If you're looking for a new way to cook your Thanksgiving turkey this year, give this Traeger Smoked Turkey Recipe a try! It's tender, smoky, and easy to prepare! But if you have a smaller gathering, try my Traeger smoked turkey breast recipe instead!
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When you smoke a turkey on a pellet grill, low and slow, then finish it at a higher temperature you get a turkey with juicy breast meat, crispy skin, and an amazing smokey flavor!
If you're looking to try something new, how about this smoked spatchcock turkey recipe?
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This Traeger smoked turkey recipe does not require brining. I don't know about you, but I never have enough room in the fridge for a turkey soaking in brine, especially around Thanksgiving!
- My favorite thing about smoking turkey on a Traeger is that it frees up the oven for side dishes, bread rolls, and pies!
- Leftover smoked turkey breast can be used to make delicious gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches!
- The Traeger smoked turkey carcass can be used to make a delicious creamy turkey soup.
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Turkey: When smoking a whole turkey, choose a small to medium-sized turkey, weighing no more than 15 lbs. According to this USDA article, larger turkeys between 16-24 lbs are generally toms (male turkeys) while turkeys 15 lbs and under are hens and tend to be more tender.
- Injection Marinade: The turkey will be injected all over with an injection marinade. The marinade is made with melted butter, avocado oil, orange juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and cayenne. The cayenne is always optional.
- Wet Rub: I like to season my Traeger smoked turkey with a wet rub made of melted butter, avocado (or olive oil), and rubbed sage, and these spices: Traeger Blackened Saskatchewan Rub (or use your favorite rub), Tajin Seasoning, paprika, sea salt, lemon pepper, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
- Aromatics: Loosely stuff the cavity with aromatics to enhance the flavor. You'll need a variety of fresh herbs. I used fresh sage, fresh thyme, and fresh rosemary. I also added a head of garlic sliced in half, a small chopped onion, and a sliced orange. If you prefer, you can use a chopped apple instead. Leave plenty of room in the cavity for air and smoke circulation.
🔪Tools Required
- Traeger grill or another pellet grill
- Wood pellets
- Meat probe and an instant-read meat thermometer
- Steel meat injector syringe
- Disposable aluminum pan with rack
- Turkey baster or a silicone brush
- Butcher's twine (if your turkey legs do not come already secured with their own skin flap).
🍗 How To Make A Traeger Smoked Turkey
You'll want to start with a completely defrosted turkey. To learn how to safely defrost a frozen turkey, head over to this USDA article with detailed information on how to defrost a turkey. Spoiler alert: don't use the dishwasher! I didn't know people actually did that.😳
Step 1 | Prep Turkey
Begin by removing the turkey gizzards and heart from the neck cavity. Next, pull the neck and gravy bag (if included) from the body cavity. Rinse turkey in cold water and pat it dry with paper towels. Truss the legs with twine if the legs are not secured by the extra flap of skin.
Pro Tip: Don't toss the giblets; use them to make giblet gravy.
Step 2 | Prepare Marinade & Inject Turkey
Reserve 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil for the wet rub. Add the rest of the butter to a small bowl, cover it with a paper towel, and microwave it for 30 seconds. Pour oil and the remaining marinade injection ingredients into the bowl and whisk until combined. Using a Marinade Injecting Syringe, inject the marinade into the turkey breast and thighs.
Pro Tip: When injecting the turkey, stick the injector into the breast, then move it around to distribute the melted butter throughout the muscle fibers (see recipe video). If there's any injection marinade left, stir it into the wet rub.
Step 3 | Prepare Wet Rub & Season Turkey
In another bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, then add the reserved 2 tablespoons of oil. Stir the turkey-rub spices into the marinade to make a paste. Work the paste into the turkey skin and cavity. Tuck the wing tips under the turkey, then loosely stuff the cavity with the aromatics.
Step 4 | Smoke Turkey (Preheat your Traeger Grill to 225°F.)
To allow the smoke to circulate around the turkey, place a small rack into a disposable aluminum pan. Carefully transfer the prepped turkey into the roasting pan. Place the roasting pan onto the grill grate and stick the temperature probe into the thickest part of the turkey breast. Set the probe temperature to 150°F and use Super Smoke, if you have that option.
Pro Tip: If the wet rub is clumpy, use a silicone brush to gently distribute it all over the turkey.
Step 5 | Adjust the Temperature
When two hours have elapsed, turn the grill temperature up to 250°F. Continue smoking the turkey until the breast temp comes to 150°F (my 10 lb turkey took 4 hours). Turn the smoker's temperature up to 350°F and the probe temperature to 165°F.
Pro Tip: When smoking a turkey, always rely on the probe temperature to know when the turkey is ready rather than a specific amount of time.
Step 5 | Continue to Smoke & Baste Turkey
When enough turkey drippings have accumulated in the bottom of the pan, use them to baste the turkey. Continue to smoke the turkey until the breast temperature reaches 165°F and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the innermost part of the thigh reaches 180°F.
Pro Tip: If there aren't enough turkey drippings to use a turkey baster, brush the juices on instead.
