Smoking A Turkey on A Pellet Grill (Guide and Recipe)

Smoking a turkey on a pellet grill is guaranteed to be a great addition to any special occasion meal. Imagine the smoky aroma wafting through the air, making everyone in the vicinity hungry and anticipating something delicious.

Cooking the turkey with a pellet grill gives it an unbeatable flavor and texture that can only be achieved with this unique cooking method. With just a few simple steps, you can easily turn your turkey into a succulent masterpiece that will leave everyone asking for seconds!

When the fall holidays roll around making a turkey is on top of the list! But with all the other side dishes, who has the oven space to cook a whole turkey for hours on end?

We don't know about you, but we could totally use some extra oven room for holiday cooking, but that doesn't mean we want to give up the juicy fresh turkey. 

Instead, we like to make a smoked turkey on our Traegar or other pellet grill and watch as everyone ooh's and ahh's as we bring the perfectly smoked turkey to the dinner table. 

Why Make This Traeger Turkey Recipe

• Smoked turkey has a unique flavor that can really enhance your holiday meal. 
• You can easily cook your turkey faster than in the oven, leaving you more time to work on other side dishes. 
• Adding wood chips adds a delicious smoky taste to the meat that you won't get with an oven. 
• Grilling a turkey is much less labor intensive than roasting it in the oven, leaving you more time for other activities. 
• When cooked correctly, you will get a nice, beautiful crispy skin and super tender and juicy meat that melts in your mouth. 
• Presenting a smoked turkey at Thanksgiving dinner definitely makes an impressive statement!

Thanksgiving Turkey Ingredients Notes

Here is where we like to share some brands that are safe to use and some notes for what you need to make a turkey on the smoker. Get more info on these in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

You only need 5 simple ingredients for this recipe.

• Fresh Turkey or Frozen Turkey
• Water
• Garlic powder
• Salt
• Black pepper

How to Smoke A Turkey On A Pellet Grill

Let's start with prepping the turkey. This recipe will work with smaller turkeys or a large turkey. 

1. Select a fresh or thawed turkey. If your turkey is frozen it's recommended to allow 24 hours of thawing for every 5lbs of turkey. Experts suggest 1 pound of turkey for each guest.
2. You can place the turkey in a bag in the refrigerator. Or you can leave the turkey in its bag and place it in a sink with cold water to cover. The water needs to be changed every 60 minutes and the turkey needs 30 minutes for every pound to thaw.
3. After your turkey is thawed, remove the neck and giblets. Rinse with cold water. Dry off the skin and inside the turkey cavity using paper towels. If needed cut off the excess skin in front of the turkey breast.

Prepare the Turkey Brine

1. In a large bucket or container combine all brine ingredients. Place turkey in brine bucket and fill with water to cover the turkey. Place in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours.
2. Before getting ready to smoke the turkey, some people like to add a dry rub, or even a butter rub directly on the skin of the turkey for even more flavor. This is optional, but can provide even more flavor as it smokes. 

Smoking Instructions

1. Start with your Traeger Grill lid open and on smoke. It will take about 3-5 minutes for the grill to start smoking. Then, close the lid and turn to high at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes. Return the grill back to smoke and place the turkey directly onto the grill grate breast side up. Smoke for 2 ½ to 3 hours with the lid closed. You can smoke longer if you'd like more smoke flavor.
2. When smoking is complete, switch the grill to medium (275-300F) to finish cooking the turkey. You may want to place the turkey in a roasting pan to catch the drippings. This will take 1-3 hours depending on the size of the turkey and the outside temperature.
3. Always test for doneness with an instant-read thermometer. Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh alongside the breast or in the thickest part of the breast-whichever is thicker. Take your turkey off the grill when the internal temperature is 165F. Take a towel and wipe off the turkey smoke soot.
4. Let the turkey rest for another 20-30 minutes. This will help the juices settle and ensure a moist cut of meat. Plate and garnish with herbs like rosemary springs, thyme, or sage. Add in a few apples, pears, or oranges for some color.  Cut and serve with homemade option turkey gravy and enjoy!

Storage

Leftover smoked turkey should be refrigerated as soon as possible. Slice the turkey into thin pieces and store it in an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap. 

If you plan to eat the turkey within 2-3 days, it can remain in the refrigerator. 

If planning to keep it longer, freeze it immediately after cooking. To thaw frozen smoked turkey, let it sit overnight in the refrigerator or use cold water and place it under running cold water until thawed. 

Reheat until the internal temperature is 165F. 

Tips 

• The cooking time required for this pellet smoker whole turkey recipe may change depending on the size of your turkey. So, always use a meat thermometer with a nice temperature probe inserted in the thickest part of the breast to ensure that the whole bird is cooked evenly and is safe for consumption. 
• If you don't have a Traeger Pellet grill, any wood pellet grill will work for this recipe! A good pellet smoker will give you wonderful smoked turkey.
• Keep the outdoor temperature in mind the day you smoke.
• If you need to increase your grilling temp to a higher temperature to cook your turkey faster, you can do this at the end. A turkey doesn't have a lot of connective tissue that needs to break down and cook on low and slow like some other kinds of meat do, so increasing the temp as the turkey cooks can help you get to a finished turkey, faster.

