This Traeger Smoked Turkey is a sure winner for your Thanksgiving dinner. Best with a spatchcock turkey, it uses a dry brine and is smothered in an herb mixture that leaves it juicy and delicious. Perfect for your pellet grill or other smoker, this how to recipe is easy to follow with lots of step by step photos to show you how it’s done.
Whether you’re new to cooking a turkey or have done it many times before, this recipe is going to be your go-to smoked turkey recipe.
I have smoked our turkey on a Traeger for years and every single time it turns out amazing. And that’s not just me saying that – it’s my kids, my husband, my parents, even my mother-in-law. Which you know means it’s good.
There are three key things to smoking the perfect turkey.
- You have to spatchcock your turkey (meaning the backbone has been removed).
- You have to dry brine your turkey.
- You have to take the internal temperature of your turkey.
I’ll be talking about these further down in the post, but if you’re unsure about any of these then check out this post on how to spatchcock a turkey, this post on how to dry brine a turkey, and this post on how to use a meat thermometer.
This recipe begins with a fresh, raw turkey that’s already been spatchcocked. If yours hasn’t, you can either do it yourself by following the link I provided in the last paragraph, or if you buy a fresh (not frozen) turkey from a butcher, you can ask the butcher to do it for you.
If you bought your turkey frozen, read this article about how to safely thaw a frozen turkey and come back to this post once your turkey is thawed.
Ingredients
- A fresh turkey – this recipe calls for one that’s around 14-15 pounds. If you have a smaller or larger one you’ll need to adjust the amount of salt, herbs, and ghee. If you have a frozen turkey, you’ll need to start thawing it 5 to 6 days ahead of the day you’ll be cooking it.
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt – this is the brand I use. If you use a different brand (like Morton’s), you’ll need to use less salt. See this article from Cook’s Illustrated about kosher salt and to see how to convert to different types of salt.
- Fresh herbs – sage, rosemary, and thyme. They are often sold together during the holidays, otherwise you can buy them separately. Definitely use fresh as the recipe won’t have the same flavor with dried herbs.
- Ghee – any unsalted ghee will work. I would not use a flavored ghee as it may conflict with the flavors of the herbs.
Before you scroll through, there is important information throughout this post.
Smoking a turkey on a pellet grill
Step 1: Dry brine the turkey
First you’ll need to dry brine the turkey. I have a post that gives detailed instructions on how to dry brine a turkey (with photos and a video), but here are simplified instructions so you have them.
Get a baking sheet pan and cover it with foil. Place a baking rack inside of it and set it aside. Measure out the salt (I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt – Amazon affiliate link) with a measuring spoon and place it in a small bowl. Place the turkey on a large cutting board and dry it off with a paper towel (you may need more than one).
Lift the skin on the breast section of the turkey (at the tail end) and gently push your finger between the skin and the meat to separate it. Continue doing this until the skin is separate from both breasts as well as the thighs and legs.
Take a teaspoon or two of salt between your fingers and rub it on one of the breasts, on the meat underneath the skin. Repeat until you’ve rubbed salt on both breasts and both thighs and legs.
There should be a couple of teaspoons of kosher salt left in the bowl. Sprinkle half of it on the skin of the turkey and rub it in, then flip the turkey and do the same on the inside of the bird.
Place the bird on a wire rack inside a roasting pan or baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and put it in the fridge to brine for at least 24 hours, but up to 72 hours. You may cover it loosely with plastic wrap if you’re worried about rubbing against it, but don’t cover it too tightly as you want the skin to dry out a bit.
Step 2: Prep the turkey for smoking
The day you’re ready to smoke the turkey, remove your bird from the fridge at least 30 minutes before putting it on the wood pellet grill or smoker (we use our Traeger for this recipe). After 30 minutes, turn your wood pellet grill or smoker on to preheat to 250 degrees F.
Place the ghee in a small bowl and set aside. Take out the herbs and chop them into small bits on a cutting board with a large sharp knife. Put them in the bowl with the ghee and stir them together with a spoon or fork until the herbs are well incorporated.
Take a small amount of the herbed ghee (a tablespoon or so) into your fingers on one hand. Lift the skin near the breast of the turkey up with the other hand and start rubbing the butter onto the meat of the turkey breast.
Repeat with both breasts as well as the thighs and legs until the meat is thoroughly covered. Spread any remaining ghee on the skin of the turkey.
Step 3: Smoke the turkey
You can smoke your turkey on the wire rack and sheet pan if you want the drippings for gravy. If that doesn’t matter, you can smoke it directly on the grill grates.
Either way, place your turkey in the wood pellet grill or smoker and insert a temperature probe (if you have one) into the middle of one of the breasts, making sure it’s not touching bone.
Let the turkey smoke for 6.5 to 7 hours, until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 145-150 degrees F and the internal temperature of the thighs and legs reach 165 degrees F. If you have a bigger or smaller turkey, the general rule of thumb for smoking time is 30 minutes per pound.
Once the turkey has come to temperature, remove it from the grill and let it rest for 30 minutes before cutting into it. Cover it loosely with foil as it rests to retain some of the heat, then carve it up and serve!
FAQ
The general rule of thumb is 30 minutes of smoking time per pound of turkey. So for a 14 pound turkey the approximate smoking time is 7 hours.
Generally a sweeter wood works best, like a cherry, apple, maple, or even a pecan. You want to stay away from woods with a stronger flavor, like mesquite.
Dry brining will help keep your turkey from drying out! The salt will draw out excess water from the turkey, which will then be absorbed back in over time and help season the bird. If you want further details, see this article for a more in-depth explanation of dry brining.
