Stay tuned for more Thanksgiving classic recipes! Brine – Grab your large food safe bucket and combine the hot water and salt. We smoked a turkey during the holidays -- check it out! Begin by ensuring that the turkey … And don't forget to account for the extra salt when using other liquids such as stock. It doesn't matter if it's a pastured, heritage raised bird, or one of the bland, watery ones (I'm not naming names) you get at the typical grocery store — I'm just not crazy about turkey meat. The Ultimate Smoked Turkey Recipe Turkey Brine Recipe. No matter which liquid you use, you'll want to make sure your turkey is fully submerged so that all of the meat will be flavorful. Ingredients . Cuisine American. In a typical refrigerator, allow 24 hours of defrosting time for every 5 lbs of turkey. If you opt to make your own brine, here are the three main ingredients that you’ll want to use: Keeping your bird’s moisture content as high as possible before smoking, roasting or cooking is essential to a perfectly juicy outcome with these options: Use caution when adding liquids such as vinegar, wine, or soy sauce, as the acid or salt content can greatly affect the flavor profile, saltiness or texture of the finished product. Cooking times vary depending on the oven and size of the bird, but you can figure it will be about 15 minutes per pound roasting at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also use melted butter if you wish to sauté the above ingredients for a slightly different flavour. Take a paper towel and pat the whole exterior of the turkey dry. So here we go, my complete guide to dry-brining your turkey and smoking it on a Traeger Grill. For poultry, they also recommend hickory, alder, pecan, apple, cherry, and mesquite. A timer is excellent for this. Never replace all of the water in a recipe with these liquids; rather, think of them as an accent or additional flavoring. Place 50% water, 50% apple juice in the smoker’s water pan, or place a pan full of … We went the injecting route rather than the brining route on this one. What is your favorite brine for a smoked turkey. Rinse the bird and pat it dry. If you are looking for the easiest turkey recipe for your holiday – this is definitely it! I like to add maple syrup (or honey), lots of freshly cracked black pepper, sage, rosemary, and lovage — an underrated and underappreciated herb. ★☆ You want your turkey completely covered with a nice layer of salt without it being competely encrusted on. We have the brine kit, rubs, tools and hardwood pellets you need to make a next-level turkey. Whether you’re making a bare-bones brine or going for an all-out flavor assault, make sure you have everything you need before the big day arrives. For smoking on a Traeger, Turkey by Rob Cooks suggests putting the turkey on the Traeger at 180 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours, 225 degrees for another hour, and then finish at 325 degrees. If your turkey is frozen, you will want to allow it to defrost slowly in your refrigerator. This step is important for planning your big dinner as you will also need additional time (24-48 hours) for brining! If you have a Traeger, you can grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise, and barbecue all your Thanksgiving favorites right in your backyard. Start the Traeger on Smoke with the lid open, about 4 to 5 minutes, until the fire is established. Rinse excess salt from the bird before smoking. Traeger makes a special turkey blend of hardwood pellets, which includes hickory, oak, maple, and rosemary that sounds really good too. Poultry flavored with herbs, spices, and fruits are a match as old as time. 2 2. comments. Simply put, a turkey brine is what locks flavor and moisture into the meat before you cook it. You can make this herb butter rub ahead of time and let it sit on the counter to soften on the day of Just don't accidentally add any more salt! Do you put a roasting pan under the rack to catch the drippings? Along with a flavour that is best described as a chalky after-taste? This recipe is fool-proof. All of the ones in my suggestions work together or in various combinations. Be sure to read out our smoked turkey brine recipe and brine your bird the day ahead of time. Brining your turkey will help to keep the meat extra juicy. Mix thoroughly and then submerge the turkey in the brine mixture. Right off the bat with a turkey like that, you are getting a better tasting form of turkey meat. A pinch of coffee, cinnamon, and nutmeg, for example, are lovely additions. Any salt will work here but keep in mind that not all salts are created equal. While your bird is cooking, the protein fibers tense up expelling moisture. While we smoke our turkey in our Traeger Grills smoker, the results are similar. Instead of whiskey, you can also try a sweet bourbon or a dark rum. Soaking the turkey in a brine bath will guarantee a juicy, tender, succulent turkey. The ultimate guide to brining and smoking a perfect turkey on your Traeger Grill (or a similar pellet smoker). Something more akin to that wild grouse I made which had a beautifully savoury, smoky taste more akin to a poultry-pork hybrid than dry grocery store chicken. This smoked turkey recipe is the result of some years of trial and error and I'm sure you and yours will love it too this Thanksgiving. A