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Home » Recipes & Tips » Moist Smoked Turkey Breast

Moist Smoked Turkey Breast

10/10/19 | Main Dish, Recipes & Tips

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Smoked turkey breast is the best turkey you will ever eat!! With a super flavorful spice rub, it's moist and perfectly cooked. #turkey #smokedturkey #smokedturkeybreast #turkeybreast #smokedmeat # #traeger #traegersmokedturkey

Smoked turkey breast is the best turkey you will ever eat!! With a super flavorful spice rub, it’s moist, and perfectly cooked.

With all of the different ways that there are to cook a turkey, a smoked turkey breast is one of the better options. It gives such a different flavor to the meat, and all of the time-consuming aspects of the brine is hands-off-meaning that you just fill a pot and place the meat inside for a few hours. The smoked turkey breast rub is delicious and just as easy to make!

Every year large families place a whole cooked bird on their table for Thanksgiving, you see people talking about deep-fried turkeys, whole oven roasted, and smoked. Then you read on and on about the countless side dishes that they add to their tables like honey-glazed carrots and traditional desserts like pumpkin pie. 

But sometimes families are much smaller and in no significant need of a 30lb+ bird! Sometimes you just want to eat turkey for the sake of eating turkey, or you stock up after the holidays when the stores give great sales. This is when you can be adventurous with your cooking styles and try new ways to enjoy your turkey. 

Ingredients for Smoked Bone in Turkey Breast

  • Bone-in Turkey Breast
  • Smoked Turkey Brine Ingredients
  • Water
  • Orange juice
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Red pepper flakes

Smoked Turkey Rub

  • Honey
  • Olive oil
  • Onion powder
  • Garlic powder
  • Salt
  • Rosemary
  • Sage
  • Thyme
  • Paprika
  • Pepper

Smoked Turkey Breast Brine

  1. Combine 4 cups of water and the necessary salt in a pot and bring it to a boil
  2. Add this brine into the remaining water, orange juice, and pepper flakes.
  3. Place your turkey breast inside the brine and cover
  4. Place it in the fridge for at least 12 hours, but you can do up to 24 hours.

How to make Smoked Turkey Breast

  1. Preheat your smoker to 300 degrees.
  2. Pat your turkey dry (paper towels work great for this).
  3. In a small bowl, combine your honey and olive oil. Brush it on your turkey.
  4. In another bowl, combine your spices and spread them evenly over the turkey breast (give a little gentle rub or pat to get them stuck on well).
  5. Place your turkey breast in the smoker and smoke for 30 minutes per pound.
  6.  Double-check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer and make sure that it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
  7. Remove from heat and let your turkey rest for 20 minutes before serving. (This helps to seal in all of that juicy goodness so that it doesn’t run all over your cutting board during carving, and result in a dry turkey!)

Smoked Turkey Breast Temp

Smoked turkey breast should be smoked at 300ºF until it reaches 165ºF for an internal temperature.

Smoked Turkey Breast Time: When is a Smoked Turkey done?

You know your turkey is done when it reaches 165 degrees. Smoked turkeys often have a pink tint to the meat, and while this may be cause for alarm to some, there is nothing wrong with it so long as the meat has properly come up to a safe temperature.

You can test to make sure that your instant-read thermometer is properly calibrated if you have any doubts about its accuracy.

How long to smoke turkey breast per pound?

Turkey breast is smoked for about 30-40 minutes per pound.

Serving Suggestions 

  • Steakhouse Mashed Potatoes
  • Green Bean Casserole
  • Twice Baked Potatoes
  • Creamed Potatoes
  • Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce
  • Canned Green Beans and Bacon
  • Oven Roasted Carrots
  • Feather Rolls
  • Potato Rolls
  • Kale Apple Salad
  • Spinach Apple Salad

Storage

Smoked turkey breast can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen for up to 6 months.

Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe FAQ

Should a turkey breast be brined before smoking?

You don’t have to, but if you want great tasting turkey-you should. Using a brine before smoking your turkey helps to seal in all of the natural turkey juices and keep the meat nice and moist. No one likes a dry turkey!

Can you brine AND smoke a turkey breast?

Yes, you should definitely brine the turkey breast before smoking it. Following this recipe as written will give you great results.

