Smoked Turkey Breast

You don’t always need a huge, whole turkey for the holidays, so serving a turkey breast is a great option for smaller gatherings. After we made this Easy Smoked Turkey last Thanksgiving, we may never cook another turkey in the oven!

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Just take me to the recipe! For the printable recipe card, just scroll on down to the very bottom of the post. Otherwise, read on for the step by step photos and directions. 

How to Make Smoked Turkey Breast:

• Thaw turkey breast in refrigerator. 
• Make a brine with 4 quarts of warm water, 1 cup kosher salt, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, half of one onion, 1 tablespoon peppercorns. 2 garlic cloves, sliced in half and half of a lemon or orange. 
• Submerge turkey breast in brine, cover and refrigerate 4-6 hours. 
• Remove turkey from brine and drain well. Pat dry with paper towels and place on a clean baking sheet. 

• Rub outside of turkey breast and inside of cavity with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and garlic. 
• Prepare grill or smoker to a 300° fire. 

• Place turkey over indirect heat for 30 minutes. 

• Remove turkey from grill.

• Wrap in peach butcher paper. 

• Fold to seal and you can staple the paper together to make it easy to handle. 

• Return to grill and continue to cook keeping temperature around 300° for about an hour or  until internal temperature reaches 165°. 

• Remove from grill and unwrap from butcher paper, carefully reserving the juices for gravy.  Allow to rest 20 minutes before slicing. 

Smoked turkey is a great addition to any holiday dinner. Brining the turkey will make it the most flavorful and juicy turkey. 

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Tips for Smoking a Holiday Turkey:

If you would like to see step by step photos for brining, check out our How to Brine and Smoke a Chicken recipe and video. It works for any whole or cut up chicken or turkey. 

We simply seasoned this turkey with salt, pepper and garlic. Use your favorite seasoning blend, Blackened Seasoning makes a fantastic Cajun Smoked Turkey or this blend of Mediterranean Seasonings is a delicious option. 

Save your the bones from your smoked turkey to make a batch of homemade  turkey stock. It’s easy to freeze to have on hand for homemade soups and pasta dishes all winter long. 

This was the first time we have used peach butcher paper for smoking and it’s such a great idea. You can buy it from Amazon. It’s way easier to work with than foil. 

It keeps your meat juicy and will keep it from over browning or turning black from the smoke. The other great thing is that you get all of those delicious juices that would normally drip out into the grill or the smoker. 

You might also enjoy this Herb Butter Smoked Chicken for a simple holiday meal or for entertaining. The garlic and rosemary butter adds tons of flavor to this whole chicken.

Side dishes to serve with smoked turkey:

• Garlic Mashed Potatoes are a staple with turkey dinners and they are so simple to make with a delicious garlic butter. 
• Cranberry Salad is a family favorite loaded with cranberries, apples, pineapple and pomegranate for a festive side dish that pairs so well with smoked turkey. 
• Southern Cornbread Dressing or the classic Chicken and Dressing is a must- have with your turkey dinner. This recipe is completely from scratch with homemade cornbread and no canned soups. It’s moist and delicious, just like grandma makes!
• Angel Rolls or Buttermilk Ricotta Skillet Rolls are delicious homemade yeast rolls that are easy to make for holiday dinners. 

Recipes for Leftover Smoked Turkey:

• Smoked Turkey and Dumplings is the ultimate comfort food. So hearty, filling and delicious and you will love this tried and true recipe. 
• You can’t go wrong with a Smoked Turkey Sandwich and this one has an amazing Cajun mayo that will knock your socks off!
• My kids get just as excited about this Turkey Salad as they do the entire holiday dinner. It’s so simple to make and is great to eat with chips or crackers or for sandwiches. 

A smoked turkey breast is always a great idea for grilling meal prep that you can do on the weekend and enjoy throughout the week. It makes dinner time so much easier for busy weeknights when you have cooked your main dish ahead of time and the dinner possibilities are endless. 

We have been enjoying smoked turkey throughout the year since we have learned to brine and smoke them. Add this easy Smoked Turkey Breast to your holiday dinner plans this year!

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Smoked Turkey Breast

Smoked Turkey Breast is a simple main dish for hosting small holiday gatherings like Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving and Christmas. Brined and smoked for the most flavorful and juicy turkey that you've ever tasted. 

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine American

Keyword turkey breast, turkey for small dinner

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Additional Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 703kcal

Author Milisa

Ingredients

For the brine:

• 4 quarts warm water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• half on an onion
• 2 garlic cloves sliced
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• ½ of a lemon or orange

For the turkey

• 5-7 pound bone-in turkey breast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

Instructions

• Add warm water to a stock pot and add salt, stirring until salt has dissolved. Add onion, garlic, peppercorns and fresh rosemary and lemon.
• Submerge turkey breast in brine, cover and refrigerate 2-6 hours.
• Remove turkey from brine and drain well. Pat with paper towels until dry.
• Place on a clean baking sheet and coat with olive oil, rubbing all over skin and in cavity.
• Season with salt, pepper and garlic.
• Prepare grill or smoker to 300° fire.
• Place turkey breast over indirect heat and smoke 30 minutes.
• Remove from grill and wrap in peach butcher paper, sealing up like a packet.
• Put wrapped turkey back onto grill and continue to cook for one hour or until internal temperature reaches 165°.
• Remove from grill and unwrap butcher paper.
• Allow turkey breast to rest 10 minutes before slicing.
• Carefully save the drippings for gravy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 703kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 137g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 363mg | Sodium: 752mg

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Cajun Smoked Turkey

Smoked turkey is one of the most delicious meats that you can cook to feed a crowd. Rather it’s a holiday dinner or just a houseful of hungry people, it has become one of our go-to meals. 

