A smoked Traeger turkey is cooked to perfection with smoke and heat giving it a nice crispy skin and juicy meat. We brined this turkey in buttermilk and spices to make sure this is the juiciest turkey you have ever served for Thanksgiving.
As Thanksgiving approaches Traeger grill owners may be wondering how to properly smoke a turkey for the big feast. With the right techniques smoking turkey on a Traeger can lead to incredibly moist, flavorful results that will WOW your guests. This article covers everything you need to know to smoke turkey success on your Traeger grill.
Benefits of Smoking Turkey on a Traeger
Smoking turkey in a Traeger offers a few advantages over oven roasting:
- Infuses amazing smoky flavor into the meat
- Retains more moisture for a tender, juicy bird
- Allows fat to render slowly for crispy skin
- Provides flexibility to smoke overnight or through the day
- Frees up your oven for sides and pies
With minimal active effort, the Traeger handles the hard work of low and slow smoking. The wood pellet flavors also enhance turkey in ways an oven simply can’t match.
Traeger Grill Settings for Turkey
Setting up your Traeger properly ensures your turkey cooks safely from start to finish. Here are the key factors to control:
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Temperature: Set the grill to 325°F for the full cook. This allows the turkey to reach safe internal temps without drying out.
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Smoke Setting: Use the “Smoke” setting for extra wood flavor, especially early on. After a couple hours, you can switch to the normal setting.
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Rack Placement: Use the upper rack for best heat circulation. Place a drip pan on the lower rack to catch drippings.
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Wood Pellets: Milder woods like apple, cherry, pecan, and alder work well. Avoid heavy mesquite smoke.
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Cook Time: Estimate 15-20 minutes per pound, so a 15 lb turkey takes 4-5 hours. Rely on a meat thermometer for doneness.
Dialing in these Traeger settings will provide even, consistent heat to gently smoke your turkey. Monitor temperatures with a thermometer for best results.
Trussing, Brining and Preparing Turkey for the Traeger
To maximize moisture and achieve picture-perfect presentation, take these preparatory steps:
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Brine the Bird: Soaking in a saltwater brine ensures a juicy, well-seasoned turkey. Brine 12-24 hours.
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Truss the Turkey: Tying the legs together with butcher’s twine compacts the body for more even cooking.
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Dry the Skin: Pat the turkey dry post-brine so the skin crisps up. Apply oil or rub underneath skin.
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Insert Aromatics: Stuff the cavity with quartered onions, garlic, herbs, citrus and apple slices to impart flavor.
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Monitor Temperature: Insert a probe thermometer into the deepest part of the thigh to track doneness.
Proper prep before smoking leads to ideal texture, tenderness and taste. Don’t skip these important steps!
How to Get Crispy Turkey Skin on the Traeger
For that Instagram-worthy presentation, you want gorgeously browned, crispy skin. Here are 3 tips for nailing it:
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Dry the skin thoroughly after brining and let sit uncovered in the fridge overnight. The air-drying helps tighten the skin.
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Rub oil or butter under the skin rather than directly on it. This helps render the fat slowly.
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Crank the temperature to 400°F once the turkey reaches desired internal temp. Blast with high heat for 10-15 minutes right before pulling it off.
If the skin isn’t quite as crispy as you like, pop the turkey in a very hot oven or under the broiler right before serving.
Using a Meat Thermometer for Perfectly Cooked Turkey
A meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of smoked turkey. Relying on cook times alone leaves room for error. For ideal doneness and food safety:
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Insert an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, avoiding bone.
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Target an internal temperature of 165°F in the thigh and 155°F in the breast.
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Double check temps in multiple areas to confirm even cooking.
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Rest turkey 15-20 minutes before carving to allow juices to redistribute.
Properly calibrated thermometers provide peace of mind your turkey reaches safe temps without overcooking into dry, stringy meat. Don’t smoke a bird without one!
Common Smoking Turkey Mistakes to Avoid
Smoking turkey is relatively simple, but a few key mistakes can lead to disaster. Be sure to avoid:
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Not brining the turkey. This results in dry, bland meat.
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Cooking too hot or too fast. Slow, low heat is key for tender, juicy turkey.
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Skipping thermometers. Guessing based on timing leaves room for error.
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Improperly thawing. Thaw slowly in the fridge, allowing 24 hours per 4-5 lbs.
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Basting with sugary sauces too early. This can burn without crisping the skin.
With a few precautions, your smoked turkey will impress everyone at the table. Practice Turkey Day perfection!
