Smoked Turkey

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SmokedHardPrep 30 minCook 7hServes 12

Low and slow over hardwood smoke: mahogany skin, deeply seasoned meat, and a free oven for everything else.

Ingredients

1 whole turkey (12–14 lb), thawed
¼ cup kosher salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
4 tbsp butter, melted

Steps

Pat the turkey dry. Mix all the dry seasonings and rub the bird all over; brush with melted butter.
Set the smoker to 225–250°F with a mild hardwood (apple, cherry or oak).
Smoke breast up, about 30–40 minutes per pound — roughly 6–7 hours for a 12–14 lb bird.
It is done when the thigh reads 175°F and the breast 165°F. Tent and rest 30 minutes.

Serve with: smoky baked beans, coleslaw, pickles and white bread.

Keep the smoker steady rather than hot: spikes above 275°F dry the breast. A water pan helps keep the skin from turning leathery.

Find this recipe in the Holidays section on the RecipeDelish home page, where you can scale it, print a clean PDF, download the shopping list and use cook mode.

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