Step 6 | Rest Smoked Turkey
Remove the turkey from the smoker and begin the shutdown process. Tent the turkey with foil and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes before carving it.
Pro Tip: The resting period will allow the juices to redistribute through the muscle fibers. This will keep the turkey juices from seeping out when you slice into the turkey.
Pro Tip: Notice how moving the needle around while injecting the turkey breast distributes the marinade throughout the breast meat.
🍽 How to Plate A Thanksgiving Turkey
Here is an easy way to plate a Thanksgiving turkey. Line the edges of a large platter with a mixture of fresh or dried herbs. I used two varieties of sage, thyme, and rosemary, the same herbs I used to stuff the turkey.
Next, I placed a smaller plate in the center. Make sure it's large enough to accommodate the size of your turkey. Finally, add a pop of color. I added dehydrated oranges and dried lemon slices. If serving this Traeger smoked Turkey for Christmas, you can add pine fronds, dried bay leaves, and cranberries.
Not sure how to carve your turkey? Here's a How to Carve A Turkey Guide with video and step-by-step instructions.
🍴Serving Suggestions
If you're looking for side dish ideas to serve with this Traeger turkey recipe, I've got your back! This beautiful Thanksgiving fruit salad is a real show-stopper! If you're feeling a little naughty, this Chipotle Smoked Mac and Cheese is creamy, smoky, and oh so comforting!
Another great option is these Easy Scalloped Potatoes start off in an Instant Pot and finish off in the oven. Finally, you may want to try this yummy whole berry cranberry sauce and this easy and delicious chestnut dressing, or this sausage stuffing for more classic Thanksgiving side options!
For a quick vegetable side dish, try these Roasted Sugar Snap Peas or some Parmesan Roasted Rainbow Carrots, or make this cute turkey veggie tray. And for dessert, try any of the following: Easy No-Bake Pumpkin Pie, Caramel Upside Down Quince Cake, poached pears, pumpkin creme brulee, or these adorable turkey cupcakes!
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
The size of the turkey will depend on the number of guests. You should plan for 1 to 1-½ lbs of turkey per guest.
Remember that some of that weight accounts for the bones, neck, and giblets (gizzards, liver, and heart). If you have more than 10 guests, consider smoking another turkey or a turkey breast.
Apple, maple, cherry, pecan, oak, and hickory are all great options for smoking a turkey on a pellet grill.
Although there are many brined turkey recipes out there, I prefer to skip this step. Instead, I inject the turkey with butter, which makes it really tender. Smoking the turkey at a lower temperature and basting it further ensures that the turkey remains tender and juicy.
In order for the smoke to penetrate the turkey, it should not be covered with aluminum foil. However, the turkey can be loosely tented with foil as it rests.
Ensure the skin is coated with ample oil, butter, or pan juices then smoke the turkey until the internal breast temperature reaches 150°F. Turn the grill's temperature up to 400°F and continue to smoke the turkey until the breast temperature registers at 165°F.
Plan on smoking your turkey for approximately 30 to 40 minutes per pound.
It will take approximately 7-8 hours to smoke a 15-pound turkey. Keep in mind this number can fluctuate based on the outside temperature and how many times the lid is lifted.
🍞 What To Do With Turkey Leftovers
Here are some great ways to use up your Thanksgiving turkey leftovers. The very first thing I do after Thanksgiving is make a broth with the turkey bones and carcass, which I then use to make my famous Creamy Turkey Soup recipe. If you haven't tried it, it's a must! I look forward to it all year long.
I also like to use the turkey dinner leftovers to make these adorable Turkey Pot Pies. Of course, there are always turkey sandwiches, but I like to go a step further and make these Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.
Finally, you have to try this Healthy Turkey Tetrazzini recipe from Corinne at Wonder Mom Wanna Be. It's a lightened-up version of a classic and well-loved dish!
🥔 Other Thanksgiving Favorites
Looking for other Thanksgiving recipes to go with your Traeger turkey recipe? Here are a few of our favorites!
- Easy scalloped potatoes
- Cranberry jalapeño dip
- Jiffy cornbread with creamed corn
- Southern sweet potato pie
- No-bake pumpkin pie
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- If you need to feed more people, it's better to smoke 2 smaller turkeys instead of one large one. A larger turkey takes longer to cook and, as a result, can get too dry from the lengthy cooking time.
- It's not generally recommended to stuff a Traeger smoked turkey with traditional stuffing. Stuffing the turkey will add to the smoking time, and the stuffing might not heat up enough to kill any bacteria that may be present.
- You may be tempted to skip the resting period, but don't! If you slice the turkey as soon as it comes off the grill, the juices will run out of the turkey, resulting in a dry turkey.
- To keep the Traeger smoked turkey's skin from getting soft or rubbery, lightly tent the turkey as it rests. You do not want to create steam under the foil.
- The internal temperature can continue to rise after you remove the turkey from the grill, so keep an eye on it.
- If you need the turkey to cook faster, you can smoke the turkey at a higher temperature, 325°F - 350°F, which will drastically reduce the cooking time.
