Whole Smoked Turkey (Masterbuilt Electric Smoker Recipe)

This moist and flavorful Electric Smoked Turkey recipe starts used a flavorful wet brine, a homemade dry rub, and a foil tent for the perfect bird!

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The Best Smoked Turkey recipe!

If you've never had a smoked turkey before, you are missing out! This super flavorful and moist Electric Smoked Turkey recipe is an easy way to make a smoked turkey for your guests in under 5 hours of cook time!

To make the bird extra flavorful, you'll start with a homemade apple cider and herb brine, then a tasty homemade dry rub. You'll also make a quick foil tent to protect the breast meat from drying out as the turkey cooks!

This easy smoked turkey recipe is the perfect way to spice things up for the holiday season, and takes the stress out of smoking, with the use of a digital probe thermometer to monitor the internal temperature of the turkey as it cooks.

Read on to learn how to make an easy and delicious smoked whole turkey that is sure to impress your guests!

Ingredients

This delicious and easy smoked turkey is first brined in a flavorful wet brine for 24 hours, then dry rubbed and smoked, for the ultimate Smoked Turkey! Here's what you'll need to make it:

Wet Turkey Brine

• Kosher salt.
• Dark brown sugar.
• Worcestershire sauce. This adds great flavor to the bird!
• A whole head of garlic, cut open on top to expose the garlic cloves.
• Whole peppercorns. You can use black pepper, or a medley.
• Fresh rosemary and fresh thyme.
• Apple cider. You'll boil the brine base in this to activate the flavors, then allow it to cool before adding to the water and brining the bird. Use the leftovers to make a great holiday cocktail!
• Dried bay leaves. Or fresh, if you can find them!
• 2 gallons cold water. Make sure the water is VERY cold!

Dry Rub

• Dark brown sugar, for a balanced flavor and a touch of sweetness.
• Smoked paprika.
• Dry thyme.
• Dried oregano.
• Garlic powder.
• Onion powder.
• Salt (I prefer to work with kosher salt or sea salt, and do not recommend using iodized salt, as it can come off a bit metallic.
• Freshly ground pepper.
• Cayenne pepper, for a bit of heat (not a fan of spice? Leave it out!)
• Dry mustard powder.
• Herbs de Provence. This adds a lovely floral note to the finished turkey.

Note: if you want a more BBQ style flavor for your turkey, try using my Rib Rub recipe!

Turkey

• A 13-14 lb turkey (fully thawed, if frozen). You can use a smaller or larger bird, but cooking time will vary so be sure to watch the internal temperature while smoking.
• 1 large onion, halved. You'll stuff this right into the turkey cavity with the remaining ingredients in this list to both keep the bird moist, as well as flavor it from the inside out! I used a frozen turkey (fully thawed) for this recipe.
• 1 lemon, halved.
• A couple sprigs of fresh rosemary.
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme.

Making the Smoked Turkey

With a little preparation and timing, making the perfect Electric Smoked Turkey is a breeze! Here's how to do it:

Brining the bird

1. Heat all ingredients except the water in a medium saucepan until boiling and all sugar and salt are dissolved. Turn off immediately to prevent over-boiling, and allow to cool completely. 
2. Once cool, add the brine mixture and water to a large stockpot or vessel large enough to fit the turkey and liquid. Submerge turkey in brine (be sure to use a fully thawed turkey), and brine for 24 hours in the refrigerator. 

Dry Rub

To make the dry rub for the Smoked Turkey, simply stir all the dry rub ingredients with a fork or whisk until fully combined!

The Smoking Process

1. Remove all racks except lower rack inside the smoker, and preheat your smoker to 225 degrees for 1 hour prior to smoking with wood of choice (I use a combo of pecan wood and apple wood). 
2. Once brined, discard brine, and rinse the turkey well with water to remove excess salt, and dry well with paper towels. 
3. Tie legs with twine to keep the turkey’s shape, and help protect the breast from overcooking. 
4. Mix together dry rub ingredients in a small bowl until well combined, 
5. Rub the turkey liberally with melted butter, olive oil, or duck fat, and coat in dry rub. 
6. Make a foil tent for the turkey breast by folding a triangle out of a large sheet of heavy duty foil, and covering the breast, tucking the foil under to keep it in place. 
7. Stuff the turkey cavity with cut onion, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and cut lemon. 

