How to Smoke a Juicy Turkey Breast in an Electric Smoker

Smoking a turkey breast in an electric smoker is a fantastic way to enjoy delicious and moist smoked white meat. With the right techniques you can achieve a tender, juicy turkey breast bursting with smoky flavor.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through the entire process of smoking a turkey breast from start to finish using an electric smoker. Whether you’re smoking for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or just a Sunday dinner, follow these tips and you’ll have rave reviews on your smoked turkey breast!

Benefits of Smoking a Turkey Breast

There are several advantages to smoking just a turkey breast rather than a whole turkey

• Only deals with white meat – Turkey breast is 100% white meat, so you can avoid dealing with the longer cooking time and potential dryness of dark meat.
• Shorter cook time – A bone-in turkey breast takes only around 4-5 hours to smoke compared to 12+ hours for a whole turkey. A boneless breast may only take 2-3 hours.
• More portion control – A whole turkey is quite large. Smoking just a breast allows you to serve exactly the amount of meat you need.
• Easier to smoke evenly – The thickness of a turkey breast is much more even than a whole turkey, allowing it to smoke evenly throughout.

Picking the Right Turkey Breast

You have two main options when it comes to turkey breast – bone-in or boneless.

Bone-in – This looks like half of a whole turkey split vertically. It contains the breast meat still attached to the breastbone. A bone-in breast will have more moisture and flavor. Go for a 4-6 lb bone-in breast.

Boneless – This is simply the breast meat with no bones. Opt for a 2-3 lb boneless breast. Make sure it is tightly bound together, not falling apart.

For best results, look for an all-natural turkey breast without any enhancers or added liquid. This allows the brine and smoke to fully penetrate.

Brining the Turkey Breast

Brining is a key step to ensure your smoked turkey breast stays juicy and tender. The salt in the brine seasons the meat while also helping it retain moisture.

Brining Time – For a bone-in breast, brine for 12-24 hours. A boneless breast only needs 4-6 hours of brining time.

Brine Ingredients – Make a brine using salt, brown sugar, herbs, spices, citrus, and water. Some great options are an apple juice brine, citrus brine, or Cajun brine.

Brining Container – Use a non-reactive container like a plastic bucket or pot. Make sure the breast is fully submerged. If needed, weigh it down with a plate.

Rinsing – Once the brining time is complete, rinse the breast well under cool water to remove any residue from the outside. Pat it completely dry.

Applying a Dry Rub

A flavorful dry rub adds another layer of seasoning and contributes to the crispy turkey skin:

• Use dried herbs like sage, thyme, and rosemary along with spices like garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
• Coat the breast evenly with the rub, pressing it into the skin. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes before smoking to allow the flavors to penetrate.

Setting Up Your Electric Smoker

Proper setup of your electric smoker is key for good temperature control:

• Temperature – Set your smoker to 225°F. This low and slow temperature is ideal for smoking turkey.
• Wood chips – Opt for mild wood chips like apple, cherry, or pecan. Soak them beforehand.
• Water pan – Keep a filled water pan in the smoker to help regulate heat and add moisture.
• Prepare the racks – Lightly oil the racks to prevent sticking. Place a drip pan below to catch drippings.

Once your smoker is up to temp and producing steady thin smoke, it’s ready for the turkey!

Placing the Turkey Breast in the Smoker

• Place the breast directly on the rack, skin-side up.
• For a bone-in breast, position it diagonally with the thinner side towards the heat source.
• Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part, making sure not to touch bone.
• Maintain your smoker temp at 225°F, replenishing wood chips every 45-60 minutes.

Monitoring the Internal Temperature

Your turkey breast is finished cooking when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part.

• After the first hour, start periodically checking the temp. Expect around 30-45 minutes per pound of cooking time.
• If smoker temp exceeds 250°F, rotate the racks and/or open the vent to allow heat to escape.
• Near the end, use an instant read thermometer to verify doneness in multiple spots.

Letting the Turkey Breast Rest

Once it hits 165°F, remove the breast from the smoker and tent it loosely with foil. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes.

The internal temp will rise around 5-10 degrees during this time for a final temp of 170-175°F. Resting allows the juices to redistribute for maximum moisture.

Slicing and Serving the Smoked Turkey Breast

• For clean slicing, use an electric knife or very sharp carving knife.
• Slice across the grain of the meat into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick pieces.
• Serve warm or at room temp. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Delicious Recipe Ideas

A smoked turkey breast pairs wonderfully with classic Thanksgiving flavors. It’s also fantastic in sandwiches, soups, and casseroles.

Here are some top recipe ideas:

• Slice it up for smoked turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce and stuffing.
• Dice or shred the meat for turkey enchiladas, turkey tetrazzini, or turkey pot pie.
• Use leftovers in soup, adding vegetables, rice/pasta, and turkey stock.
• Make turkey salad or wraps with mayo, celery, cranberries, pecans, and pickle relish.

With the proper brining, seasoning, and smoking process, you can enjoy the amazing flavor of smoked turkey breast right from your electric smoker. Follow this guide for moist, tender and delicious results every time.