Smoking a Turkey

[2LaneCruzer]

Aaarrrggg! Sharn Jean volunteered me to smoke a turkey for Easter, on the Big Green Egg. Last turkey I smoked was over 40 years ago...I need some suggestions, especially from someone who has had spectacular success with a spectacular method and recipe. Anyone?

Thanks,
Dennis

 

[Ted Summey]

Look for a brine recipe online and brine the bird before smoking.

 

[sseelhoff]

Just once possible source

Smoked Whole Turkey | Dadgum That's Good!

 

[Alan L.]

Don't try to smoke the whole bird, cut it in half.

 

[Gunny]

I don't often smoke a whole bird, but I do a lot of turkey breasts.

Most of the time I use soaked apple wood for smoke flavor, all of us, and the extended family, seem to prefer the apple over other wood smoke flavors. I put one good sized chunk directly on top of the coals and then put a filled metal smoke box next to it so the smoke lasts longer.

I only rub poultry seasoning over the dampened breast an hour or so before I put it on the smoker. Stuff the cavity with a good Vidalia onion.

For a hot smoker, I like to have a water pan beneath the grill, pour 1/2 bottle of cheap wine in with the water and a couple of bay leaves. Still can't remember why the bay leaves, something Mom did and Moms are never wrong!

For cold smoking, I keep adding apple wood chunks to the coals over the course, no water pan

I also like using briquets for smoking because they tend the burn at a better controlled rate and don't need as much tending to versus lump. Now, if I'm grilling a steak or burger, lump is the only way to go.

My bottom line is that it's really hard to mess up on smoking a turkey, they always come out better than one baked in an oven.

 

[forgeblast]

When smoking do you use bark also or only the wood. I have a lot of apple wood from pruning just wondering if I need to shave it off?

 

[Gunny]

I always peel my smoking wood before I cut it up into pretty hefty chunks, don't know why, but I do.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have an electric smoker with wood chip container at the bottom that dumps them right on the heating coils. I bought the smoker at Sam's Club about 4 years ago. It is big enough to smoke 2 whole turkeys and a rack of ribs at the same time. I set it a 250-275, fill the chip container once and let it smoke for a couple hours, then fill it again then just let the birds set for 4-6 hours. Meat falls off the bone and has a nice brown smoke outside. Wife uses the Cajun Injector system to load the turkeys with seasoning on the inside. I usually do one only on Thanksgiving and Christmas as I don't care much for turkey. Slow cooking some pork ribs or brisket is more to my liking. I had the charcoal smoker but didn't care for it as you had to constantly load fresh charcoal and no way to control the heat. I love the electric set it and forget it temperature and timer.

 

[schoolsout]

seconded...

 

[schoolsout]

I don't often smoke a whole bird, but I do a lot of turkey breasts.

Most of the time I use soaked apple wood for smoke flavor, all of us, and the extended family, seem to prefer the apple over other wood smoke flavors. I put one good sized chunk directly on top of the coals and then put a filled metal smoke box next to it so the smoke lasts longer.

I only rub poultry seasoning over the dampened breast an hour or so before I put it on the smoker. Stuff the cavity with a good Vidalia onion.

For a hot smoker, I like to have a water pan beneath the grill, pour 1/2 bottle of cheap wine in with the water and a couple of bay leaves. Still can't remember why the bay leaves, something Mom did and Moms are never wrong!

For cold smoking, I keep adding apple wood chunks to the coals over the course, no water pan

I also like using briquets for smoking because they tend the burn at a better controlled rate and don't need as much tending to versus lump. Now, if I'm grilling a steak or burger, lump is the only way to go.

My bottom line is that it's really hard to mess up on smoking a turkey, they always come out better than one baked in an oven.

If you can get some black cherry, it's pretty good, too.