Smoked Turkey
Ingredients
- 12-14 lb turkey
- 3 tbsp melted butter
- your favorite poultry rub
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 250°F. Or, if you’re using a grill to smoke, be sure to create a large enough area for the turkey to smoke over indirect heat rather than direct flame. Don’t forget to add your favorite wood chips and a water pan to the smoker or grill.
- Remove the packaging of the turkey and remove the neck and giblets from the inside of the body cavity. Rinse the turkey in cold water. Then, pat it completely dry. Place the turkey in an aluminum roasting pan. Tie the legs together with butcher’s twine and tuck the wings underneath the turkey’s body.
- Spread the melted butter on the surface of the turkey, ensuring a full coating. Season the surface with poultry rub, using your fingers to also spread some underneath the turkey skin near the body cavity opening.
- Smoke the turkey with the lid closed for several hours. Generally, you’ll need 20-30 minutes per pound, so expect it to take around 5-7 hours for this size turkey to smoke. Baste the turkey with butter or spritz it with apple cider vinegar every hour or so to keep it moist. When the breast and thigh reach 165°F, the turkey is completely cooked. You can cover it with foil during the smoking process if the skin begins to turn very dark.
- Rest the turkey for 10-15 minutes at room temperature before slicing and serving.
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