This recipe uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt (Amazon affiliate link). Diamond Crystal kosher salt is less salty by weight than other kosher salts or table salts. The general rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of kosher salt per pound of turkey – which again, this is using Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Yes, you can cook the turkey in the oven, though you won’t get the smoky flavor. But it will still taste delicious! To cook it in the oven, follow the instructions up until Step 3. Set the oven to 450 degrees F and cook the turkey for 80 to 90 minutes. You may need to turn the pan around in the oven or cover the turkey with foil to prevent too much browning.
Recipe tips
- As previously stated, this recipe uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt (Amazon affiliate link). If you have a different kind of salt, such as Morton’s kosher salt or table salt, read this article on the different types of salt and measurements by Cook’s Illustrated to help you figure out how much of each salt to use.
- Clear a spot in your fridge for the turkey before you start to dry brine it! If you were thawing your turkey in the fridge you likely already have a good spot, but it’s best to double check before you begin so your turkey isn’t sitting out on the counter while you rearrange your fridge.
- Check the temperature of the turkey in multiple spots before you take it off the grill or smoker to make sure all parts are cooked. We use our Thermapen meat thermometer to do this at it gives a fast and highly accurate reading so we’re not losing as much heat with the lid of our Traeger open. If you need help doing this, check out this post I wrote about how to use a meat thermometer.
- Don’t throw out the turkey carcass when the meal is over! You can make it into broth – just follow this recipe on how to make turkey stock.
Pin this Traeger spatchcock turkey for Later!
If you’re looking for some great gluten free Thanksgiving sides, check these out:
- Gluten Free Stuffing (GF)
- Sautéed Green Beans with Shallots (Whole30, Paleo, GF)
- Honey Butter Roasted Carrots (GF)
- Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts (Paleo, GF)
- Cornbread Muffins (GF, DF)
- Sweet Potato Casserole (GF)
If you make end up making this Traeger turkey recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below!
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Traeger Smoked Turkey Recipe
Equipment
- A large cutting board
- A measuring cup
- A measuring spoon
- A small bowl
Ingredients
- 1 whole fresh turkey 14-15 lbs, spatchcocked and thawed
- 5 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 large stem of fresh rosemary
- 10-12 leaves of fresh sage
- 3 to 4 large stems of fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup ghee softened
Instructions
- First you’ll need to dry brine the turkey. I have a post that gives detailed instructions on how to dry brine a turkey (with photos and a video), but will type simple instructions out here so you have them.
- Get a baking sheet pan and cover it with foil. Place a baking rack inside of it and set it aside. Measure out the salt with a measuring spoon and place it in a small bowl. Place the turkey on a large cutting board and dry it off with paper towels.
- Lift the skin on the breast section of the turkey (at the tail end) and gently push your finger between the skin and the meat to separate it. Continue doing this until the skin is separate from both breasts as well as the thighs and legs. Take a teaspoon or two of salt between your fingers and rub it on one of the breasts, on the meat underneath the skin. Repeat until you’ve rubbed salt on both breasts and both thighs and legs.
- There should be a couple teaspoons of kosher salt left in the bowl. Sprinkle half of it on the skin of the turkey and rub it in, then flip the turkey and do the same on the inside of the bird. Place the bird on a wire rack and put it in the fridge to brine for at least 24 hours, but up to 72 hours. You may cover it loosely with plastic wrap if you’re worried about rubbing against it, but don’t cover it too tightly as you want the skin to dry out a bit.
- The day you’re ready to smoke the turkey, remove your bird from the fridge at least 30 minutes before putting it on the smoker. After the 30 minutes, turn your wood pellet grill or smoker on to preheat to 250 degrees F.
- Place the ghee in a small bowl and set aside. Take out the herbs and chop them into small bits on a cutting board with a large sharp knife. Put them in the bowl with the ghee and stir them together with a spoon or fork until the herbs are well incorporated.
- Take a small amount of the herbed ghee (a tablespoon or so) into your fingers on one hand. Lift the skin near the breast of the turkey up with the other hand and start rubbing the butter onto the meat of the turkey breast. Repeat with both breasts as well as the thighs and legs until the meat is thoroughly covered. Spread any remaining ghee on the skin of the turkey.
- You can smoke your turkey on the wire rack and sheet pan if you want the drippings for gravy. If that doesn’t matter, you can smoke it directly on the grill grates. Either way, place your turkey in the wood pellet grill or smoker and insert a temperature probe (if you have one) into the middle of one of the breasts, making sure it’s not touching bone.
- Let the turkey smoke for 6.5 to 7 hours, until the temperature of the breast reaches 145-150 degrees F and the internal temperature of the thighs and legs reach 165 degrees F. If you have a bigger or smaller turkey, the general rule of thumb for smoking time is 30 minutes per pound.
- Once the turkey has come to temperature, remove it from the grill and let it rest for 30 minutes before cutting into it. Cover it loosely with foil as it rests to retain some of the heat, then carve it up and serve!
Notes
- As previously stated, this recipe uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt (Amazon affiliate link). If you have a different kind of salt, such as Morton’s kosher salt or table salt, read this article on the different types of salt and measurements by Cook’s Illustrated to help you figure out how much of each salt to use.
- Clear a spot in your fridge for the turkey before you start to dry brine it! If you were thawing your turkey in the fridge you likely already have a good spot, but it’s best to double check before you begin so your turkey isn’t sitting out on the counter while you rearrange your fridge.
- Check the temperature of the turkey in multiple spots before you take it off the grill or smoker to make sure all parts are cooked. We use our Thermapen meat thermometer to do this at it gives a fast and highly accurate reading so we’re not losing as much heat with the lid of our Traeger open. If you need help doing this, check out this post I wrote about how to use a meat thermometer.
- Don’t throw out the turkey carcass when the meal is over! You can make it into broth – just follow this recipe on how to make turkey stock.
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