Learn how to make some delicious fall-off-the-bone smoked turkey necks. The meat is slowly cooked until completely tender and definitely worth the wait. Go on and impress your family or guests with this super easy recipe for the holidays.
My family are big fans of both oxtail and turkey neck. While oxtail can be very pricey, turkey neck is the cheaper equivalent.
Many people frown at the thought of eating turkey neck BUT in my humble opinion, it is very underrated.
We usually play it safe when serving turkey neck, by that I mean we tend to just stew it and use the meat and bones to make stock or serve it in soup.
When I made this for my family, there were taken back by the smokey flavour along with the tenderness.
It was like eating oxtail, except that it wasnt, I must admit, even I surprised myself with just how delicious smoked turkey necks actually tastes.
Its more fun that smoke it yourself, plus you have better control over just how “smokey” the meat will be.
I thought the results would be underwhelming, however, it was far from that. Which is why I just had to share the recipe with my readers.
I dont have an outdoor smoker, I use an eletrical one that I can just plug in and use indoors and it yields the same results.
Dont worry its NOT a Presto electrical smoker as I know there was some controversy centred around it being recalled.
Smoked turkey necks are a delicious and underutilized cut of meat that can add tons of flavor to soups, stews, vegetables, and more When prepared properly, the meat becomes fall-off-the-bone tender and takes on a lovely smoky flavor But to get the best results, it’s important to smoke the turkey necks for the right amount of time. Here’s a guide on how long to smoke turkey necks.
Why Smoke Turkey Necks?
Before getting into cook times it helps to understand why you should smoke turkey necks in the first place. Here are some of the benefits
-
Turkey necks have a good amount of meat on them, more than chicken or pork necks. So you get plenty of tasty smoked meat.
-
The meat has a rich, dark flavor when smoked, similar to smoked turkey legs or wings.
-
Smoking tenderizes the meat so it becomes succulent and moist.
-
Adds lots of smoky flavor that enhances soups, stews, veggies, and more.
-
Provides a different way to enjoy turkey beyond roasting a whole bird.
-
Utilizes a part of the turkey that often gets discarded.
General Smoking Guidelines
When smoking turkey necks, there are some general guidelines to follow:
-
Brine or marinate the necks first. This helps infuse flavor and keeps the meat moist during smoking. A simple brine of salt, sugar, and aromatics works well.
-
Use a low smoking temperature of 225-250°F. High heat can cause the lean necks to dry out. Low, indirect heat is best.
-
Smoke with fruit wood. Apple, cherry, peach, and other fruit woods pair nicely with poultry.
-
Cook to an internal temperature of 165°F. That ensures the meat is fully cooked and safe to eat.
How Long Does it Take to Smoke Turkey Necks?
The exact smoking time can vary quite a bit depending on a few factors:
-
Size of the necks – Whole necks take longer than pieces.
-
Thickness of meat – Meatier necks take longer than skinny ones.
-
Cooking temperature – Lower heat means longer cook time.
-
Type of smoker – Different smokers cook at different rates.
So there is no set cooking time that works for all scenarios. With that said, here are some general time ranges to expect when smoking turkey necks:
-
2-4 hours for bone-in smoked turkey neck pieces at 225-250°F.
-
3-5 hours for whole turkey necks at 225-250°F.
-
6-8 hours for whole necks when smoking “low and slow” at 180-220°F.
The best way to ensure they turn out perfectly cooked is to use an instant read thermometer. Check the internal temp of the thickest part of the meat after a few hours of smoking. Once it registers 165°F, they are done.
If the neck pieces are on the smaller side, start checking the temperature after 2 hours. For whole necks or larger pieces, wait until at least 3 hours before the first temp check.
Tips for Smoking Turkey Necks
Follow these tips for getting the best results when smoking turkey necks:
-
Apply adry rub in addition to the marinade forextra flavor.
-
Place a disposable pan filled with water in the smoker to keephumidity up.
-
Rotate the necks occasionally sothe meat cooks evenly.
-
Let the smoked necks rest for 10-15minutes before serving.
-
Slice whole necks prior to serving sothe meat is easier to pull off.
-
Save the smoked necks for soups,stews, veggies, and pot pies.
