This smoked turkey recipe is a whole turkey that’s coated in homemade spice rub then slow smoked to tender and juicy perfection. A super easy and impressive holiday main course that won’t take up any oven space!
Looking for something a little different than your standard roasted turkey? This smoked turkey is a unique and show stopping Thanksgiving meal, but it’s simple enough that even a novice cook can produce a beautiful and delicious end result. Serve your turkey with homemade cranberry sauce and watch the rave reviews come in!
I love to make a turkey for the holidays, but I don’t love how it takes up all my oven space for hours and hours on the big day. Instead of roasting my turkey, I’ve started making a smoked turkey and the end result is nothing short of fabulous.
Smoking a turkey is a great way to infuse it with delicious smoky flavor, but not everyone has access to a dedicated smoker. Thankfully, you can smoke a turkey right in your oven with a few simple tricks! In this article, I’ll explain the step-by-step process for smoking a turkey in the oven to get incredibly moist, tender and smoke-infused meat
Why Smoke A Turkey?
Smoking is a technique that uses indirect heat and smoke to cook food slowly over a longer period of time. This imparts the food with a wonderful smoky aroma and irresistible flavor. Smoked turkey has a deep, rich taste that simply can’t be replicated any other way.
Smoking also helps break down the proteins in the meat, making it incredibly tender and juicy. The low, slow cooking process allows the turkey to soak up all the juices and moisture for hours. This results in some of the most succulent turkey you’ll ever taste!
How To Smoke A Turkey In The Oven
While specialized smokers are ideal for smoking meat, you can absolutely smoke a turkey right in your home oven with great results. Here’s a step-by-step guide to smoking a turkey in the oven:
Ingredients
- 1 12-14 lb turkey
- 2-3 cups wood chips, soaked in water for 30 mins (apple, cherry, hickory, mesquite etc)
- Olive oil or melted butter for brushing
- Favorite seasonings and rubs
Directions
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Remove giblets and neck: Check the inner cavities of the turkey and remove the bag of giblets and neck. Rinse the turkey under cold water and pat dry completely with paper towels.
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Brine (optional) For added moisture and flavor, you can brine the turkey before smoking Dissolve 1 cup salt and 1/2 cup brown sugar in 2 gallons water Submerge turkey in brine for 10-12 hours in the refrigerator. Rinse and pat dry.
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Prepare aromatics: Slice 1 onion, 3 carrots and 3 stalks celery. This will go in the turkey cavity. Cut 2 onions into wedges to place in the roasting pan.
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Season the turkey: Generously coat the turkey in olive oil or melted butter. Sprinkle and rub seasonings all over. Get underneath the skin as well. Use a blend of salt, pepper and your favorite dried herbs/spices.
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Place wood chips: Scatter 1 cup presoaked wood chips on the bottom of a roasting pan. Place a rack on top. Pour 1 cup water in the pan.
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Insert aromatics: Stuff the turkey cavity with the sliced onion, carrots and celery. Tie the legs together with twine.
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Roast: Place turkey on the rack in the pan, breast up. Tent loosely with foil. Roast at 225°F for 1 hour.
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Add more smoke: Remove foil, add another round of soaked wood chips and roast for 30 mins more. Baste with pan juices.
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Finish roasting: Cover turkey back up with foil and continue roasting until the thickest part of thigh reaches 165°F, about 1 hour 30 mins more.
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Let rest: Remove turkey from the oven, tent with foil and let rest for 30 mins before carving.
Troubleshooting Smoked Turkey In The Oven
Smoking a turkey in the oven does take some finesse. Here are some common issues and how to avoid them:
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Not smoky enough: Use more wood chips, replenish halfway through cooking. Go for stronger flavored woods like hickory or mesquite.
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Skin not browning: Brush skin with oil/butter. Blast turkey with high heat (400°F) at the end to crisp it up.
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Overly charred: If wood chips burn and char, decrease oven temp and use a foil tent.
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Undercooked: Always use a meat thermometer to ensure the thickest thigh area hits 165°F.
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Dries out: Brining helps lock in moisture. Baste every 30 mins and do not overcook.
Let your turkey rest before slicing to allow juices to redistribute for maximum juiciness!
Expert Tips For The Best Oven-Smoked Turkey
Here are some helpful tips from the pros to take your oven-smoked turkey up a notch:
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Go big: Choose a 12-15 lb turkey—the larger size holds moisture better.
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Dry thoroughly: Remove any excess moisture on the skin before seasoning so rub adheres.
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Flavor inject: Injecting a cajun butter or broth marinade deep into the meat makes it ridiculously juicy.
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Use a rack: Elevate the turkey on a rack over the wood chips and water in the pan. This allows for airflow.
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Maintain temperature: Keep the oven temp steady between 225-250°F for optimal smoking.
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Rotate pans: Swap hot water pan for cool one halfway through roasting for even cooking.