I will admit that until we made Easy Smoked Turkey for Thanksgiving last year, it was never my favorite.

There are just a few steps to getting a moist and delicious smoked turkey and they make all of the difference!

We use the same method as our guide of How to Brine and Smoke a Whole Chicken. The brine is super simple and will give you a flavorful and tender outcome that is so much juicier than if you skip the brine process. 

Steps to Make Cajun Smoked Turkey:

1. If starting with a frozen turkey, thaw completely and remove neck and gizzards, discard or keep for making gravy or stock.
2. Mix warm water and kosher salt together in a stock pot until salt is dissolved. Add peppercorns and a whole lemon, sliced in half. You can also add fresh herbs and garlic to the brine if desired.
3. Submerge turkey in water, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours but not more than 24.
4. Remove turkey from brine and drain well. Pat dry with paper towels and place on a baking sheet.
5. Mix softened butter an Blackened Seasoning together. 
6. Loosen the skin of the turkey mainly over the breast. Rub butter mixture between the skin, over the outside of the turkey and inside the cavity. 
7. Prepare grill or smoker to about 300°.
8. Cook turkey for about 20 minutes per pound or until internal temperature reaches 165°.
9. Remove from grill and allow to rest 15 minutes before slicing. 

After Thanksgiving you can often pick up frozen turkeys at a real bargain. If you have a big freezer, it’s a great way to stretch your grocery budget throughout the year.

How Long Does a Frozen Turkey Keep?

Turkey brands say that a frozen turkey will keep for 2-3 years if it stays frozen but is best within 7 months. So keep that in mind after the holidays and you can have this delicious Cajun smoked turkey any time of year!

This Cajun Smoked Turkey turns out so gorgeous and would be a great centerpiece to any Thanksgiving or holiday meal. It’s easy enough to cook any time of year just for sandwiches, soups and casseroles. 

If you are feeding a smaller crowd, this Smoked Turkey Breast is a great option. 

Recipes for Leftover Turkey:

Turkey and chicken are totally interchangeable and when you have leftover smoked turkey, it makes the best casseroles, soups and pasta dishes. 

The classic Smoked Turkey Sandwich gets an upgrade with Cajun mayo, and served on a toasted baguette with tomatoes, lettuce and red onion. We also love the Turkey Club Sandwich for turkey leftovers. 

Smoked Turkey and Dumplings is the ultimate comfort food! So delicious and a great way to use up your leftover dark meat.

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup is everyone’s favorite comfort food. My family loves good ol’ chicken noodle soup any day of the year. 

Turkey Salad is so simple and just might be the whole reason we even cook turkey! A great way to use up the dark meat if your family prefers the turkey breast. It makes a fantastic sandwich or enjoy it with crackers. 

Smoked Chicken and Black Bean Chili is a hearty meal that will fill up a hungry crowd. A definite favorite for game day or tailgating. 

Chicken and Mushroom Tortellini Bake  is one of my favorite pasta casseroles, super simple and delicious.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup is a quick and easy dinner that is so flavorful and even better if you add in smoked chicken or turkey!

Smoked Turkey Stock is a great way to use your turkey carcass. You won’t believe the flavor you get in this homemade broth! Easy to store in the freezer for your favorite soups and casseroles!

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Cajun Smoked Turkey

Cajun Smoked Turkey is loaded with flavor. A great addition to any holiday meal or great to make ahead for sandwiches. Easy to make at home and so much tastier than what you will find at the deli.

Course Grilling

Cuisine American

Keyword blackened turkey, smoked turkey, smoked turkey breast, Thanksgiving turkey

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Additional Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 7 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 801kcal

Author Milisa

Ingredients

• 12-14 pound turkey
• 4 quarts warm water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 lemon sliced in half
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• ½ cup softened butter
• 3 tablespoons Blackened Seasoning

Instructions

• Thaw turkey completely and remove neck and gizzards, discard or keep for making gravy or stock.
• In a stock pot, mix warm water and kosher salt together until salt is dissolved. Add peppercorns and a whole lemon, sliced in half.
• Submerge turkey in water, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours but not more than 24. 
• Drain brine and pat turkey pat dry with paper towels and place on a baking sheet. 
• Mix softened butter an Blackened Seasoning together. 
• Loosen the skin of the turkey mainly over the breast. Rub butter mixture between the skin, over the outside of the turkey and inside the cavity. 
• Prepare grill or smoker to about 250- 300°. 
• Cook turkey for about 20 minutes per pound or until internal temperature reaches 165°.
• Remove from grill and allow to rest 15 minutes before slicing. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 801kcal | Protein: 113g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 448mg | Sodium: 454mg

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