How To Make The Best Smoked Turkey Breast

Name: How To Make The Best Smoked Turkey Breast
Prep time: 1440 min
Total time: 1680 min
Ingredients: 4-5 lb Turkey Breast, (either boneless or bone-in); 12 cups cold water; ½ cup salt; ½ cup dark brown sugar, (packed); 8 cloves garlic, (chopped); 2 sprigs fresh rosemary; 10 whole peppercorns; 2 bay leaves; 1 lemon; 1 orange; 1 cup white wine, (Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay); 2 cups ice; ½ Tablespoon garlic salt; 1 teaspoon onion powder; 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, (room temperature); 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, (finely chopped); 2 teaspoons coarse ground pepper; 1 teaspoon coarse salt, (kosher, sea, or Himalayan salt)

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Juicy and delicious, this smoked turkey breast recipe is easy to make and a family favorite! It turns out moist, tender, and full of flavor every time! A perfect choice for your Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner!

Smoked Turkey Breast on a white platter, cranberries and parsley on plate.

One of the easiest meats to smoke is poultry. Just like my applewood smoked chicken and these quick and easy smoked chicken thighs, this a great beginner smoker recipe because it's not finicky, there's no stall, and it doesn't take any effort at all once it's on the smoker. This smoked turkey breast recipe takes both the flavor and texture to the next level.

The secret to getting a perfectly smoked turkey breast is in the brine, the herb compound butter rub, and then smoking it low and slow. These 3 steps is what sets this recipe apart from all the rest! The turkey breast brine adds a tremendous amount of moisture which makes the white meat extra juicy and tender! And if you like the succulent and savory flavors of fresh rosemary, then you'll love the herb compound butter that covers the turkey breast. Using it results in that golden browning of the skin and makes it slightly crispy.

Smoking a turkey breast is easier than smoking a whole turkey and is the perfect size for a small gathering during the holidays or for a Sunday dinner. And no turkey injection is needed! The brine, dry rub, and herb compound butter is all that's needed to make the perfect smoked turkey breast every time! Try pairing it with these homemade sweet mashed potatoes, oven roasted green beans, and these southern-style deviled eggs!

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Why This Recipe Works
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
🔪 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
🍗 Leftover Recipe Ideas
🙋 Recipe FAQs
Expert Tips
🥘 Side Dishes To Pair With Smoked Turkey Breast
How To Make The Best Smoked Turkey Breast

Seasoned turkey breast on platter, knife and fork on counter.

Why This Recipe Works

1. Turkey breast consists of only white meat, which means it's going to be drier than a whole turkey. The citrus base brine and smoking the meat low and slow adds a significant amount of moisture to the meat!

2. This recipe works well on both a boneless or bone in turkey breast.

3. It takes 12-24 hours to brine, and only 4 hours to smoke.

4. You can use any type of smoker when making this recipe. It can be smoked in a pellet, electric, propane gas, or charcoal smoker. Regardless of what type of smoker you use, the recipe and process are the exact same!

Sliced turkey breast on a plate, cranberries and rosemary on table.

🛒 Ingredients You'll Need

For The Brine

Water - base of the brine.
Ice: maintains the temperature of the brine during the process.
Salt - helps break down the protein structure. This process, known as osmosis, allows the turkey meat to absorb moisture and the flavors from the rest of the ingredients being used in the brine, resulting in a juicier and more flavorful turkey breast.
White Wine - Sauvignon Blanc works well in the brine because of the hint of grapefruit flavor. It pairs exceptionally well with the orange and lemon.
Brown Sugar - adds a subtle sweetness.
Orange - use a whole orange and squeeze out the juice to maximize the flavor.
Lemon - use the whole lemon and cut it in half to squeeze out the juice.
Rosemary - fresh springs work best and infuse the most flavor.
Garlic - used as a flavor enhancer. Use whole garlic cloves.
Bay Leaves - adds an earthy undertone to the brine.
Peppercorns - adds a mild spiciness.
Turkey Breast - place the uncooked turkey breast in the brine.

For The Dry Rub

Bowl containing garlic and onion powder.

Keep the dry rub simple by only using 2 ingredients!

Garlic Salt - used in the dry rub to add an extra garlic flavor with a hint of additional saltiness.
Onion Powder - when paired with garlic salt, it adds a tremendous amount of flavor, especially when paired with the garlic her butter.

For The Garlic Herb Butter

Ingredients on a table to make rosemary flavored butter.

Unsalted Butter - any type of unsalted butter works well, but using an extra-creamy butter tends to be more rich in flavor. Avoid using salted butter.
Rosemary - fresh is best, but in a bind used dried rosemary.
Salt - coarse salt, such as sea salt or Himalayan salt works best.
Pepper - freshly cracked black peppercorns work best because it intensifies the flavor making this the most delicious herb butter rub for turkey!

Making your own compound butter is a fast and simple process. And it's incredibly delicious because it adds a ton of flavor to whatever it's being cooked with. There are so many variations of compound butter you can make!

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!

🔪 Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

Step 1: The first step to making the best smoked turkey breast recipe is to brine it. Start by placing the raw breast in a large bowl. There is no need to rinse the raw meat before adding the brine ingredients.

Step 2: In a separate large bowl, combine all the brine ingredients. Make sure to squeeze the juice from the lemon and orange into the bowl and then add in the citrus rinds. That will add even more flavor!

Bowl containing turkey breast and brine ingredients.

👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tip! Add 2 cups of ice to the brine to ensure the temperature of the meat can get to 40°F as fast as possible. This helps ensure no bacteria will grow. Bacteria can start growing above 40ºF and below 140ºF.

Step 3: Using a spoon, gently combine the ingredients and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and brine for 12-24 hours.