Perfectly Smoked Turkey Necks
When smoked for the right amount of time, turkey necks become fork tender and take on an incredible smoky flavor. Use the guidelines above to smoke your necks low and slow for maximum tastiness. Just be sure to go by internal temperature, not cook times, for the best results. Then enjoy these underrated turkey parts in all sorts of delicious ways.
Preparing your turkey neck
Similar to oxtail, turkey requires a few hours to cook.
If you know how to prepare your turkey neck and cook it properly then the results will be very juicy, tasty with a sweet smokiness to it.
Just like any other meat recipe, I adhere to my own Caribbean customs, which is to thoroughly clean the meat before applying the marinade.
The marinade has a little kick to it, thanks to the use of the hot sauce. I personally like to leave the meat to marinate for at least a few hours or overnight or Im not in a hurry.
It depends on my schedule but a few hours at the minimum is recommended for the ingredients to penetrate the meat.
As I mentioned earlier any type of smoker will do for this recipe, be it an outdoor or indoor one. The main thing is to achieve that smokey flavour.
You definitely dont want to rush this process, so finding the right temperture is important.
It the temperature is too high it wont cook properly and the texture will be too tough and if its too low, the meat will take forever to actually cook.
You definitely, want to keep an eye on the turkey neck, as once it has cooked through, you should remove it from the smoker straight away.
I like to accompany the turkey neck with some gravy made from the drippings leftover in the smoker.
You should have enough liquid to make roughly one cups worth.
It also doubles up as some dipping sauce, depending on how you intend to serve your turkey necks.
- Place the turkey necks in a large bowl or zip lock bag.
- Mix the olive oil, browning sauce, soy(a) sauce, hot sauce, all purpose seasoning, brown sugar, onion granules, garlic granules, thyme, shado beni, black pepper and pink salt in a small bowl.
- Do a taste test of the rub before adding it to the turkey neck to ensure that there is enough pink salt and adjust accordingly.
- Drizzle and coat the meat with the wet rub and leave to marinate or several hours or overnight (if you are using a zip lock bag be sure to secure it).
- Preheat the smoker to 248F/120C and prepare your wood chips (I used apple wood).
- Remove the turkey necks from the marinade and place them on the smoker racks (being careful not to overcrowd).
- Smoke the turkey necks for approximately 2 hours, check them frequently and rotate them if necessary to ensure even cooking. You will want to smoke the meat until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F/74C (a themometer can determine its readiness).
- Once cooked, leave the turkey neck to rest.
- While it is resting, prepare the gravy, in a medium sized saucepan, on medium heat, add the turkey stock, tomato paste, drippings from the turkey neck and thyme.
- Stir until a thick-ish gravy is formed (this should take several minutes).
- Do a taste test and add pink salt and black pepper if needed.
- Add the turkey neck to the saucepan (this is an optional step) and coat with the gravy.
- Alternatively, you can skip the above step and serve the gravy on the side as a dipping sauce.
- Serve accordingly.
- For best results, eat the turkey neck immediately.
- If you need to re-heat, wrap the meat, tightly in foil and place in the oven to heat through.
- If you are using store bought browning sauce then use no more than 1 teaspoon.
- Here are the links to the Browning Sauce, the All Purpose Seasoning and Hot Sauce recipe.
- Any leftovers should be refrigerated and eaten within 3 days.
- If you cannot get onion/garlic granules use the powdered version instead.
- Make sure the meat is cooked through, if it is your first time smoking turkey necks then use a thermometer to ensure its readiness.
- If you cannot get hold of any shado beni then use coriander instead.
- Make sure to do a taste test of the marinade before applying it to the meat.
- You can use dried thyme instead.
- Make sure the turkey neck is thoroughly washed and blotted dry before starting the recipe.
- You can use either an indoor or outdoor smoker to make this recipe.
- I used apple wood chips but you may want to use another flavoured wood chip(s).
Reasons to make this recipe
- It is a cheap/budget friendly choice of meat
- It is cheaper than oxtail yet tastes just as good
- A perfect choice to use during the holiday season
- Totally underrated
- The meat is very juicy and flavoursome
- You can serve this as a side dish or serve along with a main course
The ONLY Way to Make Mouth Watering Smoked Turkey Necks
FAQ
How long does it take to smoke a turkey at 225 degrees?
How long are smoked turkey necks good for?
How long does it take to smoke a bone in turkey?
What is the ideal temperature to smoke a turkey?