What’s not to love about smoked turkey? You get tasty and tender meat, and the smoky flavor is just irresistible. Even better, smoked turkey is healthier and has less calories than most other smoked meats, meaning you can indulge without feeling guilty.
Is good smoked turkey hard to find in your area? If so, you should consider making your own smoked turkey. It’s not as hard as you might think, and to prove it, we are about to show you how to smoke a turkey on a grill or smoker at home.
Smoked turkey is a delicious, smoky treat that takes time and care to prepare properly. While smoking and cooking the turkey is obviously very important, an often overlooked step is letting the smoked turkey rest before carving and serving. Resting allows the juices to redistribute, flavors to set in, and results in more tender, juicy meat. So how long should you let a smoked turkey rest?
The recommended resting time for smoked turkey is
- 30 minutes minimum for smaller birds under 12 pounds
- 40-60 minutes for large turkeys over 12 pounds
Follow these best practices when resting your smoked turkey to get the most out of your cook
Why Resting Smoked Turkey is Crucial
It’s tempting to dive right into carving and serving the turkey straight off the smoker. But resisting that urge and allowing the turkey time to rest makes a huge difference in the final product. Here’s why resting is so important:
- Allows juices to redistribute evenly throughout the meat, instead of running out when sliced
- Helps the proteins relax so they reabsorb moisture after tightening during smoking
- Distributes the smoky flavor all through the meat
- Prevents overcooking and drying out as carryover cooking finishes
- Results in more tender and juicy meat when served
Resting gives you the succulent, deeply smoked flavors in every bite. Don’t skip this step after putting in all that time and effort on the smoker!
Recommended Smoked Turkey Rest Times
For smaller birds under 12 pounds, allow about 30 minutes of resting time. This gives enough time for carryover cooking to complete and juices to redistribute without cooling too much.
For large turkeys over 12 pounds, extend the resting time to 40-60 minutes. The extra thickness of big birds means they need more time for juices to circulate back into the breast and other meats.
A general guideline is to rest approximately 20 minutes per 5 pound increment of turkey weight. Better too long than too short when it comes to resting!
Step-By-Step Guide to Resting Smoked Turkey
Follow these simple steps for perfectly juicy, rested smoked turkey:
- Transfer turkey from smoker to a cutting board or platter breast-side down once it reaches 165°F internal temperature.
- Tent loosely with foil if desired, but leave uncovered for best crispy skin.
- Let rest for 30-60 minutes depending on turkey size. Temperature will rise 5-10°F.
- Carefully slice turkey against the grain of the meat and serve immediately for max juiciness.
Keeping the turkey breast-side down allows juices to circulate back into the thick breast meat as it rests. Resist the urge to slice or carve during the resting period.
Should You Cover the Turkey While Resting?
For the best texture and appearance, allow the turkey to rest uncovered. Keeping it uncovered preserves the crispy smoked skin.
Lightly draping foil over the top can help retain heat when resting longer or in cold conditions. But avoid wrapping tightly in foil as trapped moisture will make the skin soggy.
Only use foil if holding the turkey for a prolonged period after initial resting. Serve immediately after initial uncovered resting for optimal crispy skin.
What Happens If You Don’t Rest Smoked Turkey?
Skipping adequate resting leads to dry, disappointing smoked turkey. Without time to relax and reabsorb juices, the proteins immediately squeeze liquid out when sliced. Consequences include:
- Dry, stringy meat texture
- Less tender and juicy meat
- Juices pool on the cutting board rather than staying in the meat
- Uneven smoky flavor distribution in meat
- Overcooked breast meat
After putting in the effort of low and slow smoking, make sure to let the turkey rest properly first. Just 30-60 minutes of patience yields incredibly moist, deeply smoky turkey.
Tips for Superior Resting
Follow these tips for the very best rested smoked turkey results:
- Rest breast-side down on a wooden cutting board to wick away moisture
- Keep rested turkey warm near a heating vent or warm area
- Loosely tent foil to retain heat if resting longer than 30 minutes
- Leave turkey uncovered for crispy skin
- Slice across the grain for tender, easy-to-chew pieces
- Serve immediately after resting for ideal texture and flavor
The Takeaway
Allowing your smoked turkey to rest sufficiently before carving is just as integral as the smoking itself when cooking the perfect bird. Plan for 30-60 minutes of resting time depending on turkey size for proper moisture retention and distribution.
