Smoked Turkey Breast

5 from 2 votes

This Smoked Turkey Breast is juicy, flavorful, and easy to make—perfect for weeknights or holiday meals.

Prep Time10

Cook Time4

Dry Brine12

Total Time16 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 385kcal

Remove the turkey neck and giblets from the turkey breast cavity. Also, remove any popping thermometers (relying on these tends to lead to an overcooked turkey).
Pat the turkey with a paper towel to remove any excess water. Sprinkle turkey breast with salt. Ensure that you cover all sides and the inside of 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 the turkey breast. Gently separate the skin and place butter between the skin and meat.
Place your thermometer probe in the breast horizontally, 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 smoky, 300°F will have crispier skin and less smoky flavor but will cook faster. If you are using a pellet smoker, set your smoke to high.
Smoke the turkey breast until it reaches 160°F, then remove it from the smoker and let it rest for 20-30 minutes. During this time, the temperature will rise to 165°F, and the meat will be fully cooked.
Once the turkey breast has rested, slice and enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

*Try finding a turkey breast that isn't injected with salt/saline; otherwise, use just enough salt to cover the turkey lightly. Saline-injected breasts can easily become too salty with dry brining, so I prefer to use less salt if that's what I am cooking.
I like to use a bone-in breast, but you can use a boneless breast as well.
If you only have dried herbs, use ½ teaspoon of each for the herb butter.
*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 1.5-3 hours. If you want the turkey breast to cook even faster, I recommend spatchcocking 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.