Smoked Turkey on a Drum Smoker

By Christie Vanover | Revealed November 16, 2022 | Final Up to date November 16, 2022

I really like smoking turkey on a charcoal grill, as a result of it offers it such nice taste. For the very best outcomes, I cook dinner it sizzling and quick on a drum smoker, as a result of that reduces the cooking time and creates superior colour and pores and skin.

What Is a Drum Smoker

A drum smoker is a kind of grill made out of a metallic barrel. Most frequently, the barrels maintain about 55 gallons, in order that they’re referred to as 55-gallon drums. Nevertheless, it’s also possible to discover 30-gallon barrels.

Drum people who smoke have develop into extraordinarily standard on the competitors circuit. Personally, I take advantage of three orange Hunsaker Drum Smokers. I even have a black Hunsaker and mini orange 30-gallon in my yard. The blue one pictured beneath belongs to my pops.

Gateway Drum People who smoke are one other standard model you’ll see on the circuit.

If you’ll find your self a barrel, you possibly can even purchase a equipment to build your own smoker out of it. These are sometimes referred to as UDS, or Ugly Drum People who smoke, as a result of the barrels are normally fairly beat up.

Different corporations, like Oklahoma Joes, have drum people who smoke that aren’t fairly barrels, however they work the identical method.

Principally, you add your charcoal to a basket within the backside of the barrel. The rack or racks relaxation on bolts above the coals at various ranges. Oxygen is fed into the drum both by way of a pipe on the facet or a complete within the backside.

Warmth and smoke exit the smoker by way of an exhaust on the highest. You regulate the opening in that exhaust vent to regulate the temperature of the smoker.

Drum people who smoke normally purr at increased temps between 275-300F levels, which is the temperature I take advantage of to cook dinner this smoked turkey. Bonus is meaning the turkey will take much less time to cook dinner.

Components

This smoked turkey recipe is brined, seasoned after which completed with a whiskey bacon glaze.

• Turkey: I like cooking 12-15-pound birds. I discover them to be the juiciest.
• Butter: You’ll want one massive 8-ounce package deal of Kerrygold salted butter.
• Aromatics: For that quintessential Thanksgiving taste, fill the cavity with aromatics like celery, carrots, lemons, onions, thyme and sage.
• Turkey Rub: Strive my Smoked Turkey Rub recipe or a mixture of my Spiceology Chicken Rub and Girl Carnivore’s Chick Fest.

Brine Components

• Water: You’ll want each sizzling water and chilly water.
• Salt: When making brines, all the time use kosher salt.
• Sugar: White granulated sugar.
• The Grill Dads Lemon Thyme Brine: Technically it is a seasoning meant for use as a dry brine (simply sprinkled on the fowl), nevertheless it works nice for moist brining, too.
• Big Poppa Smokers Chicken Prod: This can be a nice product that’s used on the competitors circuit as a brine or injection for rooster.

Basting Components

• Bacon Drippings: Subsequent time you cook dinner a slab of bacon, save the drippings for this recipe. You can too purchase bacon grease on Amazon.
• Whiskey: It’s all the time Jack Daniels black label in our home.
• Soy Sauce: Common or low sodium.

1. STEP ONE: Begin by putting 2 cups water, salt, sugar, Lemon Thyme Brine and the Rooster Prod right into a pot over medium warmth. As soon as the seasonings dissolve, take away it from the warmth and pour in two cups of chilly water. Let the moist brine cool to no less than room temperature.

2. STEP TWO: Line a food-safe bucket with two disposable turkey size oven bags. Take away the turkey from its packaging and take away the bag of organs, neck and pop-up thermometer, if it had one. Place the turkey within the bag within the bucket – breast facet going through down.

Pour the cooled brine on prime. Add extra chilly water to cowl, and tie the interior bag in a knot, forcing out as a lot air as potential. Place the bucket within the fridge for 8-12 hours.

3. STEP THREE: After 8-12 hours, take away the turkey from the brine and place it on a rack over a rimmed sheet pan. Pat it dry with paper towels and refrigerate uncovered for 2-3 hours.

4. STEP FOUR: After the turkey has chilled within the fridge, place the pan on the counter. Lower the Kerrygold butter into 5 items. Place one piece underneath the pores and skin of every breast.

Place 2 items within the cavity together with some celery, carrots, lemons, onions, thyme and sage. Break the final piece in half and place half in every thigh socket.

5. STEP FIVE: Season the fowl throughout with turkey rub, specializing in the breasts, legs and wings. The underside isn’t as essential.

6. STEP SIX: Whereas the fowl rests, warmth your drum smoker to 275-300F levels utilizing lump charcoal, 2 pecan wooden chunks and a pair of hickory wooden chunks. It’s additionally nice with gentle fruitwood, like apple.

7. STEP SEVEN: Place the turkey on the heated smoker breast facet up. Guarantee that the rack is low sufficient that the lid will shut all the way in which.