A bit of patience yields incredibly juicy, tender smoked turkey with delicious smoky flavor in every bite. Don’t rush the process – smoke low and slow, let rest adequately, then enjoy immensely!
Instructions for Smoking a Turkey
Now that you have everything you need to make smoked turkey, here’s how to smoke a turkey in a grill or smoker:
You can make a smoked turkey with a gas or electric smoker, but a charcoal grill or wood smoker is your best choice for maximum smoky flavor. You can also use a pellet grill. If you plan on using a charcoal smoker or grill, soak your wood in water to help it burn slower. The best woods for smoking turkey include apple, hickory, cherry, or pecan wood.
While soaking your wood, clean the grates of your smoker or grill, then season the grates with oil or a non-stick cooking spray. You can then load in your wood and fire up the smoker or grill to preheat it.
Take your thawed turkey and pat the inside and outside dry with paper towels. If the turkey skin isn’t dry, your seasonings may not adhere to it, and you may not get crispy skin. You can season your turkey with a store-bought dry rub or make your own. In addition to kosher salt and black pepper, your homemade dry rub can include brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and onion powder.
If you dry brined the turkey, it may not need extra seasonings. You only need to coat it with oil before placing it on your smoker or grill. However, if you wet brined the turkey, coat its dried body with oil before applying your dry rub. After covering the turkey with your seasonings, insert your oven-safe wireless thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey thigh. Do not stuff a turkey before smoking.
Place your seasoned turkey breast side up on your preheated grill or smoker. Put a pan under the turkey to collect drippings, or flames could flare up and char it. Close your smoker or grill to smoke the turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
The exact amount of time it will take the turkey to reach an internal temperature of 165°F will depend on the size of the turkey and grill temperature.
When smoking at 225°F, it can take about 30 to 45 minutes to cook one pound of turkey. That means a 12-pound turkey should take at least six hours to cook in a smoker.
To smoke your turkey faster, increase the smoker’s temperature to 250°F to 275°F. At 250°F, it can take about 25 minutes to cook one pound of turkey, meaning you will need about five hours to smoke a 12-pound turkey. A 275°F smoker will cook one pound of turkey in about 20 minutes – a four-hour cook time for a 12-pound turkey. Any of these temperatures will work great for smoking your turkey, as long as it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
After smoking your turkey to an internal temperature of 165°F, take it out of the smoker or grill, but don’t cut it. Instead, place the turkey on a wire rack to rest for at least 20 minutes.
Resting your turkey before carving allows its juices to redistribute and settle. If you cut the meat without resting it, the juices will escape, resulting in a loss of juiciness and flavor.
What’s So Good about Smoked Turkey?
Our fresh whole turkey is rich in protein, vitamin A, iron, and calcium. Even better, turkey meat is lean, making it a healthier choice for individuals trying to lose weight.
Smoking your turkey will lend it an enticing smoky flavor and further reduce its fat content, making it leaner and tastier. Also, smoking with pecan, maple, hickory, or cherry wood can elevate the flavor of your smoked turkey.
Easy Smoked Turkey Recipe for Thanksgiving (on a Pellet Grill!)
FAQ
How long should you let turkey rest after smoking?
Let the meat rest after cooking: Letting the smoked turkey rest for at least 30 minutes will give the juice time to redistribute, giving you tender and juicy turkey. Cutting them too soon will result in a puddle of juice on your plate and dry meat.
Do you cover turkey when resting?
Your turkey actually doesn’t need any covering at all to keep it warm. Large cuts of meat, not to mention entire Thanksgiving birds, hold onto heat very well unassisted. So well, it’s actually recommended to have large birds to sit for at least 30 to 45 minutes before carving.
How long to let a 15 lb turkey rest?
Turkey is done at an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (75 degrees C). Allow the turkey to rest for at least 30 minutes before carving and serving.Nov 6, 2024
How to keep turkey warm after smoking?
After the turkey has reached an internal temperature of 165 °F, as measured with a food thermometer, you can keep it warm covered with foil in an oven.