Traeger Turkey Recipe

Juicy, tender, crispy skin and packed full of flavor, this Traeger smoked turkey recipe will quickly become the star of the feast. This is the time of year when many of us put on our chef hats to prepare a full holiday feast. This Traeger turkey recipe with smoked turkey gravy will be the most delicious and easiest turkey you have ever made.

There are several reasons to smoke your turkey, but there are two main ones that jump out.

The first reason is the delicious smoky flavor. If you want a flavorful, crispy-skinned, juicy turkey, smoke it. It will add all of that and more to your whole turkey.

The second reason and this one pops up a lot around the holidays in my house, is you don't have room in the oven to roast it. That Thanksgiving Turkey takes up a lot of space in the oven.

Between the pies and desserts we make as well as the host of side dishes, if there is any way to free up the oven from having to cook everything, we take it. Your Traeger grill or smoker can achieve this for you. This Traeger turkey recipe really is the best way to cook a whole bird.

Ingredients

Small or Medium Turkey (fresh or fully thawed) - If you go with too large of a turkey, low and slow on the smoker will not work as well and you risk being in the dangerous temperature for bacteria to be created in the food. That is why smaller turkeys are better to smoke. If you have a large crowd to feed just smoke two at once!

It is going to take approximately 30 minutes per pound to smoke the turkey at 225°. You don't want a large turkey sitting in the smoke for more than about 6 hours. 

Melted Butter - You can also use oil. The butter will help to crisp the skin as it cooks. We prefer to use salted butter. Olive oil works for a dairy-free option.

Salt and Pepper - I season the inside and outside of the turkey with kosher salt and black pepper. 

Fresh Herbs - We used sage and rosemary because we have them growing in our garden. You can just put large clippings right into the cavity of the turkey. You could also use thyme or any of your favorite herbs.

Apples - I wanted to put something sweet and juicy into the turkey's cavity. I halved the apples and they will then steam as they cook releasing the sweet moisture up into the meat of the bird. This helps create a juicy tender turkey. If you want to add a halved onion or some garlic cloves, you could do that as well.

Wood - I used pecan pellets for this Traeger turkey. Hickory wood, apple wood pellets, or an oak and cherry blend could be nice as well. Feel free to experiment with some of your favorites.

How to Smoke a Whole Turkey

Step One - Remove any giblets and neck from the turkey's cavities. Rinse the turkey well, inside and out. With a paper towel, pat dry the turkey and place it on a large cooking sheet.

Step Two - Season the inside of the turkey cavity well with salt and pepper. Place apple halves and fresh herbs inside the cavities. Next, rub the skin of the turkey with melted or softened butter.

Expert Tip: If the turkey is wet or moist dry it with paper towels before adding the butter and seasoning it.

Step Three - Place turkey on the preheated smoker right on the grill grates. Let the turkey smoke at 225°F until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

This will take approximately 30 minutes per pound. I use an internal temperature probe that you want to put into the thickest part of the turkey breast to gauge the temperature as it cooks.  I had an 11 pound turkey, it took just over 5 hours. If you aren't using a Traeger smoker or a grill that has a steady temperature, I recommend having a meat thermometer that can give you a constant read on the internal grill temperature.

Expert Tips

• Place an aluminum foil pan on the rack under the bird so it can catch the drippings. You will want to serve some smoked turkey gravy with your meal!
• When smoking a turkey on a Traeger or any other smoker low and slow, heavily coating the skin with butter before smoking will give you good crispy skin.

Step Four - Once the turkey has an internal final temperature of 165°F throughout, remove it from the smoker and let it rest 20 minutes before carving and serving it. Take a few different measurements from the smoked turkey to ensure it is evenly cooked all around. If you plan to rest the Traeger turkey longer than 20 minutes, you can loosely tent it with foil. Don't wrap it tightly with foil, because the collected moisture will then make the skin less crispy.

Any time you are smoking something low and slow, constant and consistent temperature is key. You can't keep opening the lid of the smoker to take a look at it. Every time you do, the heat escapes and it takes several minutes to get back to temperature. So keep the lid closed.

Variations

Seasonings - Try using a barbecue rub, spicy dry rub, or another favorite blend.

Herbs - Rub finely chopped herbs and butter under the skin of the bird.

Gravy - Adding more unique flavors to the gravy is a great option. You could even make a classic gravy, divide it, and then make two different options.

Brine - We aren't using a turkey brine in this recipe, but you could if you have a favorite.

Common Questions

Why smoke a turkey on a Traeger?

Great question. You can follow these instructions to smoke your turkey in whatever smoker you own. The key is time and temperature. If you can hold a low and slow 225 degrees, you'll be fine with your smoker. There is a benefit to smoking a turkey on a pellet grill. That benefit is the set it and forget it with the heat and temperature.

If you are using a stick burner, you have to do some babysitting and turkey dinners are always a bit more elaborate at my house. With a brisket dinner, my attitude is let's smoke that bad boy and dive in, it is all about brisket that day. Turkey dinners, there are usually several other side dishes that we are trying to complete and once I know I prepped the bird and he is smoking away, it gives me a peaceful 4+ hours to work on some of the other items for the meal.

How to carve a turkey

If you want to carve the Traeger turkey and make it easy to serve, especially for those people who may be hunting for dark or white meat, I recommend first taking the turkey breasts off and slicing them.

I take my carving knife and just follow the backbone down until the breast comes off. I then place it on the cutting board and make nice thick slices so that each piece of the tender turkey gets some of the crispy skin.

Once the breasts are off, it is easy to remove the wings, legs and get to the dark meat. I usually serve a platter of white meat and another with dark.

How to make turkey gravy

Turkeys tend to drip a lot of juice. I always put a pan under the grill grate in the smoker. It does two things, it keeps my smoker from getting covered in turkey juice. It also collects the juice so that I can make a smokey flavor gravy for the meal. Place the pan under your turkey and put about 2 to 3 cups of water in it so that the turkey drippings don't just burn off in the heat of the smoker.

Add the drippings to a small saucepan. Combine the white wine with flour or xanthan gum. Mix into the drippings and bring to a simmer. It should only take a few minutes for the gravy to thicken. Season with pepper (and salt, if needed).

Best ways to use Leftover Turkey

We default to just eating leftover turkey right from the fridge. Sometimes we put it on sandwiches, and sometimes we incorporate it into recipes like Turkey Soup and Turkey Pot Pie.

 

Best side dishes to go with Traeger Turkey

• Smoked Baked Potatoes
• Smoked Mac and Cheese
• Pecan Crusted Goat Cheese Salad
• Cranberry Sauce
• Apple Cherry Crumble
• Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie
• Smoked Pecan Pie
• Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Smoked Apple Pie

 

Originally Published September 27, 2021. Revised and Republished September 11, 2023.