Smoked turkey breast is perfect for a weeknight dinner or a festive holiday or Thanksgiving feast. Nothing beats the taste of turkey infused with wood-fired flavor.
In essence, poultry becomes 10 times better when you smoke it, and this smoked turkey breast is proof. It is succulent, full-flavored, and infused with the sweet smoke of applewood. This recipe begins with a cider brine to enhance the flavor and tenderness of the turkey while accentuating the fruity-sweet notes from the wood selection. Then, a dry rub is applied all over; it’s sweet, salty, and has a slight spiciness, and adding sage brings a subtle holiday vibe. The distinct flavor and aroma of sage come through beautifully. In my opinion, sage makes turkey simply mouthwatering.
Why You’ll Love Smoked Turkey Breast
Juicy – Along with preventing overcooking, brining keeps the turkey tender and juicy. Don’t cut corners; follow the instructions, use a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking, and you’ll find this smoked turkey breast recipe a major success.
Flavorful – The brine is flavorful, the cooking method imparts so much depth, and the rub adds another layer while also crisping up the skin.
Easy cook – When smoking turkey breast, you don’t have to do anything besides monitor the internal temperature towards the end of the cook.
Easy slicing – There are no bones to navigate since this recipe uses a boneless turkey breast, making for easy slicing.
Smoked Turkey Breast Ingredients Notes
- Turkey breast: This recipe is versatile and can be prepared with either brined or unbrined turkey. If you’re working with an unbrined boneless turkey breast with the skin on, look for it at the meat counter at your local grocery store or butcher or purchase online. While brined boneless turkey breasts, such as those from Butterball and Jenni-O, can be used, their brine is usually less complex and flavorful compared to the one in this recipe. If smoking an unbrined turkey, you can skip the brining steps and begin at Step 4 in the recipe card below.
- Apple cider and vinegar: Apple cider permeates the meat well, and apple cider vinegar is a powerful tenderizer. Both add a flavor and richness that a regular salt and sugar brine does not.
- Salt: Salt’s purpose in the brine is to denature the meat’s protein, allowing cells to retain more moisture.
- Sugar: While it doesn’t impact the texture of the meat, it promotes browning.
- Paprika: It adds heat and color to the rub, as well as a smoky, woodsy taste that complements applewood.
- Sage: Dried sage is more accessible. It is super savory and herbaceous with an earthy, slightly peppery flavor and woody pine notes. Sage is a must for flavorful turkey.
- Brown sugar: The molasses-fueled sweetness balances out the savory flavors and pairs well with the apple elements.
Find the complete ingredients list with amounts in the smoked turkey breast recipe card below.
How to Smoke a Turkey Breast
- Prepare the brine: Mix half the water with sugar and salt in a large bowl or container. Add the remaining water, apple cider, and other brine ingredients. Heating half of the water helps dissolve both sugar and salt.
- Brine the turkey breast: Carefully transfer the turkey breast to the brine, cover the container, and refrigerate.
- Apply the rub: You can do this while preheating the smoker. Make sure to apply the rub under the skin for maximum flavor. The sugar and salt under the skin also promote a crisp exterior.
- Smoke: Transfer the seasoned turkey breast to the grates and smoke for about 3 hours. By the end of the cook, the turkey should be golden brown.
- Slice: Let the turkey breast rest to retain juiciness, then use a serrated knife to cut thin slices.
How Long to Brine Turkey?
The general rule for brining a turkey is 1 to 2 hours per pound. I recommend brining smaller turkeys or portions of a turkey closer at up to two hours per pound and larger turkeys (10 lbs +) closer to an hour per pound.
If you are using a pre-brined, store-bought turkey such as Butterball, Jennie-O or Perdue, you do not need to brine the turkey prior to smoking.
How Long to Smoke Turkey a Breast?
As general rule, at 275°F (135°C), smoked turkey breast will take 45 minutes per pound. I’ve seen some people say as low as 20 minutes per pound but that just hasn’t been my experience.
The important thing is to ensure that you are cooking to temperature and not to time. Turkey smoking times cannot account for the many variables such as the accuracy of the smoker temperature, a consistent smoker temperature, exact size of the turkey, fat content, thawed or still partially frozen and many more variables.
What Temperature is Turkey Done?
The FDA recommends cooking turkey (bone-in or boneless) until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (73°C) at the thickest part of the meat. However, I do not recommend doing this unless your goal is dry turkey.
For a juicy, perfectly cooked turkey breast I recommend cooking to a turkey doneness temp of 157°F (69°C) at the thickest part of the breast. Carryover cooking while the turkey rests will also ensure that temperature keeps going up by as much as 5-10°F (3-6°C) after it is removed from the smoker. Reducing the final temperature of your turkey (as long as it remains within the food-safe range) by just a few degrees can make a significant difference in preserving the moisture within the turkey breast.
The best and most accurate way to verify turkey doneness temp is with an instant-read thermometer.
Variations, Substitutions, and Cooking Tips
Keep the net on – To maintain the turkey breast’s oval or football shape, keep the net on while both the brining and smoking.
