Smoked Turkey Breast
Smoking a turkey breast is a great way to get a juicy, flavorful, lean meat with a rich, smoky taste. Here’s my guide for doing it right, especially on an offset smoker:
Ingredients:
- 1 whole bone-in OR boneless turkey breast (4–6 lbs)
- Something for a binder (mustard, mayo, oil, or melted butter)
- Your favorite BBQ rub (I prefer to use our Woodpecker Poultry Blend but a good Cajun blend works well too)
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
2.5 to 3.5 hours
*Time is not always accurate for every piece of meat cooks differently, it’s important to monitor internal temperature over trusting just a time method in my opinion*
Target Internal Temp:
160F (rest wrapped in foil at 160F for 20-30 minutes and let rise to 165F for a juicer result)
The Process:
-Trim the breast and get any excess fat, loose pieces off of your meat. You can opt to leave the skin on or remove it, that part is up to you.
-Apply your binder and season liberally. *If you opted to leave your skin on, be sure to season under the skin as well!
-Crank your fire to 250F using a bed of hot lump charcoal and smaller pieces of your favorite mild wood (I prefer using pecan for this smoke)
-Add your breast skin side up to the smoker once your smoker is running at a consistent temp.
-Apply a spritz of 50/50 Apple Cider Vinegar & Apple Juice mix every 30-40 minutes to keep moisture on your meat.
-Once internal temp reaches around 140 internal; I like to throw it in a foil wrap or a foil tray with a whole stick of melted butter and a hefty dose of that 50/50 mix. Crank your fire to 275F for the remainder of the cook.
-Once you reach that target temp of 160F internal, remove the breast from the smoker and leave wrapped or wrap the top of the foil tray its in.
-Let rest in the oven, or a cooler for 20-30 minutes until the internal temperature rises to 165F.
-Slice. Serve. Enjoy.
This is my go-to method for smoked turkey and it’s never once let me down.
But the beauty in BBQ is that you can do it your way, everyone has their own preference!
