Smoked Whole Turkey Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat smoker to 225 to 250 degrees F (110 to 120 degrees C).
• Rinse turkey under cold water, and pat dry. Rub the crushed garlic over the outside of the bird, and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Place in a disposable roasting pan. Fill turkey cavity with butter, cola, apple, onion, garlic powder, salt, and ground black pepper. Cover loosely with foil.
• Smoke at 225 to 250 degrees F (110 to 120 degrees C) for 10 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C) when measured in the thickest part of the thigh. Baste the bird every 1 to 2 hours with the juices from the bottom of the roasting pan.

Steps:

• Preheat a smoker to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Drain wood chips and place in smoker chip pan. Add water according to manufacturer recommendations.
• Unwrap turkey breast and pat dry with paper towels.
• Combine butter, salt, steak seasoning, smoked paprika, onion powder, and black pepper in a bowl to create a seasoned butter.
• Gently separate skin from muscle of the turkey breast and rub seasoned butter between the skin and the muscle, keeping the skin intact. Use about 1/4 of the seasoned butter on each side, and rub the remaining seasoned butter all over the outside of the turkey breast.
• Place prepared turkey breast directly on a smoker rack, and place the disposable drip pan on the rack below, if recommended by the manufacturer. The drip pan should not rest on the chip pan or the water pan.
• Close and secure the smoker, lower thermostat to 225 degrees F (105 degrees C), and smoke 3 1/2 to 4 hours, adding wood chips and water as needed.
• Use a meat thermometer to check internal temperature. Smoke until turkey registers 155 to 161 degrees F (68 degrees C to 71 degrees C). Wrap turkey breast in heavy-duty aluminum foil, then wrap in several layers of thick towels, and allow to rest for about 45 minutes. The residual heat will finish cooking the turkey breast to a safe temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees F).
• Slice and serve warm.

Steps:

• Add 2 gallons water, the fine salt, molasses, sugar, Worcestershire, garlic, bay leaves and 1 tablespoon pepper to a large pot, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar, and then remove from the heat. Cool the brine completely.
• Pour the brine into a large bucket and add the turkey, making sure it is completely submerged. Brine for 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
• Pour the bourbon and 4 cups water over the wood chips and soak overnight.
• The next day, remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.
• Rub the turkey with the oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Load an electric smoker with the soaked wood chips and place the turkey inside. Set the smoker to 225 degrees F and smoke until the internal temperature is 160 to 165 degrees F, 5 to 6 hours.
• Rest the turkey for 20 minutes before carving.

Steps:

• Combine first 12 ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Let cool.
• Rinse turkey, pat dry and brine over night, completely submerged in the brine.
• Rinse turkey and pat dry.
• Using a syringe, inject your favorite marinade. I use a store-bought Cajun sauce, made for injectors, but you could certainly make your own.
• Coat with oil, and season liberally with Cajun seasoning.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge overnight.
• Remove and bring to room temperature while you're getting the smoker ready, following the manufacture's directions. Bring smoker up to 240 degrees. I like pecan or hickory. You could use almost any hard wood, but I do not recommend mesquite. It's too oily, and will be bitter after that long of a cooking period.
• Smoke bird for 6-8 hours, keeping the temperature between 220--240 degrees, until internal temperature of the bird reaches 180 degrees.
• Mop, rotate, and turn bird every 40-50 minutes. Add pieces of wood to keep temp up and smoke going.
• For the mop: Combine cider vinegar, water, celery salt, salt, pepper, and butter in a pot and bring to a boil. Remove and set aside.
• Remove, wrap in foil and let rest for 30 min before carving.