Make one of the best Smoked Turkey Breast recipe this yr! Excellent for smaller vacation gatherings; It’s slathered in a flavorful spice rub, basted in melted butter, bourbon, and honey, and smoked till melt-in-your-mouth tender for the proper vacation turkey.
Desk of contents
Generally I feel again to once I thought poultry was boring. Given my choices, pork, beef, or seafood would win each time. I assumed rooster and turkey had been bland and dry.
However then I received myself a smoker, and the heavens opened up and angels sang, and my life modified for the higher. Now you’ll be hard-pressed to discover a time that I’m not excited to whip up smoked chicken thighs or Traeger smoked turkey for dinner. You mainly can’t tear me away from the poultry part on the grocery retailer.
Belief me, this smoked turkey breast recipe will change your life the identical method it did mine! Not solely will it remodel how you are feeling about turkey, nevertheless it makes a terrific various to complete smoked Thanksgiving turkey for the vacations when you’ve fewer folks to serve!
No smoker? Take a look at my quick pressure cooker turkey breast recipe as an alternative!
Why you’ll love this recipe!
- This straightforward recipe is ideal for a smaller Thanksgiving dinner, whether or not it’s simply buddies or a small household! The place you don’t have to attend hours for a complete chicken to cook dinner.
- The tender breast meat is loaded with flavorful meat! Even for those who aren’t making this for Thanksgiving, it’s an ideal recipe simply cuz you need leftovers.
- Due to the straightforward substances, it’s one of the best turkey breast you’ve ever tasted, excellent for slicing and serving instantly or for thick slices for superb leftover turkey sandwiches!.
- This recipe is ideal for a Traeger grill / pellet smoker, ceramic large inexperienced egg, or conventional charcoal / offset smoker! See our notes within the recipe card for every!
What you want to make this smoked turkey breast recipe
- Turkey Breast – I exploit 4 to five-pound bone-in complete breast for this recipe which is able to most certainly serve wherever from 4-5 folks tender juicy chicken relying on the dimensions of the breast (general weight). We use bone-in for this recipe and don’t suggest a boneless turkey breast, solely as a result of it can cook dinner faster, normally is simply half the entire turkey breast (one) in measurement and would solely feed half the folks.
- Mustard and Olive Oil – the acidity in mustard helps break down the meat for a extra tender texture. I like utilizing garlic dijon mustard/aioli for this as a bonus taste!
- Brown Sugar and Seasonings: you’ll use a easy mix of brown sugar blended with kosher salt, garlic powder, paprika, floor black pepper, and cayenne pepper. It’s the proper mix of candy, smoky, and spicy.
- Butter, Bourbon, and Honey – this makes up a deliciously candy basting liquid to provide the turkey extra taste and preserve it moist throughout the smoking course of.
How you can smoke turkey breast
You simply want quarter-hour of prep to make the proper smoked turkey breast! It’s essential to examine your chicken 2 to three days earlier than to verify it’s thawing correctly.
The day earlier than smoking:
Be certain that to totally pat dry your turkey breast with paper towels and examine the cavity to take away gizzards, turkey neck, or any remaining ice. It’s essential to dry the cavity too!
Mix mustard and olive oil and rub the combination everywhere in the turkey breast. In one other small bowl, mix all the spices, then rub them everywhere in the turkey. Wrap in plastic wrap and retailer within the fridge in a single day.
The day of smoking:
Prep the smoker for 225ºF. Prep a drip pan and water tray if wanted, then place the turkey within the smoker and add wooden chips. Smoke for 1½ hours, refresh chips if wanted, then smoke for an additional hour. Or if you’re utilizing a Traeger pellet grill, set the grill to smoke after which prep it for 225 levels F in line with producers instructions.
When you’ve got a Traeger smoker or any pellet grill, Observe the precise steps, and use a smoker field full of wooden chips for added smoke taste. Merely place the field proper on the grill grates within the hottest nook. We love hickory, maple, and pecan chips for this turkey breast.
In a saucepan, mix butter, bourbon, and honey till the butter is melted. Use that combination to baste the turkey, then proceed to cook dinner. After quarter-hour, baste once more and cook dinner till the interior temperature of the turkey breast is 165 to 170ºF with an instant read thermometer.
Take away from the smoker, cowl with foil, and let the turkey breast relaxation for quarter-hour earlier than slicing and serving.
Recipe FAQs
This is determined by the dimensions of the breasts, however I normally plan on about half-hour per pound to smoke the turkey. The five-pound turkey breast I used on this recipe took about 2½ hours to cook dinner all through.
As all the time, the easiest way to inform if meat is finished cooking is to make use of a meat thermometer. The minimal inner temperature of the turkey ought to be 165-170ºF, in line with the USDA.
Sure, however not within the conventional method. For this recipe, we’re skipping the moist brine and utilizing a dry brine of mustard, oil, sugar, and seasonings.
Simply pat the turkey dry and coat the turkey breast in that combination the night time earlier than and let it sit within the fridge and soak in all that taste! The secret’s to verify to get below the pores and skin to actually coat the meat!
I like to recommend it. Basting the turkey in honey, bourbon, and butter not solely provides taste but in addition ensures that the meat stays moist because it cooks. Since turkey is a lean meat, it’s extra susceptible to drying out. Basting reduces the chance of that taking place!
It additionally provides an attractive golden brown colour to the juicy turkey breast and helps to make crispy pores and skin with tons of taste!
Serving recommendations
This smoked turkey breast recipe is ideal subsequent to all the traditional vacation sides. Listed here are just a few of my favorites:
How you can retailer
Leftover turkey breast will final in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3-4 days or within the freezer for 2-3 months.
To reheat, thaw within the fridge if frozen, then microwave in small parts or heat within the oven at 300ºF with a splash of broth to moisten.
Searching for methods to make use of up your leftovers? Take a look at my classic hot brown or my leftover smoked turkey sandwich recipe.
Extra scrumptious smoked turkey recipes
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📖 Full Recipe
Smoked Turkey Breast
Make one of the best smoked turkey breast with this straightforward recipe. A easy moist rub after which a buttery bourbon glaze make each chew moist, tender, and delicous!
Servings: 12
Energy: 217kcal
Substances
For the Smoked Turkey Breast
Directions
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The day earlier than smoking, mix the mustard and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the turkey breast throughout with the combination.
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In one other small bowl mix the spices. Rub the turkey breast closely with rub. Wrap in plastic wrap and let the flavors mingle within the fridge over night time.
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Prep smoker in line with producers instructions for a warmth of 225 levels F.
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Prep your drip pan and water tray if wanted. Place turkey in smoker and add wooden chips.
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Smoke for 1 ½ hours and refresh chips as wanted. Smoke for an additional hour.
Make the glaze
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Make the basting liquid. In a small saucepan, mix the butter, bourbon, and honey over low warmth till butter is simply melted. Stir to mix.
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Baste the turkey with the maple combination. Shut smoker and in quarter-hour baste once more.
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As soon as the turkey temps at 165F, take away from smoker, cowl with foil, and relaxation for quarter-hour earlier than slicing.
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Slice and serve.
Diet
Energy: 217kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 32g | Fats: 7g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Ldl cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 743mg | Potassium: 381mg | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 0.9mg
