooking at 225°F, so a 6-pound breast could take 2-3½ hours to cook at 225°F. The turkey is done when its internal temperature registers 162°F-163°F on an instant-read thermometer. The skin should be amber colored and beautiful.
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