- Whatever you do, don't toss out the turkey bones and carcass. Make a delicious smoky broth with it instead. You can then use the broth to make my delicious creamy turkey soup.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to one week or freeze for up to 4 months.
- Use your Thanksgiving leftovers to make mini turkey pot pies.
🍖 More Smoker Recipes
If you enjoy this Traeger turkey recipe, check out these related recipes!
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📖 Recipe
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Ingredients
Method
- You'll want to start with a completely defrosted turkey. To learn how to safely defrost a frozen turkey, head over to this USDA article with detailed information on how to defrost a turkey. Spoiler alert, don't use the dishwasher! I didn't know people actually did that.😳
- Begin by removing the turkey gizzards and heart from the neck cavity. Next, pull the neck and gravy bag (if included) from the body cavity. Rinse turkey in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Truss the legs with twine, if the legs are not secured by the extra flap of skin.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil for the wet rub. Add the rest of the butter to a small bowl, cover it with a paper towel, and microwave for 30 seconds. Pour oil and the remaining marinade injection ingredients into the bowl and whisk until combined. Using a Marinade Injecting Syringe, inject the marinade into the turkey breast and thighs.
- In another bowl, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter then add the reserved 2 tablespoons of oil. Stir the turkey-rub spices into the marinade to make a paste. Work the paste into the turkey skin and cavity. Tuck the wing tips under the turkey then loosely stuff the cavity with the aromatics.
- To allow the smoke to circulate around the turkey, place a small rack into a disposable aluminum pan. Carefully transfer the prepped turkey into the roasting pan. Place the roasting pan onto the grill grate and stick the temperature probe into the thickest part of the turkey breast. Set the probe temperature to 150°F and use Super Smoke, if you have that option.
- When two hours have elapsed, turn the grill temperature up to 250°F. Continue smoking the turkey until the breast temp comes to 150°F (my 10 lb turkey took 4 hours). Turn the smoker's temperature up to 350°F and the probe temperature to 165°F.
- When enough turkey drippings have accumulated in the bottom of the pan, use them to baste the turkey. Continue to smoke the turkey until the breast temperature reaches 165°F and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the innermost part of the thigh reaches 180°F.
- Remove the turkey from the smoker and begin the shutdown process. Tent the turkey with foil and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes before carving it.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- Don't toss the giblets; use them to make giblet gravy.
- When injecting the turkey, stick the injector into the breast, then move it around to distribute the melted butter throughout the muscle fibers (see recipe video). If there's any injection marinade left, stir it into the wet rub.
- If the wet rub is clumpy, use a silicone brush to gently distribute it all over the turkey.
- When smoking a turkey, always rely on the probe temperature to know when the turkey is ready rather than a specific amount of time.
- If there aren't enough turkey drippings to use a turkey baster, brush the juices on instead.
- The resting period will allow the juices to redistribute through the muscle fibers. This will keep the juices from seeping out when you slice into the turkey.
- It's better to smoke 2 smaller turkeys instead of one large one. A larger turkey takes longer to cook and, as a result, can get too dry from the lengthy cooking time.
- It's not generally recommended to stuff a Traeger smoked turkey with traditional stuffing. Stuffing the turkey will add to the smoking time and the stuffing might not heat up enough to kill any bacteria that may be present.
- You may be tempted to skip the resting period, but don't! If you slice the turkey as soon as it comes off of the grill, the juices will run out of the turkey, resulting in a dry turkey.
- To keep the Traeger smoked turkey's skin from getting soft or rubbery, lightly tent the turkey as it rests. You do not want to create steam under the foil.
- The internal temperature can continue to rise after you remove the turkey from the grill so keep an eye on it.
- If you need the turkey to cook faster, you can smoke the turkey at a higher temperature, 325°F - 350°F, which will drastically reduce the cooking time.
- Whatever you do, don't toss out the turkey bones and carcass. Make a delicious smokey broth with it instead. You can then use the broth to make my delicious creamy turkey soup.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to one week or freeze for up to 4 months.
- Use your Thanksgiving leftovers to make mini turkey pot pies.
Jeff says
My family loved this recipe!
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you so much, Jeff! I appreciate your review.
Carol Geck says
I am looking for a smoked turkey recipe that doesn’t use butter. I have a friend who is lactose intolerant and is coming for Thanksgiving.
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Carol, if you absolutely can't use butter, there are other things you can inject the turkey with including olive oil or chicken stock. I haven't tried dairy-free butter, but that might be another option. I know my niece uses it and she loves it!
Barbara Fountain says
I don't understand the last part of the instructions. After turning the temp up to 250 and the probe up to 150, then you turn the smoker temp up to 350 degrees and the probe temp to 165? For how long?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Barbara, Using temps as a guide is going to be more accurate than estimated smoking times. The total estimated smoking time for this turkey recipe is 6 hours but smoking the turkey until the breast reaches 165 and the thigh temp reaches 185 is the best guide. When the breast temp reaches 150, turn temp up to 350 and continue to smoke until it reaches 165, which should take a couple more hours. I hope that helps.
Crazyforhucks says
Yum, I love this recipe. Thanks for the detailed steps!
Hilda Sterner says
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the review.