Smoked Turkey Breast

Smoked Turkey Breast is so easy and so delicious you will want to make it time and again! Juicy, flavorful meat with the delicious smoky taste everyone loves!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 4

Dry Brine 12

Total Time 16 10

Servings

Calories 385kcal

Author Lisa

Ingredients

4 lb turkey* thawed
2-4 tbs coarse salt
¾ cup unsalted butter softened
1 ½ tbs garlic powder
1 teaspoon rosemary chopped
1 teaspoon thyme chopped
½ teaspoon sage chopped
½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Remove turkey neck and giblets from turkey breast cavity. Also remove any popping thermometers ( relying on these tend to lead to an over cooked turkey).
Pat turkey with a paper towel to remove any excess water. Sprinkle turkey breast with salt. Make sure to get all sides and inside the cavity.
4 lb turkey*, 2-4 tbs coarse salt
Place on a cooling rack, on a making sheet, and refrigerate overnight or up to 72 hours.
Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before smoking.
Combine butter, garlic powder, rosemary, thyme, sage, and pepper in a small bowl.
¾ cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon rosemary, 1 teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon sage, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 ½ tbs garlic powder
Rub butter all over turkey breast. Gently separate the skin and place butter in between the skin and meat.
Place your thermometer probe in the breast horizontal, near the neck cavity, parallel to the spine, and not touching any bone. It should be ½-1 inch from the internal cavity.
Preheat your smoker to 225°F or 300°F. 225°F will take longer but be more smokey, 300°F will have crispier skin and less smokey flavor but will cook faster. If you are using a pellet smoker set your smoke to high.
Smoke the turkey breast until 160°F then remove from smoker and let sit for 20-30 minutes. During this time the temperature will rise to 165°F and be fully cooked.
Once the turkey breast has rested, slice and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Tips and Tricks

*Try finding a turkey breast that isn't injected with salt/saline, otherwise use just enough salt to lightly cover the turkey. Saline injected breasts can easily become too salty with dry brining, so I like to go light on the salt I add if that's what I use.
I like to use a bone in breast but you can use a boneless breast as well.
*The rule of thumb is 30-45 minutes of cooking per pound of meat at 225°F, so a 6lb turkey breast should take about 3-4.5 hrs. At 300°F it’s between 15-30 minutes, so 1.5-3hrs. If you want the turkey breast to cook even faster, I recommend to spatchcock it.
*You can start the turkey out at 225°F, and smoke for a few hours, then crank the temperature up to 300°F for a crisper skin and a little faster cook time.

Nutrition