Smoking the Turkey

1. Once preheated, place the turkey on the lowest rack of the smoker (closest to heating element), and insert a digital wired probe thermometer into the thickest portion of the breast. 
2. Smoke for 4-5 hours, adding wood once an hour, until the breast temperature reaches 155 degrees. (At this point, you can use the broil function of your smoker for 10 minutes for crispy skin with the foil tent removed, or remove the turkey to rest and tent with foil (the turkey will continue to residually cook after being removed from the smoker- which allows for a juicer turkey).
3. Allow the cooked turkey to rest for 30-45 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute, then carve and serve. (see recipe card below for full instructions, notes, and ingredients list!)

Chef's Notes:

Depending on the type of smoker, cooking times may vary. This recipe was developed for a Masterbuilt Pro Series Electric Smoker. 

Cooking time may be shorter or longer depending on the size of your turkey. This recipe was developed for 13.75 lb organic turkey. Smaller turkeys may cook faster, while larger turkeys may take a bit more time. 

For drippings to use for gravy, smoke the turkey in a disposable foil roasting pan.

Tools for the perfect electric smoked turkey

Making the perfect Smoked Turkey starts with having the right tools! Here's what you'll need for the perfect smoked turkey:

• A Masterbuilt Electric Smoker. I used the Pro Series.
• A Digital Wired Probe Thermometer, for perfectly tracking the bird's temperature during smoking. A meat thermometer is integral to making sure your turkey doesn't overcook! And with a probe, you can see the temperature without disturbing the temperature of the smoker by opening and closing the smoker.
• Wood chips, such as Apple Wood, Pecan Wood, or Hickory, or a combination.
• A large stockpot or vessel for brining, that comfortably fits your brine and your turkey.
• Aluminum foil, for tenting the bird as it cooks in the smoker, as well as for covering the turkey as it rests before carving and serving.
• Paper towels, for thoroughly drying the turkey before adding the dry rub.
• An aluminum pan, if you wan to collect dripping for gravy! 

Substitutions and Additions

You can adjust this Electric Smoked Turkey recipe to work with your preferences, and what you have on hand. Here are some ideas to make this recipe your own.

• Use your favorite dry rub instead of the homemade version in this recipe.
• Add additional aromatics to the cavity of the turkey before smoking, such as carrots and celery, or additional fresh herbs like marjoram.
• You can also try this method on a chicken, but cooking time will vary depending on the size of the chicken.
• Add a small water pan to the bottom of the smoker to keep the turkey extra moist while cooking.
• You can use any fat you like to coat the bird before applying the dry rub. I like melted butter, olive oil, or duck fat, but you could also use canola oil or avocado oil.
• Try a dry brine instead of the wet brine.
• If you can get your hands on a fresh turkey, that is also a great option!
• For the wet brine, if you don't have dark brown sugar, you could use light brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
• No smoked paprika for the dry rub? Use regular paprika instead.
• For extra moisture, add some water, wine, or beer to your smoker's drip pan before smoking.
• Want a super moist and delicious turkey? Try soaking cheesecloth in butter (about 2 sticks!) and layering it over the turkey prior to smoking!

What to do with the leftovers

While these recipes are meant for chicken, they work perfectly with your leftover turkey, too!

• Creamy Chicken and Roasted Poblano Soup
• Spicy Chicken Enchiladas Verdes
• Leftover Chicken Noodle Soup
• Chicken and Kale Casserole with Artichokes
• Chicken a la King
• Thanksgiving Leftover Gobbler Pie

What to serve with the Smoked Turkey

Have a full Thanksgiving feast with these great show-stopping side dishes!

• Scalloped Sweet Potatoes with Smoked Gouda and Rosemary
• Maple Pecan Roasted Kabocha Squash
• Smoked Oyster Dressing
• Crockpot Sage and Onion Stuffing
• Make Ahead Green Bean Casserole
• Browned Butter Boursin Mashed Potatoes

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