This Smoked Turkey Brine Recipe is combined with a Dry Rub And Butter Injection. This combination will give an amazing flavor to your holiday turkey. (I have included affiliate links to products I love. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Last year in March I smoked my first turkey, The Dry Rub was good on my first Smoked Turkey but I was itching to do a Brined Smoked Turkey. Plus be sure to check out Smoked Turkey Leftover Recipes.
PIT BOSS 1000 Sq in Pellet Grill with Flame Broiler
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Smoked Turkey Brine Recipe Ingredients:
- 1 Turkey
- Water
- 1/2 Cup Salt
- 1/2 Cup Garlic Salt
- ¼ Cup Montreal Steak Seasoning
- ¼ Cup of Worcestershire sauce
- 4 Tbsp Black Pepper
Smoked Turkey Rub Ingredients:
- Sesame Oil
- Ground Pink Himalayan salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper
- All-Purpose seasoning Blend
- Fresh Rosemary
- Fresh Thyme
Smoked Turkey Injection Ingredients:
- 1 Stick of Butter
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
Smoked Turkey Stuffing:
- Green Onions
- Minced Garlic
- Fresh Rosemary
- Fresh Thyme
- Butter
How To Make Smoked Turkey Brine:
Thaw your turkey fully and then use a container that can hold the whole turkey with water and ice.
I added to the water all the wet brine ingredients; salt, garlic salt, Montreal Steak Seasoning, Worcestershire Sauce, and black pepper.
Remove the innards of your turkey, make sure you get the bag out as well. I had a little helper who missed this part but it was hidden pretty deep in the turkey. We found it after smoking and had a good laugh.
Mix up the water in the cooler or container with a whisk then set in the turkey. I added water until the turkey was fully covered and then added ice.
How To Make Turkey Dry Rub:
On the day of smoking remove your turkey from the brine and give the turkey a small rinse off.
Place on a tray and pat dry with paper towels.
Rub the whole bird down with Sesame Oil and then salt and pepper the bird to your liking.
Sprinkle an All Seasoning Salt on the bird. (Mine is a combination of Johnny’s Season All, Lawrys Garlic Salt, and Montreal Steak Seasoning)
How To Make The Turkey Injection Recipe:
This is the best turkey injection recipe, it makes the meat so juicy!!
Melt your stick of butter with your minced garlic until it is all liquid.
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This time I used a plastic meat injector but I plan to invest in a metal injector. This is my third plastic one but this is all we could find when we remembered I had broken the last one making Smoked Pork Shoulder.
Inject your bird all over until you are out of butter.
Next cut up fresh Rosemary and Thyme to cover your bird.
Stuff your bird with minced garlic, green onions, butter, and seasonings. This will help to keep the inside moist while smoking.
How To Make A Pit Boss Smoked Turkey:
I smoked this turkey in the Pit Boss Pro Series at Lowes, if you don’t have Lowes Walmart and Amazon carry other Pit Boss options or Pit Boss website themselves. I had been eyeballing a Traeger grill but this was more suited for my pocketbook.
When your smoker is at temp and smoking place your meat in your smoker. I used Apple Pellets to smoke my meat but you could use any flavor. And yes Walmart is one of the best places to pick up Pitboss Pellets.
I set my Pit Boss I set it at 200 with a P7 setting. This will autoregulate the temperature to fluctuate from about 185 to 215. Make sure your hopper is full before setting it and walking away.
I set my turkey on the smoker at 11:30 in the morning and turned it up at 6:40 to get the last 10 degrees a bit faster, the kids were hungry. You will want to plan about 30-35 minutes per lbs, I had a 13lb turkey. Next time I plan to start at 9 in the morning for smoking.
Use a meat thermometer to make sure your turkey reaches an internal temp of 165 before removing to serve!
Next time I plan to keep basting it with a vegetable base or a combination with the garlic base broth. Just to make the skin of the turkey not so rubbery and more of a crispy skin instead.
Slice and serve!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SMOKED TURKEY:
The Best Leftover Turkey Recipes:
Leftover Turkey makes the best meals, leftover smoked turkey recipes make for even better meals!!
- Dutch Oven Smoked Turkey Chili Recipe
- Smoked Turkey Noodle Soup
- Homemade Smoked Turkey Pot Pie
- Crockpot Smoked Turkey Taco Soup
Other Smoked Turkey Recipes:
Smoked Turkey Brine Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Turkey
- Water
- 1/2 Cup Salt
- 1/2 Cup Garlic Salt
- ¼ Cup Montreal steak seasoning
- ¼ Cup Worcestershire sauce
- 4 Tbsp Black Pepper
Smoked Turkey Rub Ingredients:
- Sesame Oil
- Ground Pink Himalayan salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper
- All-Purpose seasoning Blend
- Fresh Rosemary
- Fresh Thyme
Smoked Turkey Butter Injection Ingredients
- 1 Stick of Butter
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
Smoked Turkey Recipe Stuffing
- Green Onions
- Minced Garlic
- Fresh Rosemary
- Fresh Thyme
- Butter
Instructions
- Thaw out your turkey.
- Have a container large enough to store it in that will fit with water and ice to let the turkey thaw in.
- Added the water all the wet brine ingredients; salt, garlic salt, Montreal Steak Seasoning, Worcestershire Sauce, and black pepper to your container
- Remove the innards of your turkey, make sure you get the bag out as well.
- Mix up the water in the cooler or container with a whisk then set in the turkey. I added water until the turkey was fully covered and then added ice.
- Allow the turkey to brine for at least 24 hours.
- On the day of smoking remove your turkey from the brine and give the turkey a small rinse off.
- Place on a tray and pat dry with paper towels.
- Rub the whole bird down with Sesame Oil and then salt and pepper the bird to your liking.
- Sprinkle an All Seasoning Salt on the bird. (Mine is a combination of Johnny's Season All, Lawrys Garlic Salt, and Montreal Steak Seasoning)
- Melt your stick of butter with your minced garlic until it is all liquid.
- Inject your bird all over until you are out of butter.
- Next cut up fresh Rosemary and Thyme to cover your bird
- Stuff your bird with minced garlic, green onions, and seasonings. This will help to keep the inside moist while smoking.
- Now I made this smoked turkey in the Pit Boss Pro Series you could also make it in a Traeger grill or any other smoker.
- When your smoker is at temp and smoking place your meat in your smoker. I used Apple Pellets to smoke my meat but you could use any flavor.
- I set my Pit Boss I set it at 200 with a P7 setting. This will autoregulate the temperature to fluctuate from about 185 to 215. Make sure your hopper is full before setting it and walking away.
- I set my turkey on the smoker at 11:30 in the morning and w turned it up at 6:40 to get the last 10 degrees a bit faster, the kids were hungry. You will want to plan about 30-35 minutes per lbs, I had a 13lb turkey. Next time I plan to start at 9 in the morning for smoking.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure your turkey reaches an internal temp of 165 before removing to serve!
Dave this sounds like something my boys would absolutely love. We don’t have a smoker but I’m going to try the butter injection! Thanks for the inspiration! Happy Fiesta Friday – thanks for sharing!
I really wish I had bought a couple of extra turkeys after the holidays so I could enjoy them and your recipes now.
That just looks amazing!! I mean – AMAZING!! Now I really want some! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party – hope to see you there tomorrow too!