Of all the turkey recipes out there, you'll be so happy you landed on this Smoked Turkey Breast recipe. This recipe is beyond simple yet incredibly delicious--all thanks to a simple brine and quick brown sugar rub.
And another piece of good news is that bone-in turkey breasts are so easy to find and budget friendly. Not to mention impressive when they hit the table.
HOW TO SMOKE A TURKEY BREAST
This incredibly flavorful, juicy turkey breast is sweet and savory with the brown sugar rub. It's perfect for the holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas and outdoor cooking with friends and family.
Because of the abundance of meat you get with a Smoked Turkey Breast, it's a great choice for make-ahead lunches and meal prep, too.
Below is a quick overview of our easy Smoked Turkey Breast recipe. We'll touch more on each of these items below.
- Brine the turkey.
- Rub all over with brown sugar-spice mixture.
- Smoke (can use a pellet or wood smoker for this recipe).
- Rest, carve, and serve!
For more great options to add to your cookout menu, try Smoked Brisket or Smoked Beef Ribs!
SMOKED TURKEY BREAST BRINE
Brining a turkey is always a good idea, especially if you intend to smoke one! Here's what you'll need to whip up a quick turkey brine.
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup Kosher salt
- 6 quarts of cold water
In a large stock pot, combine the water, sugar, and salt. If you only have granulated sugar on hand, that is a fine substitute for brown sugar. However, you should not substitute any other kind of salt. Kosher salt is the only salt you should use in a smoked turkey brine.
Stir the sugar, salt, and water until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Then, add the turkey breast to the brine and transfer it to the refrigerator.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
Once the brine time is up, you'll remove your turkey from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels.
Allow the turkey to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to remove the chill. Putting an ice-cold turkey on your smoker will affect cooking time.
Set the turkey on a work surface and prepare the seasoning.
RUB FOR SMOKED TURKEY BREAST
Making a rub for your bird is super easy and can be done ahead of time. The flavor that comes from this Smoked Turkey Breast rub is one you will want to come back to again, I promise. It's that easy and that good.
For the turkey rub you will need the following:
- ⅔ cup of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
Combine the brown sugar, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika in a small bowl and rub the skin of your turkey breasts all over with the rub.
TRAEGER SMOKED TURKEY BREAST
With a pellet grill, you can set the grill, and it regulates itself since there's no actual flame you have to keep under control.
To smoke turkey breasts on a pellet grill, add hardwood pellets to the hopper, set to 275°F, and preheat your grill for about 15 minutes.
Add your seasoned turkey breast to the grill and close the smoker. Cook for 2-½ hours. Then, increase the heat to 350°F and cook for 30-minutes-to-one hour more, checking for doneness after 30 minutes at 350°F.
Cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F. Then, pull it from the grill and place it on the cutting board. Tent with aluminum foil and set it aside to rest for about 15-20 minutes.
SMOKED TURKEY BREAST ON A SMOKER
Unlike a Traeger or pellet grill, a wood smoker will not remain a constant temperature. Your fire is going to go up and down throughout the cook.
Because of the varying temps, you want to ensure you stay within a range since landing on a specific temperature is nearly impossible throughout the duration of the cook.
To smoke turkey breast in a wood smoker, add wood chunks to the fire box and set it up for indirect cooking. You'll want to shoot for a temperature range between 225-275°F throughout the duration of your cooking.
Once your smoker has reached the proper temperature range, place the turkey breast over indirect heat and cook for about 2 hours and 45 minutes to 3 hours.
Check the coloring of your turkey breasts after the 2-hour mark, and it if has browned enough to your liking, wrap it with butcher paper, and return to indirect heat to finish cooking.
Cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F. Then, pull it from the smoker, and if the breast is not wrapped, tent it with aluminum foil and set it aside to rest.
If smoked meats are your jam, make Smoked Pork Chops or Smoked Chicken Legs next time.
REST, CARVE, AND SERVE
Allow the turkey to rest at least 15-20 minutes before slicing. If you carve the turkey too soon, the juices will run out all over your board.
If you end up with extra, use the rest of this turkey in our Turkey and Dumplings recipe. There is no better way to put leftover turkey to use!
HOW TO CARVE A TURKEY BREAST
To carve the turkey breast, carefully use a sharp knife to cut each breast half away from the bone. Then, place the breast skin-side up on the cutting board and cut into thick slices, cutting against the grain.
Serve right away with fresh rosemary for some garnish and enjoy!
WHAT TEMPERATURE TO SMOKE A TURKEY BREAST?
The temperature at which you smoke a turkey breast highly depends on your cooking vessel.
TEMPERATURE FOR A WOOD SMOKER
You want to keep the temperature on a wood smoker no lower than 225°F and no higher than 275°F.
The peaks (when the flame combusts and the temperature is high) are when your turkey breast can develop bark. However, you won't have those bit peaks on a pellet smoker.