Choose the right brine container – Use a non-corrosive container such as a stainless steel stock pot, an enamel-coated pot, or a plastic bucket.
Change the brine – Add aromatics like bay leaves, fresh rosemary sprigs, garlic, orange peels, lemon peels, etc.
Double or reduce the brine – If using a larger or smaller turkey, use more or less brine to ensure the turkey is fully submerged while brining.
Use a bone-in turkey breast – Bone-in turkey requires more time to cook but you can also spatchcock the turkey, removing the backbone and flattening the bird, for more even and quicker cooking.
Experiment with different dry rubs – Consider using a store-bought rub to save time or use the provided rub recipe as a template and make your own.
Add rub under the skin – Gently lift the skin and apply some rub directly to the meat underneath for added flavor.
Monitor both temperatures – This includes the meat’s internal temperature and the smoker temperature. Smoker thermometers can be inaccurate, monitor both the meat and smoker temp with a dual thermometer.
Turkey meat color & texture – The meat may appear pink and have a smoother texture compared to oven-baked turkey from the smoke. This is normal and safe to eat.
Where to Buy Boneless Turkey Breast
You can find boneless turkey breasts from many places, depending on your location and seasonality, with Thanksgiving and the holidays being the most widely available time. Many grocery stores, whether they are large retail chains or local markets, typically have boneless turkey breast available at the meat counter or in the meat section. Specialty butcher shops and meat markets are excellent choices as well, where you can often request specific cuts or sizes to suit your needs. Warehouse clubs such as Costco or Sam’s Club are another option. For those who prefer organic or locally-sourced options, you may find boneless turkey breast from local farms or at farmers’ markets.
Online stores and meat delivery services like Wild Fork, Omaha Steaks and Meat N’ Bone, also have boneless turkey breast that can be delivered directly to your home. Online stores are ideal for year-round ordering or for locating difficult to find premium or unique flavor profiles, organic, or high-quality turkey breasts.
What to Serve with Smoked Boneless Turkey Breast
A few ideas include stuffing, smoked apples with butter and warm spices, smoked baked potatoes (I particularly like sweet potatoes), smoked vegetables, or slice the turkey breast very thin and use to make the best turkey sandwiches you’ll ever have in your life. I’m also fond of smoked turkey with grilled (or smoked) asparagus finished with a bit of lemon juice or, even better, a Beurre Monté. The simple butter and water emulsion is magical. To prepare the sauce, bring 2 tablespoons of water to a simmer over medium heat, reduce the heat to medium-low, and whisk in unsalted butter.
Storage and Freezer Tips
Store leftover smoked turkey in an airtight container and refrigerate. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Alternatively, you can freeze it for up to 3 months. Whichever storage method you choose, store the turkey within an hour. You never want to leave cooked poultry at room temperature for an extended time.
Smoked Turkey Breast
Smoked turkey breast is perfect for a weeknight dinner or a festive Thanksgiving feast. Nothing beats the taste of turkey infused with wood-fired flavor.
Ingredients
Brine
- 2 cups water
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup fine sea salt
- 3 cups apple cider
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon rubbed dried sage
Turkey
- 1 (4-5 lb) boneless turkey breast, not previously brined with the skin on
Dry Rub
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Heat half the water, add the sugar and salt in a large container, then pour in the water. The hot water will dissolve both.
- Add the cool water to reduce the temperature of the brine. Follow with the apple cider, vinegar, soy sauce, paprika, and sage. Whisk until well combined.
- Pat the turkey breast dry, then fully submerge the turkey breast in the brine. Cover and refrigerate for 10-12 hours.
- Preheat your smoker to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Use apple wood for this cook. It goes well with the apple cider and cider vinegar used in the brine.
- Combine the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl.
- Remove the turkey breast from the brine and thoroughly pat it dry with paper towels.
- Apply the dry rub all over the turkey breast, including underneath the skin.
- Transfer the turkey breast to the smoker, close the lid, and smoke for 3-3 ½ hours or until the internal temperature reaches 157-165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the turkey from the smoker, loosely cover with foil, and rest for 10 minutes before slicing. A serrated knife works well if you want thin slices.
Notes
I recommend cooking to a turkey doneness temp of 157°F (69°C) at the thickest part of the breast and allowing the carryover cooking to increase the temp and do the rest. The FDA recommends 165°F (73°C). See why in the article.
The majority of the 15 hour time required to make smoked turkey is spent resting in the brine and cooking in the smoker. Actual hands-on time is about 15-30 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 674Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 302mgSodium: 5897mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 115g
Try These Next!
- How To Reheat Turkey
- Best Smoker Recipes
- Smoked Turkey Breast
- Spatchcock Turkey
- Juicy Turkey With Crispy Skin
- Amazing Grilled Cheese Burritos - April 11, 2024
- Stewed Turkey Necks - April 11, 2024
- Peanut Butter Biscoff Cottage Cheese Ice Cream - March 30, 2024