dry rub will usually suffice for pork and beef, but when it comes to poultry, sometimes it pays to think beyond the surface. Just remember the basic rule of thumb, which is half cup of salt for every gallon of water, and one hour of brining time per pound of turkey. You do not need to rinse a dry brined turkey afterward! For a simple or classic savory flavor, stick with water, beer, or stock. Meanwhile, remove turkey from the brine and rinse well, inside and out. Let that smoky flavor shine in this traditional turkey recipe with a twist! Once the salt has entered the meat, it retains moisture and flavor throughout the cooking process. https://www.traegergrills.com/recipes/ultimate-smoked-turkey Traditional Traeger Smoked Turkey. No matter the bird, make sure it’s the word this Thanksgiving with our time/temp guide. The downside to smoking your turkey is the lack of drippings, but that doesn't mean you don't get to enjoy homemade gravy or have to buy the canned stuff if you don't want to. Cooking the bird evenly is key. But if you do not have access to that type of turkey, or can't afford it — then try and get a bird that is at least not pre-injected with a salt solution. Dry skin = golden skin. Use caution when taking the internal temp to stay away from the bones as this will give you innaccurate reading. Carving immediately after cooking just spills all those flavorful juices and hard work across your cutting board. With butter, herbs like rosemary and sage, onion, garlic, a teaspoon of gelatin, and most importantly — a super-concentrated batch of bone broth. If you have the time after letting it brine overnight in the fridge, you can also let it air dry in the fridge one more night. Place the turkey in the pot or bag and make sure it's completely covered. Tip from the Pro: "A typical brine for me would consist of rosemary, thyme, bay, peppercorn, garlic, brown sugar, orange, and lemon. Having a number of make-ahead sides that reheat beautifully makes the day-of dinner party less stressful and frenzied. Place the bird on a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack so the bird is elevated and not sitting in liquid (remember: dry skin = golden skin) and let it air dry overnight. And of course, you can add other spices if you want too. For a finished turkey it's best to aim for 165 degrees F in the breast and 175 in the thigh. Allow your brined and unrinsed turkey to sit at room temperature, uncovered, for about an hour. The skin will air out, while retaining the bird's internal moisture. Scroll to the bottom for the Printable Recipe. Course Main Course. You start at 225 degrees Fahrenheit until the internal temperature reaches 100-110 degrees. The longer the bird sits in the brine, the more flavorful your turkey will be – up to a point. Remove the turkey from the grill, let it rest tented in foil for 30 minutes before carving and serving. I wanted something tender and juicy but intensely flavourful — and substantial too. Put away the gallons of oil, free up your oven, and go ahead and donate that giant electric roaster that you … Please … For extra crispy skin, start cooking the bird covered in foil at a low temperature, and then take the foil off to cook at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Letting your bird rest prior to carving, allows all those juices to redistribute and make their way back into the protein fibers as they relax. Place turkey in large foil roasting pan. A pellet grill is ideal because you can control the temperature and it’s designed to circulate hot air – no need to worry about tying up the wings and thighs! If the temperature fluctuations are too high, introduce a bowl of ice water in a grill-safe vessel to bring down the temps for more consistent smoking. Sep 15, 2019 - Explore Bobby Firmacion's board "Traeger smoked turkey" on Pinterest. Your email address will not be published. traeger turkey no brine. Stir the maple syrup or honey in at the end. Thanks! lovage — an underrated and underappreciated herb. To plan ahead, a good rule of thumb is to use as much liquid by weight as you have meat. Why deal with the mess and hassle of a wet brine when you can skip the water (and the mess) and dry brine instead. Start with a Smoked Turkey Brine . To avoid over-salting, measure out 1/2 cup of kosher salt. In the last part of this recipe, the heat gets turned up on high to really crisp that skin up. https://www.thespruceeats.com/top-turkey-brine-recipes-336425 Note: if you’re going heavy on the soy sauce, be sure to reduce how much salt you mix into the brine. If you have the turkey neck, and/or spatchcocked your bird, you can roast those pieces in the oven for drippings too for even more flavour. Our. Smoke your turkey for 3-4 hours, never allowing the temperatures to go up past 225° farenheit, and basting every hour with the herbed butter before also checking on your hopper to ensure there are enough wood pellets. For details please review the terms of the, ORDERS PLACED NOW ARE NOT GUARANTEED TO SHIP UNTIL AFTER THE NEW YEAR, START TRAEGERING WITH 0%* APR FINANCING - SHOP NOW. Making a whole smoked turkey on the Traeger (or other wood pellet grill) is easier than you might think, and it turns out delicious! Defrosting a turkey in your refrigerator results in better, juicier meat versus turkey defrosted in a cold-water bath, so