Smoked Turkey Recipe
This smoked turkey recipe is simple to make on the Big Green Egg or any kamado grill. I like using a kamado grill for smoked turkey because it locks in the juices and you still get a delicious, crispy skin that looks amazing!
Ingredients
- 1 turkey 10-12 pounds
- ½ cup loosely packed chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup loosely packed chopped fresh sage
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh rosemary (stems removed)
- ½ cup loosely packed fresh thyme (stems removed)
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 tablespoons cracked black pepper
- 1 cup butter softened
- 4 cups chicken stock low sodium
- 2 cups diced celery
- 2 cups diced onions
- 2 cups diced carrots
- 4 bay leaves
Instructions
- Finely crush the minced parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme with salt and pepper, using a mortar and pestle or food processor. Mix with the softened butter.
- Coat the bird liberally inside and out with the herb-butter mixture. Carefully push some under the skin as well.
- Preheat and stabilize your Big Green Egg's temperature at 350F
- Fill a Dutch oven about two-thirds full with the chicken stock, celery, carrots, onions, and bay leaves.
- Cook to an internal temperature of 165°F for the breast meat and 180°F for the dark meat, with juices running clear, about 15 minutes per pound.
- Remove the Dutch oven drip pan from beneath the turkey rack for the final 30 to 45 minutes of cooking to expose the darker meat to more heat.
- Loosely tent the cooked turkey with foil at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes to allow its juices to reabsorb into the meat prior to slicing. If desired, strain the liquids collected in the Dutch oven and use them to make an amazing gravy with a rich smoky flavor.
Notes
When preparing the Big Green Egg, the grill was set up for a modified indirect cook. The roasting rack was raised up on bricks and I used a flat-bottom Dutch oven as a drip tray.
It's very important to test your equipment before cooking to make sure everything fits. I will take the turkey, roasting rack, and any other components and place them on a cold grill and check that the lid or dome closes as usual and the temperature probe is not poking into the bird.
The bricks and Dutch oven provide a much-needed buffer from the searing heat of the coals and allow the bird to roast much more evenly. I also like to sprinkle a few cherry wood chips throughout the coals. It added a pleasant flavor that was not too overpowering.
This was the first time I cooked a turkey outdoors. After doing so, I just don’t think I could be cooped up cooking a bird inside ever again!
The bricks and Dutch oven provide a much-needed buffer from the searing heat of the coals and allow the bird to roast much more evenly. I also like to sprinkle a few cherry wood chips throughout the coals. It added a pleasant flavor that was not too overpowering.
This was the first time I cooked a turkey outdoors. After doing so, I just don’t think I could be cooped up cooking a bird inside ever again!Nutrition
Serving: 6ozCalories: 398kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 58gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 188mgSodium: 1821mgPotassium: 678mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 150IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 2mg
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