Step 4: After the brining process is done, remove the turkey from the liquid and place on a large 9x13 dish or baking sheet. Discard the brine mixture.

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Step 5: In a small bowl, combine the ingredients to make the dry rub and set aside.

Step 6: In a separate medium bowl, combine the ingredients to make the rosemary compound butter and then mix until well combined, about 20 seconds. Set aside.

Bowl containing butter, sallt, pepper, and rosemary being mixed with an electric mixer.

👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tip! For best results, make sure the butter is at room temperature. Using an electric mixer works best when mixing, but using a hand whisk also works.

Step 7: Using paper towels, gently pat the turkey until dry. Generously cover the meat with the turkey dry rub. Using a spatula or a basting brush, apply all of the rosemary butter to the breast, ensuring you cover each crevice on all sides. Set aside.

Person patting and applying rub and flavored butter to a raw turkey breast.

👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tip: The compound butter will not spread perfectly even. That's ok. Just spread it as best you can. For the best flavor, make sure to use all the butter.

Preparing The Smoker

Step 8: As the turkey sits, go ahead prepare the smoker. Regardless of what type of smoker is used, ensure it is preheated to 225°F before placing in the meat. It's best to use a mild flavored wood such as apple, cherry, or pecan. Ensure there is a water pan in the smoker, even if using an electric or pellet smoker. This step helps regulate the internal temperature of the smoker and provides moisture to the meat while smoking.

Step 9: Once the smoker is preheated to 225°F, place the turkey directly on the smoker rack. If your turkey has a bone, ensure to place it bone side down. If it's a boneless turkey breast, it should be breast side up. To help keep as much smoke in as possible, go ahead and insert a digital meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast at a slight angle. Close the lid of the smoker and let it smoke low an slow, for about 4 hours.

Person inserting a temperature probe into a raw turkey breast on a smoker.

👩🏼‍🍳 Important Note: During the first 2 hours of the smoke, the internal temperature of the meat will increase at a consistent rate. This is normal. Around hour 3, it will start to slow down considerably.

For this recipe, smoke to temperature, not time. There are many factors that go into how long it takes to smoke a certain type of meat so relying on a digital thermometer is key. Once the digital thermometer reaches 165°F, it's done.

👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tip: Best practices teach against taking the probe out to check a different part of the meat because some of the juice will seep out. However; when you smoke meat low and slow, the moisture level tends to be higher so you can afford one additional temperature check in a different part of the meat, if you want to check.

Step 10: Remove the turkey from the smoker and cover with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Smoked bone in turkey breast on a platter.

Use a sharp knife when carving the meat. The thickness of the slices depends on preference, but I prefer ½-inch slices. If carving a bone in turkey, you can either slice the meat while the breast is still attached to the bone or you can remove the meat from the bone and then slice. If you choose to remove the meat and then slice, make sure you cut the meat against the bone.

Person using a carving knife to slice a turkey breast.

This smoked turkey breast is not only easy to make, but it turns out incredibly tender and juicy! The savory flavor is bursting with smoky flavor in every bite. White meat has never tasted so good, especially when it's served with this homemade cranberry sauce!

Sliced turkey on a platter, rosemary and cranberries on side.

🍗 Leftover Recipe Ideas

There is so much you can do with leftover turkey! Smoked turkey slices are amazingly delicious on sandwiches the next day. It can also be added to soups! This Leftover Turkey and Rice Soup is one of my all-time favorite ways to use up leftover turkey. The smoky flavor adds depth to this soup! It's also really tasty when added to this Spaghetti Squash with Goat Cheese and Arugula. It can even be substituted for chicken in a chicken and rice casserole!

🙋 Recipe FAQs

How long does it take to smoke a turkey breast?

At 225°F, it takes about 45 min per pound, give or take. When I smoke a 4 pound turkey, it typically takes about 4 hours to smoke. But always smoke to internal temperature of the meat and not time.

Do you have to brine a turkey breast before smoking?

No. You don't have to, but it is highly recommended to keep the turkey breast from drying out. Before smoking a turkey breast, brining is a necessary step because it helps absorb extra moisture. White meat is drier than dark meat due to the lack of fat and the brining process helps raise to naturally raise the moisture level. Brining also helps regulate the cooking temperature so it cooks more evenly during the smoking process. It is a lot easier to maintain the temperature of meat while smoking if you brine the meat first. A good brine will also add additional flavors to the meat.

How do I store leftover smoked turkey meat?

It can be stored in a container with a lid in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You can also freeze leftover turkey meat! To freeze, place the slices in a freezer safe container and store for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, place the frozen meat in the refrigerator and allow it to slowly thaw. For best results, reheat in the oven or on the stovetop. It can also be reheated in the microwave.

Expert Tips

Turkey breasts can typically be found at a local grocery store. Also check with a local butcher shop. Butcher shops tend to freeze whole turkeys and thaw and cut them as needed throughout the year.

For this recipe, I recommend using an all natural, unbrined turkey breast (not Butterball). Butterball turkeys contain a solution that helps keep them moist and juicy.

Use either a fresh or frozen turkey breast. If it's frozen, make sure it's fully thawed before you start the brine process. Always thaw a frozen turkey in the refrigerator and never at room temperature.

Use a mild wood flavor such as apple, cherry, or pecan. White meat is delicate and using a stronger wood such as hickory or mesquite will overpower the flavor of the meat.

Smoking multiple turkey breasts at the same time works well and should not change the overall smoke time.

For best results, keep your smoker temperature between 225°F and 250°F. The key to amazing results is smoking at a low temperature over a longer period of time.

🥘 Side Dishes To Pair With Smoked Turkey Breast

If you're looking for more holiday ideas, check out all of my Thanksgiving recipes! I have all the recipes you need to make this day extra special!

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How To Make The Best Smoked Turkey Breast

Why This Recipe Works