Handy Timeline for Smoking Turkey on a Traeger Grill
To streamline the process, follow this helpful timeline:
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2 days before: Thaw turkey in fridge if frozen
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1 day before: Brine turkey
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Night before: Remove from brine, pat dry, truss, and air-dry turkey in fridge
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Turkey Day morning: Prepare Traeger, insert aromatics and probe thermometers, and place turkey on grill
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Turkey Day afternoon: Smoke turkey at 325°F until it reaches 165°F in thigh
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30 minutes before serving: Crank Traeger heat to crisp skin
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Rest turkey 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving
Follow this roadmap and your turkey will steal the show at dinner!
Enjoy Flavorful, Juicy Smoked Turkey on Your Traeger
When leveraged properly, a Traeger grill can produce phenomenal smoked turkey full of tender moisture, crispy skin, and incredible flavor. With the right prep, thermometers, and Traeger settings, you’ll master smoking turkey and have a feast to remember.
Experiment with different woodsmoke flavors and brine combinations to make the turkey uniquely yours. After perfecting this recipe, you may never oven roast turkey again! Enjoy your new go-to method for holiday feasts.
Turn up the Heat
After 3 hours the turkey should be close to 110°-120°F internal temperature. Leaving the bird on the smoker, increase the Traeger smokers temperature to 350°F. Turning up the heat is going to help get that skin nice and crispy!
Continue to spritz the bird every 30-45 minutes during this high temperature cooking to help keep the turkey moist. Smoke until the the breast reads 165°-170°F and the thigh reads 180°F internal temp.
When these temperatures are reached, the turkey is finished cooking and ready to be removed to a cutting board or serving platter. Use meat gloves to transfer the turkey from the grill to your cutting board/platter.
Allow the turkey to rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute within the meat.
THIS IS IMPORTANT! You have done everything you can up to this point to keep this turkey moist, dont ruin all your hard work by carving too soon.
Use an electric carving knife when carving turkey for extreme ease. Its the best way to get consistent slices and super easy to use. I find the perfect thickness to be ⅛ – ¼” thick.
Arrange the sliced turkey on a serving platter making it easier for guests to pick the ones they want! Everyone will love the buttery and delicious smoky flavor this smoked turkey recipe brings to the table!
Dont expect that many leftovers. The juicy meat and crispy skin will be irresistible, causing overeating and satisfied dinner guests.
How to Make a Traeger Turkey
Ill show you EVERYTHING you need to know about prepping, brining, and smoking up the perfect bird. Get ready to fire up those smokers and lets get started.
Cut open the bag the turkey came packaged in and drain any water/juices into the sink. Remove the giblets and neck found inside the cavity of the bird. Make sure to check both ends of the turkey to remove everything from inside.
Rinse the turkey under cool freshwater and set aside while preparing the brine.
When buying your ingredients, make sure to buy some turkey roasting or brining bags. This allows us to use a smaller amount of buttermilk than would be possible if simply brining in a 5 gallon bucket.
Add the buttermilk and other brine ingredients into the turkey bag. I like placing the bag into a 5 gallon bucket or deep roasting pan just incase the bag gets a hole in it while brining in the fridge.
Using a wooden spoon, mix the ingredients together well before adding the turkey.
Add the turkey into the brine submerging the entire bird. The goal is to have every part of the turkey coated during the brining process. Place in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours before removing to cook.
Once the turkey is finished brining, remove from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. I do NOT rinse the bird after brining on this smoked turkey recipe because I want that salt and herb flavor to come through when finished smoking.
Using a spoon, loosen the skin covering the breast of the chicken so you can place butter between the skin and breast. Slice chunks of butter and using your hands, place butter under the skin so it melts and penetrates the meat when cooking.
Now, cover the entire outside skin of the turkey with melted/softened butter. Make sure to get the legs and sides of the bird. No need to butter the bottom/back side of the turkey.
Fire up your smoker to 225°F with your favorite wood. I like to use fruity woods when I smoke turkey. These include apple wood & cherry wood pellets. Hickory wood is also a good choice for Smoked Traeger Chicken and Traeger Smoked Turkey.
Place the turkey breast side up directly on the grill grates and place a meat thermometer in the breast and one in the thigh of the bird. Smoke the turkey for 3 hours, spritzing with a 50:50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water every 40 minutes or so.
How To Smoke A Turkey On A Traeger Pellet Grill – FULL STEP-BY-STEP
FAQ
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