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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.
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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!
Great Side Dishes
I love topping my turkey with some great flavored gravy and then pair with several of these perfect side dishes.
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes - Joyous Apron
- Stuffing / Dressing - Bake it with Love
- Deviled Eggs (Smoked) - Jerkyholic
- Brown Sugar Baked Carrots - Lynn's Way of Life
Old Pro Tips
- Use a meat thermometer to know exactly when the turkey if finished cooking.
- Using fruit woods gives the best flavor.
- Spritzing will help keep the bird moist while smoking.
- Allow turkey to rest for at least 20 minutes after cooking before carving.
FAQ
It takes 5 hours to smoke a 15lb turkey.
Brining the turkey before smoking and spritzing with a 50:50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water while smoking will help keep the turkey nice and moist.
Start by smoking the turkey at 225°F for 3 hours and then turn up the heat to 350°F to finish cooking in order to crisp up the skin.
Count on 1.5lbs of turkey per guest. A 15lb turkey will serve 8-10 people.
Ingredients
Turkey
- 15 lb whole turkey (giblets removed)
- 8 tbsp butter (separated)
Brine
- 1 gallon Buttermilk
- ⅓ cup kosher salt
- ¼ cup black peppercorns
- 5 each bay leaves
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 4 leaves sage
Equipment
Instructions
- Remove giblets from inside of turkey and rinse bird with fresh water.
- Add brine ingredients in a turkey roasting/brining bag and mix with a wooden spoon.
- Add turkey to brine submerging fully into liquid. Brine in refrigerator for 8-24 hours.
- Remove turkey and dry with paper towels. Tie legs together with butcher twine or leave on plastic leg tie that comes with most turkeys.
- Pre-heat smoker to 225°F.
- Using a spoon in the upside down position, separate the skin from the breast meat of the turkey. Place 2 tablespoon of sliced butter in between the skin and breast meat of turkey.
- Melt/soften 6 tablespoon of butter and rub over the skin of the entire turkey. No need to spread on the back/bottom of the turkey.
- Place turkey directly on grill rack of Traeger smoker breast side up and smoke for 3 hours. Spritz bird with 50:50 mixture of apple cider vinegar and water every 40 minutes.
- Increase temperature to 350°F and cook until the internal temperature is 165°F in breast and 180°F in thigh when checked with an instant read thermometer, about another 2 hours.
- Let rest 20-30 minutes and slice ⅛ - ¼" thick to serve. Pair with your favorite side dishes & Enjoy!
- Make sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating if you tried it! Thanks!
Pro Tips
- Use a meat thermometer to know exactly when the turkey if finished cooking.
- Using fruit woods gives the best flavor.
- Spritzing will help keep the bird moist while smoking.
- Allow turkey to rest for at least 20 minutes after cooking before carving.
Nutrition
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