8. STEP EIGHT: After about 2 1/2 hours, the pores and skin will begin to be golden, which suggests it’s time to baste the fowl. Mix the bacon grease, whiskey and soy sauce and brush it all around the fowl. You are able to do this a few occasions through the closing stage of cooking.

9. STEP NINE: Proceed smoking the turkey till the interior temperature within the thickest a part of the thigh reaches about 180F levels. Shut down all of the vents on the smoker to extinguish the warmth and let the turkey relaxation on the smoker till it’s time to carve.

Tips on how to serve smoked turkey

When it’s time to current your smoked turkey masterpiece, put together a big platter with an association of recent herbs, like parsley, sage and rosemary. Place the fowl proper on the mattress of herbs.

To carve the turkey meat, begin by eradicating the legs adopted by the wings.

To take away the turkey breast meat, run your knife alongside the spine and comply with that bone down till it curves. As soon as it’s separated, you possibly can slice the breast into half-inch items.

Pull the darkish meat from the thighs and place strips of that on the platter with the leg bones.

Storage

Smoked turkey will be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. It will also be frozen for as much as six months.

You probably have numerous turkey leftover, divide it up into smaller baggage, so you possibly can pull parts out for future meals like sandwiches, taquitos, quiches or hand pies.

Smoked Turkey on a Drum Smoker

You probably have a drum smoker, that is by far the very best smoked turkey recipe as a result of it is juicy, crispy and basted with bacon grease and whiskey.

Recipe by Christie Vanover

Prep Time 15 hours

Prepare dinner Time 3 hours 30 minutes

Servings 14

Tools

• Drum Smoker

• Lump Charcoal

• 2 Pecan Wooden Chunks

• 2 Hickory Wooden Chunks

• Meals-safe Bucket

• 2 Turkey Dimension Oven Luggage

Components 

Turkey Brine

• water
• 1/2 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 tbsp The Grill Dads Lemon Thyme Brine
• 2 tbsp Huge Poppa People who smoke Rooster Prod

Seasoning + Aromatics

• 8 ozs Kerrygold salted butter
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 carrots
• 1 lemon quartered
• 1/2 yellow onion quartered
• 1 bunch recent thyme
• 1 bunch recent sage
• 1/4 cup Turkey Rub

Whiskey Bacon Glaze

• 1/2 cup bacon grease melted
• 2 tbsp Jack Daniel’s Whiskey
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

Directions 

• Make Brine: In a medium pot, mix 2 cups heat water, salt, sugar, lemon thyme brine and the cattle prod. Warmth till dissolved. Take away from warmth. Stir in 2 cups chilly water. Cool to no less than room temperature.

• Brine: Take away the turkey from the packaging. Discard the organs, neck and pop-up thermometer, if it has one. Place two brine baggage within a bucket. Place the turkey in breast facet going through down. Pour the cooled brine over the turkey. Add extra cool water to completely cowl. Tie the interior bag in a knot, urgent out as a lot air as potential. Place the bucket within the fridge for 8-12 hours.

• Air Chill: Take away the turkey from the brine. Set it on a rack over a rimmed sheet pan. Pat it dry. Place the turkey within the fridge uncovered for 2-4 hours. This can take away extra moisture.

• Season: Lower the butter into 5 items. Place 1 piece underneath the pores and skin of every breast. Place 2 items contained in the cavity with the greens and herbs. Break up the final piece in half and tuck one half into every thigh socket. Season throughout with turkey rub.

• Warmth Grill: Warmth the drum smoker to 275-300F levels with lump charcoal and wooden chunks.

• Smoke: Place the turkey on the smoker breast facet up. Smoke for two 1/2 hours.

• Baste: In a bowl, mix the melted bacon grease, whiskey and soy sauce. As soon as the turkey has began to show golden brown, brush the glaze all around the fowl. Proceed smoking till the turkey thigh reaches an inner temperature of about 180F levels.

• Relaxation: As soon as the turkey is prepared, shut the entire vents on the smoker to extinguish the hearth. Permit the turkey to relaxation, till you are able to serve it.

• Carve: Serve the entire turkey on a mattress of recent herbs on a platter. When able to carve it, take away the legs and wings. Carve off the breasts and slice into 1/2-inch thick items. Pull the remaining meat and organize on the platter with out the bones.

Notes

This smoked turkey can also be nice with my conventional Smoked Turkey Brine recipe.
For the seasoning, attempt my turkey rub or a mixture of my Spiceology Chicken Rub and Girl Carnivore’s Chick Fest.
The aromatics components are versatile. You possibly can stuff any sort of greens you like into the cavity. They add taste as they steam.  
When checking the interior temperature of the turkey, place your meat thermometer into the thickest a part of the thigh with out touching the bone. 
When you shut down the grill and let the fowl relaxation, you possibly can depart it in there for as much as an hour. 

Vitamin

Energy: 693kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 70gFats: 40gSaturated Fats: 16gPolyunsaturated Fats: 6gMonounsaturated Fats: 13gTrans Fats: 1gLdl cholesterol: 275mgSodium: 4603mgPotassium: 802mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 2115IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 69mgIron: 4mg

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