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full smoked turkey
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Best Smoked Whole Turkey Recipe + How to Video

Smoking a turkey for a holiday meal creates a juicy bird with crispy skin and amazing flavor! Make a smoked whole turkey for your guests.
Author: Donna Elick
Servings: 1 Turkey
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time8 hours
Total Time8 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Whole Turkey 10-30 pounds

For the smoked turkey rub:

  • 12 ounces unsalted butter softened
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons New Mexico Chile Powder
  • 1 & 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar packed
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

For the cavity

  • 1 lemon sliced into wedges
  • 1/2 large onion sliced into wedges
  • 1 head garlic cut crosswise to expose the cloves
  • 1/2 bunch of parsley
  • 5 bay leaves
  • 1 sprig of rosemary

Instructions

  • Preheat the smoker to 325°F. In a medium-sized bowl, use a spoon to combine the butter, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, chile powder, brown sugar, and pepper; set aside.
  • Place the turkey in a large baking dish with deep sides. Make sure to remove the gizzards and neck inside the turkey. Trim off any excess skin. Using your hands, gently separate the skin from the turkey. Start at the neck by the breasts, working your way down all the way to the thighs and legs.
  • Take the seasoned butter reserving about a third of it and place it under the skin. You will need to work this down and around the legs and thighs and all over the breast meat. Smear the rest of the butter on the skin.
  • Stuff the cavity with the lemon, onion, garlic, parsley, bay leaves, and rosemary. Place the turkey into the smoker in the baking dish. Smoke for about 15 minutes per pound until the internal temperature taken at the thickest part of the thigh reaches 160-165°F.
  • Let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

This will depend on how large the bird is, but a good rule to follow is about 15 minutes per pound when cooking it at 325°F.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 6162cal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 564g | Fat: 422g | Saturated Fat: 213g | Cholesterol: 2586mg | Sodium: 9976mg | Sugar: 7g | Fiber: 5g | Calcium: 439mg | Iron: 24mg