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Make a tent: Loosely tenting foil helps retain moisture and prevents over-browning.
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Let rest: Resist cutting into the turkey right away! Letting it rest allows juices to redistribute.
Alternative Smoking Methods
If you don’t have access to an oven, there are a couple other methods for smoking turkey:
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Smoker box: Add wood chips to a smoker box on the grill and roast the turkey covered beside it for 1-2 hours infusing smoke.
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Stovetop smoker: Use a stovetop smoker pan filled with chips to generate smoke under a turkey roasted in a sauté pan seal with foil.
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Wood pellet tube: Place a pellet tube burner filled with pellets in a charcoal grill and roast turkey offset from the smoke source.
How do you smoke a turkey?
If you’re brining your turkey, place it in the brine solution 24 hours before you plan to cook it. Preheat your smoker with the wood of your choice. Place the turkey in a disposable aluminum pan, and tuck the wings under the bird. Fill the cavity of the turkey with the onion, lemon and herbs, then tie the legs together with twine. Place the BBQ rub all over the outside of the turkey. Transfer the turkey in the pan to the smoker, then cook, basting occasionally, until a thermometer registers 165 degrees F. Let the turkey rest, then carve it and serve.
Tips for the best smoked turkey
- I find that clean up is a lot easier if you leave the turkey in the disposable pan while it smokes rather than transferring it directly onto the rack.
- A probe thermometer is a must-have when making smoked turkey. Smokers can sometimes be variable in temperature which affects the cooking time, so always go by the temperature rather than the time.
- I typically use an electric smoker as I find that they regulate heat well, and are easy to use, even for total beginners.
Smoking a turkey can be a long process, so be sure to start early in the day so that the turkey will be done by dinner time. Typically, it takes at least 5 hours to smoke an average sized turkey at 250 degrees F. Plan on having your turkey cook for about 25-30 minutes per pound. This timing can vary somewhat depending on the type of smoker you’re using and how well it holds the temperature steady. It’s imperative to use a thermometer rather than a clock to gauge when the turkey is ready.
I like to use apple wood to smoke poultry, as it imparts a mild and sweet flavor. Apple wood is readily available in most stores. Other great choices are cherry wood or hickory.
A turkey is done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F. I use a digital thermometer that I leave in the turkey while it smokes so I can monitor the progress with a temperature remote from the house.
I prefer to baste my smoked turkey because no one wants a dry turkey! I occasionally baste the turkey with a little chicken broth as it cooks to ensure a moist end result. If you’ve brined your turkey before hand, you can skip the basting step.
You can estimate the size of turkey that you need by planning on one pound of turkey per person. If you want a lot of turkey left over, plan on 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per person.
This recipe is delicious as-is, but you can also customize the flavors to your tastes if you prefer.
- Spice Rub: Not in a BBQ kind of mood? This recipe also works well with blackened seasoning, Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning.
- Brine: Feel free to switch up some of the flavors in the brine recipe by using different herbs, honey as a sweetener, or add other types of fruit such as apples or pears.
- Stuffing: Rather than stuffing the bird with onion and lemon, you can try other ingredients such as apples, a halved head of garlic, carrots, orange slices or leeks.
The end result is a beautifully browned turkey that’s tender, juicy and full of flavor. You can never go wrong with a smoked turkey, and I love that it frees up my oven space to bake the sides and desserts for the big meal.
Oven Baked Smoked Turkey Legs/Drums
FAQ
Can I smoke a turkey and finish it in the oven?
Is it better to smoke or bake a turkey?
How do you smoke a turkey and keep it moist?
How do you cook a fully cooked smoked turkey?
To prepare your fully cooked smoked turkey for cooking, follow these simple steps: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Remove the turkey from its packaging and place it on a cutting board. Brush the entire turkey with olive oil to help it brown and stay moist during cooking. In a small bowl, mix together your favorite herbs and spices.
How long does it take to smoke a Turkey?
90 Minutes at 180: Place turkey (breast side up) on the smoker grate*, insert temperature probe (if any) and close the lid. Let smoke for 90 minutes and then baste with melted butter. 2 Hours at 215: After 90 minutes increase temperature to 215 degrees F and let turkey smoke for an additional 2 hours. Then baste with melted butter.
How do you smoke a turkey breast in a smoker?
Stuff the cavity of the turkey with the apple, onion, lemon, and rosemary. Place the turkey in the smoker and smoke for 30 minutes per pound. Put the meat thermometer into the thigh without touching the bone, or about an inch into the thickest part of the breast. **see notes.
How do you smoke a Turkey in a crock pot?
Set a rack in the roasting pan, then place the turkey on top. Brush the turkey all over with the melted butter. Sprinkle with black pepper. If you have a meat probe, insert it in the thickest part of the thigh without it touching bone (a digital one with an alarm set to 160°F is ideal). Set the Turkey on the smoker, then pour in the apple juice.