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Tender smoked turkey deliciously seasoned is sure to be a hit at your next big gathering.
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- 1-3 hours
- Main Course
- Low Carb
- Paleo
- An Afternoon Smoke
- Charcoal
Grill-friendly weather alert! It’s the perfect week to make brisket *weather forecast provided by Openweathermap.org
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- 1 Food Prep 15 mins + Brine
- 2 Grill Prep 10–20 mins
- 3 The Cook 3 hrs
Cooking for 8 people
Ingredients
-
1 12–14 lb turkey
-
onion
-
garlic
-
lemon slices
-
salt and pepper to taste
1 Food Prep
First, start by brining your turkey to prevent turkey dryness. For a 12 lb. turkey, brine your turkey for 12 hours, using 1½ cups of kosher salt or ¾ cup of table salt per 5 quarts of hot water. Increase or decrease the amount of water and salt you use, relative to the weight of your turkey. Cool the brining solution to a temperature less than 40°F before submerging the turkey.
- Once your turkey has been brined, it’s time to season inside and out. Place chopped aromatics — onions, garlic, even apple or lemon slices — inside the cavity of your turkey.
- Then, put a light coat of olive oil and spices on the outside of your turkey to ramp up flavor and help to form that crispy mahogany skin we all love. Finally, season the outside of your turkey with salt and pepper, fresh or dried herbs (sage and thyme are great) or even a BBQ rub. Remember to go easy on the salt if you’ve already brined your turkey.
2 Grill Prep
- Fuel: We recommend Kingsford® Original Charcoal Briquets. Add about 2 cups of Kingsford® BBQ Smoking Chips (that have been soaked in water for at least 30 minutes) over the coals. Replenish your smoke wood as needed during your cook, but be careful not to oversmoke your turkey.
- Method: Two-Zone Fire: Parallel Configuration
- Temp: 375°F (Medium Heat)
How to Gauge Grill Heat Without a Thermometer Carefully hold your hand about 5” to 6” above the grate, and refer to the temperature settings below: • High Heat (450° to 550°F): Make sure your clothing doesn’t touch the grate, and always move your hand away from the heat before you feel discomfort. When you’re at temp, put cooking oil on a folded paper towel. Grab the oiled paper towel with long-handled tongs and oil the grate thoroughly.
2 to 4 seconds
•Medium Heat (350° to 450°F):
5 to 6 seconds
•Low Heat (250° to 350°F):
8 to 10 seconds
3 The Cook
When you’re at temp, put cooking oil on a folded paper towel. Grab the oiled paper towel with long-handled tongs and oil the grate thoroughly.
Grill your turkey with the lid on at about 350°F, using the vents to regulate temperature.
Smoke your turkey until your digital meat thermometer reads 165°F inside the thickest part of the breast, or about 175°F in the thigh. It’ll take roughly three hours for your turkey to reach this temperature, depending on its size.
Once your turkey reaches the target temperature, take it off of the grill and let it rest for 20 to 30 minutes to allow juices to redistribute throughout the turkey. For easy carving, remove each side of the breast in one piece, then slice across the grain. Enjoy!
Here’s How to Control Your Grill Temperature with Vents An easy way to control the temperature of your grill is by opening and closing its vents. To reduce the temperature: Close the vents on your grill to reduce the flow of oxygen. To increase the temperature: Open up the vents fully to allow more oxygen in to increase the flames.
For safe meat preparation, reference the USDA website.
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Reviews
5.0
9 Reviews
Rated 5 out of 5 by Stephaniemichelle77 from Kingsford Smoked Turkey recipe. I used the ingridents in this recipe and it was amazing. Cant wait to do it again.
Date published: 2023-11-25
Rated 5 out of 5 by DorrB from 12 lb turkey I have a pit barrel smoker, after brining overnight l pat dry and then rub it with olive oil and then put a healthy amount of Mac’s BBQ rub sold in SKiatook Okla at MAC’s place and then I have a poultry hanger and let it smoke upside down until it gets to the temperature required. After that I wrapped it in aluminum foil and let sit for about 30 minutes, delicious! Kingsford coals last a long time also apple chunks for the smoke. I also inject melted butter all over.
Date published: 2023-11-20
Rated 5 out of 5 by Harry2 from Done to a tee Loved this recipe, have used a variation for years. Instead of using wood chips i use mesquite chunks. I plan on 20 minutes per pound and use a water pan to minimize dryness, removing it for the last 30 minutes to crisp the skin
Date published: 2023-11-07
Rated 5 out of 5 by BoneRaider from Directed me correctly Love Kingsford charcoal and thier grilling recipes
Date published: 2023-11-06
Rated 5 out of 5 by Hma1 from Awesome Smoked Turkey Great recipe for this Turkey! My husband and I used a similar recipe except we used butter! So I know this will come out Awesome!
Date published: 2023-10-24
Rated 5 out of 5 by Kimberly Kitchen from Perfectly smoked and wonderfully flavored. Simple and very tender and smokey. Herbs with olive oil are great for crispy turkey.
Date published: 2023-09-03
Rated 5 out of 5 by JanetK1970 from Perfectly Smoked This recipe is one of the easiest ways for perfectly smoked turkey.
Date published: 2023-07-31
Rated 5 out of 5 by Mikey52 from Very easy and simple I've made this more then once. It's requested for Thanksgiving
Date published: 2023-06-14
Rated 5 out of 5 by Ag97 from Directions Don't soak your wood chips. First wood does not absorb water or all the trees would turn to mush when it rains. Second it only gives you smoldering dirty smoke and steam and does not extend the burn time.
Date published: 2022-08-25
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