Do You Smoke a Turkey Breast Up or Down? The Pros and Cons of Each Method

Smoking a turkey breast can lead to juicy, flavorful meat when done correctly. But should you smoke a turkey breast up or down in the smoker? This is a common question many backyard smokers ponder when preparing their first smoked turkey breast.

Both methods have their pros and cons, and experienced pitmasters debate which technique delivers better results. After thorough testing, I’ve determined that smoking a turkey breast up is the best method for most backyard cooks.

Why You Should Smoke a Turkey Breast Up

Smoking a turkey breast up, with the skin side facing up, is the most common and traditional preparation method Here are the main benefits of arranging the turkey breast up in your smoker

• Promotes Even Cooking With the thicker breast meat facing up and away from the heat source, it cooks more gently and evenly This prevents it from drying out or overcooking

• Delivers Crispier Skin: The up position allows the turkey skin to crisp up directly under the smoking heat. A crispy skin is a hallmark of great smoked turkey.

• Easy to Monitor: When the breast faces up, you can easily insert a meat thermometer to check the temperature. This allows you to effectively monitor doneness.

• Maintains Shape: The breast stays neatly shaped when facing up. The turkey doesn’t risk flattening out or becoming misshapen.

• Familiar Method: Arranging the turkey breast up is the traditional and expected preparation, so recipes are structured around this technique. It’s what most backyard pitmasters are accustomed to.

Overall, the up position delivers the best results for most smoking scenarios. The breast cooks gently, the skin crisps perfectly, and the turkey holds its shape. It’s by far the most common and foolproof turkey smoking method.

The Argument for Smoking Turkey Breast Down

While less common, some backyard pitmasters strongly believe smoking a turkey breast down is best. Here are their main arguments:

• Self-Basting: When upside down, the fat and juices from the dark meat drip down onto the breast meat and keep it moist. The breast essentially bastes itself.

• Insulated Breast: With the breast facing the grate instead of direct heat, it is slightly insulated and protected from drying out.

• Dark Meat Crisping: The leg and thigh skin gets crispy instead of the breast skin. Since dark meat handles crisping better, this can improve texture.

• No Rotation Needed: The breast stays moist without rotating or flipping the turkey, which can be tricky.

For these reasons, some backyard smoking enthusiasts swear by the breast down method. In their experience, it delivers a juicier breast thanks to self-basting. They don’t mind the loss of crispy breast skin.

Breast Down Has Some Drawbacks

While the breast down method has its ardent fans, it does come with some potential drawbacks:

• Misshapen Turkey: Gravity flattens and widens the breast when flipped over, resulting in a misshapen turkey.

• Skin Sticks: The breast skin can stick to the cooking grate since it’s facing down. This ruins any chances of it crisping up.

• Inconvenient Carving: You need to flip the turkey over after cooking to properly carve it. This releases juices and can be tricky with a hot turkey.

• Monitors Indirectly: Without eyes on the breast, you have to monitor temperature using thigh meat. It’s harder to get an accurate read on doneness.

• Less Common: Recipes and instructions almost always assume a breast up position, so it goes against the norm.

For these reasons, breast down smoking remains a relatively niche practice among pitmasters. The potential drawbacks make it less than ideal for beginners.

Should You Smoke a Turkey Breast Up or Down?

When looking at all the evidence, smoking turkey breast up comes out as the best method for most situations. The benefits of even cooking, crisp skin, convenient monitoring, and predictable results make it ideal for novice and experienced smokers alike.

However, experienced pitmasters who are extremely confident in their smoking abilities may find the self-basting advantages of breast down smoking worth pursuing. It requires close monitoring and experience to perfect.

Here is a quick comparison of the pros and cons:

Turkey Breast Up

Pros:

• Promotes even cooking
• Delivers crispy skin
• Easy to monitor
• Maintains shape
• Familiar method

Cons:

• Requires rotating/flipping for even cooking
• Can dry out if not monitored

Turkey Breast Down

Pros:

• Self-basting with juices
• Insulates breast somewhat
• Avoids flipping turkey

Cons:

• Misshapen turkey
• Breast skin sticks
• Inconvenient carving
• Harder to monitor

For most backyard smokers, especially beginners, I recommend sticking with the traditional and effective breast up method. But experienced pitmasters may find the purported self-basting benefits of breast down smoking worth a try.

No matter which approach you choose, follow these tips:

• Brine the turkey breast for added moisture and flavor
• Monitor the temperature frequently
• Let it rest before slicing
• Use a water pan or spritz to prevent drying out

With trial and error, you’ll find the turkey smoking method that fits your style and delivers perfect results every time. The most important thing is low and slow smoking paired with frequent monitoring. That’s the secret to juicy, tender smoked turkey, no matter which direction you position the breast.

Now get outside and start perfecting your smoked turkey breast! Enjoy the process of dialing in the best techniques for your equipment and preferences. The journey to smoked turkey mastery is a delicious one.