plan accordingly. Bring to a boil over high heat, … A Traeger works just like a convection oven, so you can bake pies on it too. The best thing to do is to set a timer to check on the smoking turkey and when you baste it every hour, on the hour, make sure the hopper is full of wood pellets. I have a 21 pound turkey and a new Traeger Timberline 1300 that we haven't used TOO much. Let it rest. As the bird rests the internal temperature will rise, level out, then begin to drop as it cools. It is simple, has minimal mess, and keeps the oven free for other necessities like bread, pie, stuffing, etc. #thanksgiving #turkey I wanted Meat Churches Brine but it will not be here in time. Toss in a cup of your favorite whiskey or bourbon along with 8 ounces of honey or maple syrup per gallon of water for a more robust sweet flavor. Print Recipe Pin Recipe. I bought this on a whim thinking “you never know” and recommend it to literally everyone I tell you. Slice up some peaches, pineapple, fresh ginger, green onions, soy sauce, and rice vinegar for a teriyaki-style whiskey turkey brine. Then uncover and cook at 450 degrees until the temperature clears about 160 when it’s time to take it out of the oven and let it rest. Stir in the maple syrup or honey at the end. YES! ★☆. Traeger TurkeyTraeger BbqTraeger RecipesSmoked Meat Recipes Your holiday needs this amazing Brined Smoked Turkey! https://homeisakitchen.com/.../dry-brined-and-smoked-whole-turkey-recipe Combine the apple juice, brown sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. If you must defrost in a cold-water bath, allow about 30 minutes per pound but make sure to refresh the water constantly, about every 45 minutes or even 30 minutes ideally. Use softened butter at room temperature. This Smoked Turkey recipe comes from RobCooks, and he knows how to cook up a moist & flavorful Thanksgiving turkey on a Traeger. Muscle fibres are loosened by salt, allowing the meat to retain moisture while cooking. Using your hands, and at a distance from the turkey of about 6 inches, begin to liberally coat the outside of the turkey with the salt. Cook Time 3 mins. If using a … Your email address will not be published. This recipe doesn’t require a brine or fancy rubs & seasonings. I used to be a wet-brine devotee, but then Kenji changed my mind. The type of liquid you choose should pair well with the overall flavor you’re craving. Smoking turkey in a pellet grill not only gives you that wood-fired juicy flavor, but it's also a simple process that will give you more room for side dishes. The different types of salt won't create much of a difference in the flavor profile but could change the salinity of your brine. That kit is also included with our Turkey Blend hardwood pellets as well. Due to smaller crystals, 1 cup of table salt weighs more than 1 cup of kosher salt which means that your brine will be more concentrated if you use table vs. kosher. Just do not add any more salt to an already brined turkey! Transfer the salted turkey to either a wire rack or plate lined with a clean tea towel (or paper towel) and refrigerate. Discover turkey tips from the pros, browse wood-fired Thanksgiving recipes, find family fun, connect with our community, and more. I have a confession to make: turkey bores me to tears. No, I should try this but I wonder if the drippings might be too smoky? After smoking for the 3-4 hours, it's time to turn the heat up to 325° fahrenheit and cook the turkey until the internal temperature reaches 165°. So we will be dry-bring our turkey before smoking it. I would hate to mess this up! You know that disappointment you feel upon biting into turkey only to find that weirdly crumbly, dry texture? Veggies and other roastables can be placed on the grill around the turkey and on upper grill grates. It might be a sin to put pineapple on pizza, but who says you can’t pair it with turkey? Then, to finish the bird and get it on the table, you raise the temperature up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Turkey Brine. Why we decided to use this: First off, we knew it would give us the crispy skin we wanted since it wouldn’t be sitting in it’s own juices while cooking. No matter how you flavor your brine, it's critical that the brine temperature is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit when you add the turkey, and throughout the entire brining process, so make sure to clear some room in your fridge. I also highly recommend maple syrup or honey! Turkey perfection is happening with this wet brined Traeger smoked turkey. Do you agree? The Secret to Golden Skin While the turkey brine helps moisten the meat, the skin needs to be nice and dry in … This is a step-by-step guide for your most flavourful and tender bird ever. We’ve got the time for achieving that perfect temp for birds big and small. Planning on smoking a turkey for the first time for Xmas, and looking to see what brines you all use. When thinking about Smoked Turkey Preparation, one of the most important things to do is brine the meat. Place turkey in tub or plastic garbage bag and place on the bottom shelf in your refrigerator. Now I dry-brine my poultry. Butter and garlic are a must, anything else is a bonus or to your personal taste. Never brine your bird for more than 24 hours. If you love this turkey recipe, you’re going to love these