TEMPERATURE FOR A PELLET GRILL
So, if you are cooking your Smoked Turkey Breast on a pellet smoker, you want to smoke it at 275°F for the bulk of the cook and then crank it up to 375°F for the last 30-45 minutes of the cook.
Raising the temperature at the end of the cook will help you develop crispy skin and beautiful coloring on your bird.
WHY YOU NEED A MEAT THERMOMETER
Besides the smoker, you'll find no other tool is as beneficial for this recipe as an instant-read thermometer.
There are many factors that can affect the time of your cook. We already covered how temperature can rise and fall on a wood smoker, which can make exact cooking times difficult to predict.
Other factors affecting cook time are the turkey's internal temperature when it hits the grill, the exact size of the turkey breast (larger breasts will take longer to cook), and external weather conditions.
Because of all these variants, you really need to have a meat thermometer on hand. This way, you can easily gauge the temperature of your turkey breast as the cook goes on, and use your best judgment as to when to pull the bird.
Note that larger cuts of meat will rise 5-10 degrees in temperature as they are resting.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do you have to trim turkey breasts?
You might find extra skin or loose pieces of meat still attached to your turkey breast. If preferred, trim away these unwanted areas.
How long does it take to smoke a turkey breast?
It can take up to 2 hours and 45 minutes to smoke a turkey breast.
How to smoke a turkey breast on a pellet grill?
Add hardwood pellets to the hopper, set to 275°F, and preheat your grill for about 15 minutes.
Add your seasoned turkey breast to the grill and cook for 2-½ hours. Then, increase the heat to 350°F and cook for 30 minutes to one hour more, checking for doneness after 30 minutes at 350°F.
Cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F. Then, pull it from the grill and place it on the cutting board. Tent with aluminum foil and set it aside to rest for about 15-20 minutes.
Can I use a boneless turkey breast for this Smoked Turkey Breast recipe?
You should know that a boneless turkey breast is only one breast side, while bone-in turkey breasts are both sides. So not only are you cooking twice the meat, but you have a bone that will ultimately slow down the cook time.
What is Smoked Turkey Breast's temperature of doneness?
To determine the doneness of a turkey breast, insert the probe of an instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. Once the temperature registers 165°F, pull it from the smoker and set it aside to rest.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH SMOKED TURKEY BREASTS
- Red Skinned Mashed Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Souffle
- Cornbread Dressing
- Cream Corn Casserole
- Simple Turkey Gravy
Sweet Potato Souffle Recipe
Southern Old-Fashioned Cornbread Dressing | Thanksgiving Recipe
Cream Corn Casserole with Cream Cheese
How to Make a Simple Turkey Gravy
Smoked Turkey Breast
Equipment
- Pellet grill or offset smoker
- Applewood, oak, pecan, or cherrywood chunks or pellets, depending on your smoker type
Ingredients
FOR THE BRINE AND TURKEY:
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup Kosher salt
- 6 quarts water
- 6 pound fresh, bone-in turkey breast
FOR THE RUB:
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon, plus 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
Instructions
MAKE THE BRINE:
- Add the sugar, salt, and water to a large stockpot and place over medium-high heat. Allow to come to a boil, then turn off the heat and stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Set the brine aside until completely cooled.
BRINE THE TURKEY:
- If desired, trim away any excess skin or unwanted pieces from the turkey breast. Place the turkey in the cooled brine, cover the pot, and refrigerate for 4 hours or up to overnight.
- After the brine time is up, remove your turkey from the liquid and pat it dry with paper towels. Transfer to a work surface and allow to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to remove the chill.
MAKE THE RUB:
- Combine the brown sugar, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika in a small bowl and rub the skin of your turkey breasts all over with the rub.
IF USING A PELLET GRILL:
- Add pellets to the hopper and set to 275°F. Preheat your grill for about 15 minutes.
- Add your seasoned turkey breast to the grill and close the smoker. Cook for 2-½ hours.
- After 2-½ hours, increase the heat to 350°F and cook for 30 minutes to one hour more, checking for doneness after 30 minutes at 350°F.
- Cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F. Then, pull it from the grill and place it on the cutting board. Tent with aluminum foil and set it aside to rest for about 15-20 minutes.
IF USING A WOOD SMOKER:
- Add wood chunks to the fire box and set it up for indirect cooking. Your temperature should sit between 225-275°F throughout the duration of your cook.
- Once your smoker has reached the proper temperature range, place the turkey breast over indirect heat and cook for about 2 hours and 45 minutes to 3 hours.
- Check the coloring of your turkey breasts after the 2-hour mark, and if it if has browned enough to your liking, wrap it with butcher paper and return to indirect heat to finish cooking.
- Cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F. Then, pull it from the smoker, and if the breast is not wrapped, tent it with aluminum foil and set it aside to rest.
REST, CARVE, AND SERVE.
- Allow the turkey to rest for at least 15-20 minutes before slicing.
- To carve, carefully use a sharp knife to cut each breast half away from the bone. Then, place the breast skin-side up on the cutting board and cut into thick slices, cutting against the grain. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
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