Traeger Turkey

A smoked Traeger turkey is cooked to perfection with smoke and heat giving it a nice crispy skin and juicy meat. We brined this turkey in buttermilk and spices to make sure this is the juiciest turkey you have ever served for Thanksgiving.

Jump to:

• Video - How to make a Traeger Turkey
• Why this Turkey is the best!
• Ingredients
• How to Make a Traeger Turkey
• Smoking Traeger Turkey
• Serving Traeger Turkey
• The Traeger Pellet Grill
• Great Side Dishes
• Old Pro Tips
• FAQ
• Other Great Smoked Recipes
• Traeger Turkey

Video - How to make a Traeger Turkey

Why this Turkey is the best!

First, we brined this turkey in buttermilk overnight with an assortment of great spices and herbs. This ensures the turkey is going to turn out extremely juicy when you serve it for dinner. I use a brine when cooking any turkey or my Traeger Chicken recipe.

Second, smoking with a variety of fruit woods gives it a nice smoky flavor that you just won't get when roasting a turkey in the oven. Rubbing the outside with butter also helps that skin crisp up.. My favorite part!

Ingredients

Choosing fresh ingredients and brining overnight will really make the difference when preparing this Traeger turkey recipe.

The Bird

• 15lb Turkey (Should serve 8-10 people)
• Butter
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

The Brine

• Buttermilk
• Kosher Salt
• Black Peppercorns
• Bay Leaves
• Rosemary
• Thyme
• Sage

How to Make a Traeger Turkey

I'll show you EVERYTHING you need to know about prepping, brining, and smoking up the perfect bird. Get ready to fire up those smokers and let's get started.

Prepping the Turkey

Cut open the bag the turkey came packaged in and drain any water/juices into the sink. Remove the giblets and neck found inside the cavity of the bird. Make sure to check both ends of the turkey to remove everything from inside.

Rinse the turkey under cool freshwater and set aside while preparing the brine.

Brining the Turkey

When buying your ingredients, make sure to buy some turkey roasting or brining bags. This allows us to use a smaller amount of buttermilk than would be possible if simply brining in a 5 gallon bucket.

Add the buttermilk and other brine ingredients into the turkey bag. I like placing the bag into a 5 gallon bucket or deep roasting pan just incase the bag gets a hole in it while brining in the fridge.

Using a wooden spoon, mix the ingredients together well before adding the turkey.

Add the turkey into the brine submerging the entire bird. The goal is to have every part of the turkey coated during the brining process. Place in the refrigerator for 8-24 hours before removing to cook.

Adding the Butter

Once the turkey is finished brining, remove from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. I do NOT rinse the bird after brining on this smoked turkey recipe because I want that salt and herb flavor to come through when finished smoking.

Using a spoon, loosen the skin covering the breast of the chicken so you can place butter between the skin and breast. Slice chunks of butter and using your hands, place butter under the skin so it melts and penetrates the meat when cooking.

Now, cover the entire outside skin of the turkey with melted/softened butter. Make sure to get the legs and sides of the bird. No need to butter the bottom/back side of the turkey.

Smoking Traeger Turkey

Fire up your smoker to 225°F with your favorite wood. I like to use fruity woods when I smoke turkey. These include apple wood & cherry wood pellets. Hickory wood is also a good choice for Smoked Traeger Chicken and Traeger Smoked Turkey.

Initial Smoke

Place the turkey breast side up directly on the grill grates and place a meat thermometer in the breast and one in the thigh of the bird. Smoke the turkey for 3 hours, spritzing with a 50:50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water every 40 minutes or so.

Turn up the Heat

After 3 hours the turkey should be close to 110°-120°F internal temperature. Leaving the bird on the smoker, increase the Traeger smokers temperature to 350°F. Turning up the heat is going to help get that skin nice and crispy!

Continue to spritz the bird every 30-45 minutes during this high temperature cooking to help keep the turkey moist. Smoke until the the breast reads 165°-170°F and the thigh reads 180°F internal temp.

Serving Traeger Turkey

When these temperatures are reached, the turkey is finished cooking and ready to be removed to a cutting board or serving platter. Use meat gloves to transfer the turkey from the grill to your cutting board/platter.

Resting the Bird

Allow the turkey to rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute within the meat.

THIS IS IMPORTANT! You have done everything you can up to this point to keep this turkey moist, don't ruin all your hard work by carving too soon.

Carving the Turkey

Use an electric carving knife when carving turkey for extreme ease. It's the best way to get consistent slices and super easy to use. I find the perfect thickness to be ⅛ - ¼" thick.

Arrange the sliced turkey on a serving platter making it easier for guests to pick the ones they want! Everyone will love the buttery and delicious smoky flavor this smoked turkey recipe brings to the table!

Don't expect that many leftovers. The juicy meat and crispy skin will be irresistible, causing overeating and satisfied dinner guests.

The Traeger Pellet Grill

I used my Traeger Pro Series 780 when making this Traeger Turkey Recipe. I LOVE this smoker! It has great even heat distribution among the entire grill and is extremely easy to use.

It's very large with room for several turkeys if you have a big family. The wifi app along with the temperature probe allows me to keep an eye on the internal temperature of the turkey without having to open the lid often. I know exactly when it's finished cooking!