Smoked Turkey Breast Easy And Perfect
Blow your friends and family away with this very easy, moist, tender, flavorful smoked turkey breast. It’s easy and perfect every time!
Why You Will Love This Smoked Turkey Breast
Perhaps you’re cooking for just a few people, and you don’t need to do a whole turkey. Maybe you’re keeping to white meat versus dark meat, and you don’t want to run your oven for hours.
Or perhaps you’re like us and just want some excellent smoked turkey for a perfect turkey sandwich.
Whatever your reason, smoking a turkey breast gives you a fair amount of very flavorful meat to use for whatever purpose you need.
I won’t even get into the benefits of smoking. This goes without saying. Anytime you can fire up the pit is a good day!
These smoked chicken wings are a constant off our smoker. We also love our smoked chicken and these crazy good smoked shotgun shells.
Smoked bone-in turkey breast is a relatively easy endeavor. The basics are very simple. And if you have an electric smoker such as a pellet grill or gravity-fed smoker, it just gets easier to get that smoked, juicy turkey breast.
Put the turkey breast in a smoker or grill and smoke for 3-4 hours at 225-250 degrees F. until the internal temp reaches 160 degrees F.
That’s it. Pretty easy. But boy, oh boy, there are other things you can do to make this turkey breast so much better. Let’s explore this just a bit more.
Smoked Turkey Brine Rub (Dry Brine)
The best thing you can do to get this turkey ready for the smoker is to brine it first. Yes, you can wet brine, but we have a better solution, dry brining.
When you dry brine a piece of meat, the salt from the brine draws the moisture out of the turkey, then is pulled back in along with the other spices.
The salts begin to break down the breast’s muscles, making the meat much more tender and juicy. This method also flavors the meat throughout, not just on the outside.
We have long since abandoned a wet brine over dry brining, and it has never been the wrong choice.
Three days before you plan on smoking your turkey breast, apply the brine, covering the entire turkey breast, focusing on the thicker parts of the bird.
Seal it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for two days on a platter, as there will be released juices.
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Next, remove the wrap, drain any juices, and place the turkey breast on a plate with a paper towel underneath. Place it back into the refrigerator uncovered for another day.
This last day will allow the skin to crisp up as it smokes on the grill.
One of the last steps you MAY want to do is run a couple of skewers through the bird near the base to keep it upright as it smokes. This is not necessary, but we think it presents better.
Smoking The Turkey Breast
First, you need to know what kind of wood you should use with the turkey. I would say, “whatever you like,” but there are a few things to note.
Woods like hickory, oak, and mesquite are typically used for beef, pork, and ribs, whereas fruit woods such as cherry, apple, and plum are suitable for poultry due to the sweetness and mild smoke. You really don’t want to overpower the flavor of the meat.
In my opinion, pecan wood is perfect for smoking turkey. It is slightly less bold than hickory yet brings a fruity sweet flavor that makes it ideal.
Get the grill or smoker going and get it up to temp between 225-250 degrees. Once there, add the wood chips or wood chunks and place the turkey breast in, ensuring it’s not over direct heat if using a grill.
Smoke for approximately 3 hours until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on the weight of the turkey breast, you may need to adjust your cooking time.
Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast, approximately 2 1/2 inches in. You want to be in the flesh of the breast, not on the bone.
For us, the best way to insert the thermometer is from the front, straight into the breast parallel, not down, as you can get too close to the bone, giving you a false reading.
How to Serve Smoked Turkey Breast
At 160 degrees Fahrenheit, remove the turkey breast. Tent it in foil (just throw some foil over it) and allow it to rest for about 15-20 minutes before slicing.
This will let the juices redistribute and bring the turkey to a temperature of approximately 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
After 20 minutes, remove the breasts by cutting along the breastbone, following the bone with your knife. Once removed, you can cut this as you see fit.
Big thick, hearty chunks, thinly sliced for lunch meat .. anyway you like it.
