Smoking a turkey is a great way to add delicious smoky flavor to your holiday bird. But what if you don’t have an actual smoker? Don’t worry you can still smoke a turkey using just your grill!
Smoking a turkey without a smoker takes a bit of effort and monitoring, but the results are so worth it The turkey comes out incredibly moist, tender and infused with a wonderful smoky essence. Follow this step-by-step guide to learn how to smoke a turkey on a grill
Equipment Needed
- Gas or charcoal grill
- Aluminum foil or aluminum pan
- Wood chips or chunks – apple, cherry, hickory or mesquite recommended
- Meat thermometer
- Oven mitts and tongs
- Heavy duty aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 12-14 lb whole turkey, thawed if frozen
- Olive oil or vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper
- Herbs or spice rub (optional)
Step 1 – Prep the Turkey
Remove the turkey from fridge and let it come closer to room temperature before smoking. This helps it cook more evenly.
Remove giblets and neck from turkey cavities. Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water, then pat dry completely with paper towels.
Brush or rub skin all over with olive oil or vegetable oil. This helps the skin get crispy. Season generously inside and out with salt and pepper. For extra flavor, you can rub the skin with fresh herbs or a spice blend.
Place turkey breast-side up on a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil. Fold up foil edges to create a boat shape around the turkey to catch any drippings.
Step 2 – Prep the Grill
Fire up your gas or charcoal grill and bring to 250-275°F. Place your wood chips or chunks in water for 30 minutes prior so they smolder instead of burn.
If using a charcoal grill, wait until the coals are ashed over and glowing red hot. Then sprinkle soaked wood chips directly onto the hot coals.
For a gas grill, wrap the soaked wood chips in an aluminum foil packet with holes poked on top. Place foil packet right on top of grill grates over low heat burner.
Step 3 – Smoke the Turkey
Set aluminum pan with turkey in center of grill grate, over indirect heat. Close grill lid.
Add more soaked wood chips or chunks to the grill every 45-60 minutes to generate smoke. Try to maintain temperature around 250°F as much as possible.
Smoke the turkey for about 5 hours for a 12 lb bird, until deepest part of thigh registers 165°F on a meat thermometer. If turkey starts browning too much, tent loosely with foil.
Step 4 – Finish and Rest
Once turkey reaches 165°F, remove from grill. Be careful, foil pan will be hot!
Let turkey rest 20-30 minutes before carving. This allows juices to redistribute for moister meat.
Slice turkey and serve topped with pan drippings for an amazing, juicy smoked turkey feast!
Turkey Smoking Tips
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Brining the turkey for 8-12 hours before smoking helps keep it super moist. Make a simple brine using salt, sugar and aromatics.
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Add a water pan – Fill a disposable foil pan with water and place under the turkey in grill to add humidity. Top off water as needed.
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Rotate the turkey halfway during smoking to ensure even cooking.
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Use a good meat thermometer to check doneness in thigh and breast meat. Juices should run clear when pierced.
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Let turkey rest before slicing to allow juices to be reabsorbed.
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Save the smoked turkey drippings to make a tasty gravy or sauce!
Smoking a turkey on the grill gives you that wonderful wood-fired flavor without needing a specialized smoker. With some charcoal or gas and a bit of wood for smoke, you can make a show-stopping smoked turkey for Thanksgiving, Christmas or anytime.
Frequency of Entities:
turkey: 27
smoker: 7
grill: 7
wood: 6
smoke: 5
chips: 3
temperature: 3
thermometer: 2
chunks: 2
drippings: 2
FAQs: How to Make Smoked Turkey!
Depending on the size of your turkey it will take anywhere from 6-12 hours. I personally smoke my turkey, which is usually around 12-14, at 275 F for about 6-7 hours.
Easy smoked whole turkey recipe. That’s right folks, we’re not just going to make smoked turkey breast. We’re smoking the whole darn thing!
I don’t know about you, but I can have turkey any time of the year. Especially is it’s smoked! There’s just something about smoked turkey, and I swear I can never get enough of it. In this post I’m going to share my recipe for easy smoked turkey. This recipe is so simple. Unlike a lot of other smoked turkey recipes you’ll find that I do NOT do a overnight brine, or any of that other unnecessary stuff. I keep everything easy, and the outcome is amazing! So let’s get to some of the questions that I know that I’ll get asked.
How to make Smoked Turkey Legs without a smoker?
FAQ
How do you smoke a turkey on a regular grill?
Can you smoke a turkey and finish in the oven?
How to smoke a turkey in the oven with wood chips?
How long to smoke a turkey at 225 without?
How do you cook a smoked turkey?
After brining the turkey, dry it with a paper towel. Apply a 50/50 mix of kosher salt and black pepper, as well as paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder to the turkey. Preheat your smoker to 325° F and use apple, cherry, or pecan wood. After 1 1/2 hours, check the color of the turkey. Once it is dark, tent the turkey in aluminium foil.
Can you smoke a turkey without a thermometer?
As with other smoked roasts, a good practice is to wrap the bird in a towel and place in a dry cooler for an hour or two. Meat thermometers are your best friend when smoking a turkey, and if you don’t have a good thermometer, you are operations in the dark.
Can you smoke a whole Turkey on a gas grill?
Yes, you can use a gas or charcoal grill to smoke a whole turkey (or smoke a turkey breast) if you use a wood chip smoker box and then simply continue to add smoking chips throughout the cooking process. You just really need to keep an eye on the temp as it is easier for it rise on a gas grill or charcoal grill.
Should you smoke a whole turkey?
If you want some dark meat, it may be easier to buy turkey parts (split breast, legs, thighs, wings) and smoke them separately rather than doing a whole turkey. This further decreases the cooking time AND ensures even cooking on all parts of the turkey.