How do you keep a turkey breast from drying out in the smoker?

Brining the turkey breast will keep it from drying out. Monitoring the internal temperature so it doesn’t get overcooked will also ensure it doesn’t dry out.

Should you put water in smoker when smoking a turkey?

No, not for this recipe.

Can you brine a turkey breast too long?

Yes, brining a turkey breast for over 48 hours is too long and it will be too salty.

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close-up coin sliced smoked and seasoned turkey breast on a serving platter with grape bunches and sliced oranges
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Smoked Bone In Turkey Breast

Smoked turkey breast is the best turkey you will ever eat!! With a super flavorful spice rub, it's moist and perfectly cooked.
Prevent your screen from going dark
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword smoked turkey breast, smoked turkey breast brine, smoked turkey breast rub
Prep Time 12 hours
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 15 hours
Servings 8 people
Calories 394kcal
Author Alli
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Equipment

  • Thermoworks Smoke 2 Channel Alarm
  • Smoker Pellets
  • Smoker
  • Redmond Real Salt
  • Thermoworks MK4 Thermapen

Ingredients

  • 6 pound turkey breast bone-in, skin-on

Smoked Turkey Brine Ingredients

  • 2 gallons water divided
  • 2 cups orange juice
  • 1 cup salt
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Smoked Turkey Rub Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon sage
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  • Combine 4 cups of the water, sugar and the salt. Bring to a boil.
  • Add brine into the remaining water, orange juice, and pepper flakes.
  • Submerge turkey breast in the brine and cover.
  • Refrigerate for at least 12 hours, up to 24.
  • Preheat smoker to 300ºF (see note).
  • Pat turkey dry.
  • Combine honey and olive oil. Brush on turkey.
  • Combine all the spices, spread evenly onto the turkey breast.
  • Place in smoker and smoke for about 30 minutes per pound, until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF.
  • Let rest 20 minutes before serving.
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Notes

I used mesquite pellets for this recipe, but you can use hickory or maple as well. 

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 73g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 184mg | Sodium: 992mg | Potassium: 828mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 141IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @longbournfarm or tag #longbournfarm!

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Comments | 15 comments

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Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    September 27, 2020 at 4:52 PM

    5 stars
    Turn out delicious! I prefer this to roast or fried turkey. Less work then roasting and less clean up then fried turkey!

    Reply
    • Alli says

      September 28, 2020 at 9:12 PM

      So glad you liked it!

      Reply
  2. Candace says

    November 23, 2019 at 1:18 PM

    Hi! I’m making this for Thanksgiving – can’t wait! Do I see that you placed the turkey directly on the grate of the smoker? Thanks very much!

    Reply
    • Alli says

      November 24, 2019 at 7:36 AM

      Yes! I did.

      Reply
  3. Nellie Tracy says

    November 10, 2019 at 12:59 PM

    5 stars
    Can’t wait to try this for Thanksgiving! Looks amazing, thank you!

    Reply
  4. Renee Goerger says

    November 10, 2019 at 9:15 AM

    5 stars
    My sister smokes her turkey every year. I’m going to share your recipe with her. I know she’ll love something new!

    Reply
  5. Rebecca says

    November 6, 2019 at 10:18 AM

    5 stars
    I’m always looking for more Brine recipes. This smoked Turkey Breast looks so good and my husband just got a smoker too! I’m excited to give this a try.

    Reply
  6. Alli says

    November 3, 2019 at 10:40 PM

    5 stars
    My new favorite way to eat turkey!!

    Reply
  7. Rachel >> Strangers on a Plain says

    October 10, 2019 at 9:08 AM

    Every turkey I make is so dry. Next time I’ll do this brine and see if it helps.

    Reply
    • Alli says

      October 11, 2019 at 9:31 PM

      Yes! It really will.

      Reply

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Hi, Friend!


Alli Kelley is an Agriculture focused entrepreneur. She runs a successful food blog, a consulting and coaching business, and all the social media connected with an online presence.

She also owns and operates a small, diversified farmstead where she enjoys home improvement projects, experimenting in the garden, creating profitable mini businesses on the farm, and of course, riding her big grey horse, Zane.
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