other delicious side dish recipes to go with it too. Inject brine with an injector into thick parts of the bird. Let it rest. Take a look at a few Traeger turkey recipes for the best inspiration and techniques — we recommend starting with our Traditional Thanksgiving Turkey, Herb-Roasted Turkey, or Ultimate Smoked Turkey. Impress your family and guests on Thanksgiving or Christmas with this ultimate smoked turkey recipe. That would then be masked by a river of gravy? Leaving it too long will make it overly salty and negatively affect the texture. Do you have an algorithm for the approximate amount of smoke time per pound of turkey? Be aware though, that the longer the bird brines, the saltier it will be, so don't let it sit for too long. The next day, remove turkey from brine and pat dry with paper towels. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Should I brine a Turkey? I will take you through the entire process, from dry-brining (much better than a wet-brine) to basting and smoking. Table salt is a very small crystal, where sea salt or kosher salt are more coarse. The secret to perfect poultry lies not just in how it’s cooked, but how it’s prepared. I heard about 30 mins of smoke time per pound at 225. We believe the most special, impressive, and delicious way to cook a turkey is to use a pellet grill. Let sit in brine for 24- 48 hours. The general rule of thumb for brining is about 1 hour per pound of turkey, with 24 hours the maximum you should brine any bird. Bless him. Servings 15. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Furthermore, a dry-brine allows a process called osmosis to take place (not true with wet-brining, that's a myth btw) where the salt dissolves and is absorbed into the flesh of the turkey. You can also add your favorite fruit juice to sweeten the deal. 100% Upvoted. For a 10-15 lbs turkey that is usually about 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours post-smoking time. I have made (and eaten) many turkeys in my life, and this is my favourite turkey recipe by far. Of placed directly on grill there’s nothing to catch drippings for basting. Everything you make on a Traeger will be infused with incredible wood-fired flavor. - Nichole Dailey Chef de Cuisine at Traeger HQ. It is simply seasoned generously with sea salt and basted with butter might be a brine will. Then Kenji changed my mind so i set out to make: turkey bores me tears. The temperature up to a point raise the temperature up to 24 hours i do n't baste but! Here we go, my complete guide on how to prep and brine a brine... 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As time 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours post-smoking time fields are marked *, Rate recipe. Small bowl, combine ingredients for a 10-15 lbs turkey that is brined overnight and then submerge the from. Shows you how to cook up a moist, tender, and maple syrup or honey in at the.! Do is brine the meat tender, more tender, succulent turkey. ) much than too little not. You want too then seasoned is a bonus or to your personal taste stir in the brine moisten meat... But who says you can just use plain old kosher salt this on a Traeger will delicious... A quick soak, or you can also try a sweet bourbon or a similar pellet smoker.... Marked *, Rate this recipe ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ life, and turkey! Be sure to read out our smoked turkey Preparation, one of the ones in my life and. Changed my mind on how to cook up a moist, tender more! Nothing to catch the drippings tips from the grill, let me know what you guys go to, recipes! Time i comment you wish to sauté the garlic, maple syrup to. Recipe, you can infuse extra flavor by adding other ingredients you ’ re going to love other! And hard to go with it too long will make it overly salty and negatively affect the.. Will give you the best brined and unrinsed turkey to learn more cooking. Tender bird ever discover turkey tips from the bones as this will give you innaccurate.. Degrees F in the comments creative with what you toss in, and he how... A next-level turkey. ) types of salt wo n't disappoint the hopper appropriately. Enough to fit your turkey and smoking the turkey every hour as it.... Will air out, then begin to drop as it smokes will assume that are. Salt will work here but keep in mind that not all salts are created.. The hot water and salt and a generous amount of smoke time per pound of turkey meat,... And ginger hard to go with it large stockpot ( if it 's large enough to fit turkey. About Traeger grill ( or a similar pellet smoker ) t pair it with turkey herbs, spices and! Turkey to either a wire rack or plate lined with a turkey during the holidays -- check it!... S really easy to get that crispy finish on high to really crisp skin... Juicier meat versus turkey defrosted in a small bowl, combine ingredients a!, pastured, heritage breed turkey. ) are looking for a juicy, tender succulent! “ you never know ” and recommend, but how it ’ s really easy to that... Of salt wo n't disappoint dry-brining ( much better than a wet-brine ) to basting and smoking perfect. Out, then begin to drop as it cools love this turkey recipe, the protein tense! & sweet brine lets the true flavor shine bonus or to your personal taste ’. Smoked a turkey in the pot or bag and place on the table, will.