Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast

Learn how to smoke a turkey breast in this easy Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast recipe! Smoking a turkey breast can add a delicious smoky flavor and injecting it with a buttery marinade really locks in the juices. While you've got the smoker going, consider making some Chipotle Smoked Mac and Cheese on the side!

Why This Recipe Works

This is the perfect recipe when you feel like having turkey but you don't want to cook a whole turkey. You'll find that turkey breasts range in size, just like whole turkeys do. Depending on the size, (4 — 10 pounds) it can feed anywhere from three to eight individuals.

You can even prepare this Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast for Thanksgiving. The smaller size makes turkey breasts the perfect solution for those dining alone, with a few friends, or a small family.

Although I love to make Mini Turkey Pot Pies with my turkey leftovers, I know not everyone enjoys a fridge full of leftovers. If this is you, you'll love this scaled-down recipe!

Another advantage to this recipe is that it frees up the oven for those Sweet Potato Pies and side dishes!

Smoking a turkey breast retains the juices inside, especially when injected first and smoked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. This yields a juicy turkey that's neither overly cooked nor dried out.

Although this recipe specifies using a Traeger grill (paid link), you can also use any other pellet grill.

What Goes Into This Recipe

Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

• Turkey — This Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast recipe calls for a 7 lb bone-in turkey breast. If using a smaller or larger turkey breast, you'll need to adjust the other ingredients.
• Tajin seasoning — Tajin seasoning is salty, lemony, and slightly spicy. If you don't have Tajin, you can double the amount of creole seasoning.
• Creole Seasoning — Creole Seasoning adds both spice and saltiness. If you wish, you can leave out the creole seasoning and double the amount of Tajin seasoning.
• Sage — Sage can be purchased fresh, ground, or rubbed. For this recipe, we're using rubbed sage.

How to Make A Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast

Step 1 | Prepare Marinade/Inject Turkey

Whisk turkey marinade injection ingredients together until combined. Using a Marinade Injecting Syringe (paid link), inject the marinade into the turkey breast.

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Tip: Inject the turkey breast all over. When injecting, pierce the turkey and slowly pull the syringe out as you inject the marinade into the turkey breast. This helps the marinade to get absorbed instead of leaking out entirely. However, some marinade will still leak out.

Step 2 | Season Turkey Breast

When there's approximately ¼ cup of marinade left, stir the turkey seasoning ingredients into the marinade to make a paste. Rub this paste all over the turkey breast, including the cavity. At this point, cover and refrigerate the turkey for one or more hours to let the flavors penetrate the meat.

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Tip: Don't forget to lift the skin and rub some of the paste into the skin. This will help the seasoning to really soak in!

Step 3 | Smoke The Turkey Breast

Bring the turkey to room temperature. Heat Traeger to 225° F. When the smoker is ready, place the turkey directly on the grill and stick the probe into the thickest part of the turkey breast. Set the probe temperature to 165° F. Use Super Smoke if you have that option. Smoke until the probe reaches 165° F.

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Tip: At 225° F, it will take approximately 4 to 5 hours to smoke the turkey. It's hard to predict the exact time. It will depend on the outside temperature, the turkey's temperature, and how many times you lift the grill lid to sneak a peak.

Step 4 | Rest Turkey Breast

Tent the turkey breast with foil and allow it to rest for approximately 10 minutes before slicing.

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Tip: The resting period will allow the juices to redistribute in the breast instead of seeping out when you slice into it.

Recipe FAQs

Expert Tips

• If you buy a smaller turkey breast, you can reduce the amount of marinade and seasonings.
• Inject the turkey breast all over. Pierce the turkey as you slowly pull the syringe out, allowing the marinade to slowly get absorbed into the breast instead of leaking out.
• You may be tempted to skip the resting period, but don't! If you slice the turkey too soon, all the yummy juices will run out of the turkey, leaving the turkey breast dry.
• If you need the turkey to cook faster, start the turkey at 225° F for one hour with super smoke, then turn up the temperature to 250° F or higher for the remaining time. Another option is to smoke the turkey breast at an even higher temperature, say 350° F, which will drastically reduce the cooking time.
• If you prefer a milder taste, you can leave out the creole seasoning. You may want to add a little extra salt since you'll be losing the salt in the creole seasoning.

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