It’s Good Friday and Easter Weekend. You know what that means? It’s about time for you to sit outside all night and day watching a smoker and tending a fire. Going to have ham for Easter dinner? Come on. Smoke a turkey. Wow your family. Introduce some BBQ flavor into the tradition.
Smoking a turkey is pretty straightforward. I recommend that you get a small turkey and give it a try. If anything, you might learn something and you might just make something that everyone loves.
Turkey Smoking Notes
- Start small – 11-14lbs is a good-sized turkey
- Buy two turkeys and cook one ahead of time. This will be your ace in the hole. Or, it will be your no-pressure backup turkey.
- Brine the turkey for at least 24 hours–this will introduce some flavor and get the turkey ready for smoke.
- Apply a rub with salt, pepper, and herbs (see my secret brisket rub for inspiration). Turkey doesn’t taste like much itself, so feel free to kick up the flavor with some herbs.
- Cover the tips of the wings and legs with foil. This will stop them from burning.
- Smoke at a higher temperature, around 335F for a couple of hours
- Add some cubed butter to the turkey and put it back into the smoker until the bird reaches 165F in the breast and thighs.
- Use your oven after the initial smoke if you can’t keep a steady smoker temperature on a cold day.
My Secret Texas Brisket Rub Recipe
- 1/2 cup of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
- 1/2 cup of kosher salt
- 1 cup of tellicherry black pepper (coarse ground)
Add all of the ingredients to a container, seal it, and shake it to mix thoroughly.
I also recommend that you watch some YouTube videos and absorb some of the processes and techniques. I suggest starting with Arron Franklin’s BBQ with Franklin series on Thanksgiving. (Really for any holiday.)
Let me know how it goes for you!