Smoked turkey breast is the best turkey you will ever eat!! With a super flavorful spice rub, it's moist, and perfectly cooked.
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Smoking Turkey Breast
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!
Why You Need this Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe
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.
Best Smoked Turkey Breast Ingredients
- Bone-in Turkey Breast
- Smoked Turkey Brine Ingredients
- Water
- Orange juice
- Salt
- Sugar
- Red pepper flakes
Smoked Turkey Breast Rub
- Honey
- Olive oil
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Thyme
- Paprika
- Pepper
Smoking Turkey Breast: The Brine
- Combine 4 cups of water and the necessary salt in a pot and bring it to a boil
- Add this brine into the remaining water, orange juice, and pepper flakes.
- Place your turkey breast inside the brine and cover
- Place it in the fridge for at least 12 hours, but you can do up to 24 hours.
How to Smoke a Turkey Breast
- Preheat your smoker to 300 degrees.
- Pat your turkey dry (paper towels work great for this).
- In a small bowl, combine your honey and olive oil. Brush it on your turkey.
- 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).
- Place your turkey breast in the smoker and smoke for 30 minutes per pound.
- Double-check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer and make sure that it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 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!)
Best Smoked Turkey Breast Tips
What Temp to Smoke Turkey Breast
Smoked turkey breast should be smoked at 300ºF until it reaches 165ºF for an internal temperature.
How do I know when my Smoked Turkey Breast is 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 a turkey breast per pound?
Turkey breast is smoked for about 30-40 minutes per pound.
Smoked Bone In Turkey Breast 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 Bone In Turkey Breast FAQs
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!
Yes, you should definitely brine the turkey breast before smoking it. Following this recipe as written will give you great results.
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.
No, not for this recipe.
Yes, brining a turkey breast for over 48 hours is too long and it will be too salty.
No, you don't have to wrap a turkey breast when smoking. I like the crispy skin my turkey breast gets when it’s not been covered. However, you can wrap it if you want to! Just note that the skin may not be as crispy, and the meat might not absorb as much smoky flavor.
There are a few reasons why your smoked turkey breast might be tough, with the most common being overcooking. It's important to monitor the internal temperature and remove the meat from the smoker when it reaches 165ºF.
Another reason could be that you didn't let the turkey breast rest after smoking. Resting allows the juices to redistribute within the meat and prevents it from becoming dry and tough!
There's no need to stuff your turkey for this recipe. The stuffing might not have enough time to cook and reach a safe temperature while smoking. It's best to prepare the stuffing separately and serve it on the side.
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Smoked Bone In Turkey Breast (How to Smoke a Turkey Breast on a Pellet Grill)
Equipment
- Thermoworks Smoke 2 Channel Alarm
- Smoker Pellets
- Smoker
- 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
- ½ 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
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ 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.
Liz Ross
Made this turkey breast for Thanksgiving. We all decided it was the best turkey we have EVER had!
Anonymous
Turn out delicious! I prefer this to roast or fried turkey. Less work then roasting and less clean up then fried turkey!
Alli
So glad you liked it!
Candace
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!
Alli
Yes! I did.
Nellie Tracy
Can't wait to try this for Thanksgiving! Looks amazing, thank you!
Renee Goerger
My sister smokes her turkey every year. I'm going to share your recipe with her. I know she'll love something new!
Rebecca
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.
Alli
My new favorite way to eat turkey!!
Rachel >> Strangers on a Plain
Every turkey I make is so dry. Next time I'll do this brine and see if it helps.
Alli
Yes! It really will.