You will be amazed at how juicy the turkey is from the dry brine, with flavor bursting out in every bite. Plus, you get that smoky, crispy skin … man, this is just a win!
If you were looking for a good smoked turkey breast recipe, you won’t be let down by this one.
As previously said, you can make this for Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner. You can make this for kickass sandwiches, and you can make this as a low-calorie, low-carb protein.
There kinda really isn’t any reason NOT to make this. It is flavorful, it is super moist, and most importantly, it is delicious.
You could make this for all your friends and family and blow their socks off.
If you want to explore the ‘deli meat’ method a bit more, check out our other recipe, where we did a Cajun-style turkey for this very reason.
And if by any chance you have any leftover turkey, make a turkey tetrazzini the following day! Delish!
FAQ
Smoke for approximately 3 hours at 225-250 degrees Fahrenheit until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on the weight of the turkey breast, you may need to adjust your cooking time. Allow it to rest tented loosely with aluminum foil for 15 minutes before slicing.
Dry brine the turkey breast before smoking. This will guarantee a moist, succulent smoked turkey breast.
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for two to three days.
For a Thanksgiving spread, mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing, homemade cranberry sauce, and green bean casserole would be great. For just a regular day of smoking, I’d go with an Herb Potato Salad, Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad, or perhaps some macaroni and cheese.
More Grilling and Smoking Recipes
Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt (1 tablespoon per 5 pounds)
- 1 small bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 5-7 lb turkey breast, bone-in
Instructions
Dry Brine/Rub
- Grind together the kosher salt, bay leaf, rubbed sage, dried thyme, and dried rosemary in a spice grinder or small food processor.
- Remove the turkey from the packaging, pat dry with paper towels.
- Sprinkle the inside of the turkey breast lightly with salt. Place the turkey breast on its back and salt the skin of the breast, concentrating the salt where the meat is thickest. Be sure to spread it evenly on the sides too.
- Wrap the breast in a few layers of plastic wrap. Place the turkey breast-side up on a plate or platter in the refrigerator. Chill for 2 days*. Rub the salt around once a day. (Liquid will collect on the plate—this is normal)
- For the crispiest skin, on the third day, remove the turkey from the plastic wrap. There should be no salt visible on the surface and the skin should be moist but not wet. Place the turkey breast-side up on a plate and refrigerate uncovered for at least 12-24 hours.
Smoking
- Get the smoker or grill to a steady temperature between 225-250 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add chips or chunks of your selected wood (we recommend pecan).
- Place turkey breast in smoker or grill avoiding direct heat.
- Smoke for approximately 3 hours at 225-250 degrees until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Add more pecan wood as needed.
- Remove smoked turkey breast and tent with tin foil. Allow turkey breast to rest for 20 minutes to allow redistribution of juices.
- Remove breasts by cutting along the breastbone. Slice as desired.
Should my turkey be completely thawed when I start the brine?
Ideally, yes. But partially frozen will still be ok.
How long is it safe to keep smoked turkey breast in refrigerator?
We don’t suggest any longer than a week.
What changes would you recommend for a 4-lb. boneless turkey breast?
There really aren’t any changes outside the cooking time, Erin. Typically, with 5-7 lbs, you’re looking at around 3.5 hours of cooking time and resting time. With a four-pound breast, you could probably shave an hour off of that time. But I would really rely on using your thermometer pulling it off at 160 degrees F.
Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving!
If there is a solution added should I still brine the breast
We use DRY brine. No water needed. The best way to brine poultry in our opinion.
Can I put a drip pan in the lower section of my smoker to catch the drippings to be used as the base for gravy?
Well, you could certainly give it a try!
Ours came out perfect using your step by step instructions and photos. It was nice using pantry ingredients. Used a 5.70 lb pastured turkey breast. Thank you
Question on the dry brine rub for turkey breasts – Do you rinse off the brine rub before beginning the smoking?
Nope. That’s the flavor train!