Variations

​Use other fresh herbs. Instead of the simple garlic powder, salt and pepper combo we have here, you can use any of your favorite herbs. 

Add flavors to your turkey brine. 

More lathering. Feel free to lather the turkey skin with dairy free melted butter and sprinkle with more kosher salt (if your brine was a little light) as it rests before you cut it. 

FAQ

How to carve a smoked turkey

Carving a smoked turkey is easier than you might think. Here are the steps: 

1. Put on a pair of kitchen gloves and have a carving board handy.
2. Use a carving knife to make an incision down the center of the bird's breastplate.
3. Slice through each side of the breast and cut away slices from each side at an angle, working your way down until all meat has been removed from both sides. 
4. Separate the thighs from the drumsticks by cutting near joint where it connects to the body. 
5. To remove the thigh meat, hold onto one end of it and slice downward into the thigh until all meat has been removed from it as well as from the legs and wings. 
6. Once done, collect all remaining juices from inside carcass using a clean spoon or brush for extra flavor when serving! 

Kitchen Tools You'll Need

Carving Knife 

Carving Board 

Kitchen Gloves 

Large Spoon or Brush 

More safe & delicious Thanksgiving recipes

If you love smoking a turkey, you'll needs some sides and desserts to go with it!

• creamy mashed potatoes--  we enjoy this crowd pleasing potato recipe year round
• crock-pot stuffing-- this is the easiest stuffing recipe and it tastes so, so comforting- perfect to add around the entire bird
• the most delicious sweet potato casserole-- Thanksgiving is not complete without this mouthwatering side dish. This traditional side dish is a must.
• pecan pie bars-- wow these mouthwatering ooey gooey bars are a crowd favorite. No one will guess they're gluten and dairy free either.
• homemade butter tarts-- this dessert table tart originated in Canada. Just make these once and you'll be hooked to make them every year.

The Full Guide On Cooking A Turkey on a Pellet Grill

This is a delicious gluten and dairy free brine recipe and smoker tips to keep your turkey moist, tender, and full of mouthwatering flavor.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 64kcal

Author: Victoria Sharp

Ingredients

• 1 - 1 ½ cups Salt
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Salt
• 1 Turkey we used a 12 lb turkey
• 1 gallon water the amount may change

Instructions

• Select a fresh or thawed turkey. If your turkey is frozen it's recommended to allow 24 hours of thawing for every 5lbs of turkey. Experts suggest 1 pound of turkey for each guest.
• You can place the turkey in a bag in the refrigerator. Or you can leave the turkey in its bag and place it in a sink with cold water to cover. The water needs to be changed every 60 minutes and the turkey needs 30 minutes for every pound to thaw.
• After your turkey is thawed, remove the neck and giblets. Rinse with cold water. Dry off the skin and inside the turkey cavity using paper towels. If needed cut off the excess skin in front of the turkey breast.

Prepare the Turkey Brine

• In a large bucket or container combine all brine ingredients. Place turkey in brine bucket and fill with water to cover the turkey. Place in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours.
• Before getting ready to smoke the turkey, some people like to add a dry rub, or even a butter rub directly on the skin of the turkey for even more flavor. This is optional, but can provide even more flavor as it smokes.

Smoking Instructions

• Start with your Traeger Grill lid open and on smoke. It will take about 3-5 minutes for the grill to start smoking. Then, close the lid and turn to high at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes. Return the grill back to smoke and place the turkey directly onto the grill grate breast side up. Smoke for 2 ½ to 3 hours with the lid closed. You can smoke longer if you'd like more smoke flavor.
• When smoking is complete, switch the grill to medium (275-300F) to finish cooking the turkey. You may want to place the turkey in a roasting pan to catch the drippings. This will take 1-3 hours depending on the size of the turkey and the outside temperature.
• Always test for doneness with an instant-read thermometer. Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh alongside the breast or in the thickest part of the breast-whichever is thicker. Take your turkey off the grill when the internal temperature is 165F. Take a towel and wipe off the turkey smoke soot.
• Let the turkey rest for another 20-30 minutes. This will help the juices settle and ensure a moist cut of meat. Plate and garnish with herbs like rosemary springs, thyme, or sage. Add in a few apples, pears, or oranges for some color.  Cut and serve with homemade option turkey gravy and enjoy!

Notes

• Sometimes the nutritional calculators don't include gluten and dairy free brands, so they use "traditional" products. Remember that these nutritional facts are just estimates. You will need to use your own calculator with info from your brands of choice to get more accurate results.

Nutrition

Calories: 64kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 0.02g | Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 15519mg | Potassium: 4mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 0.02IU | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

These Nutritional Facts are ESTIMATED. Your actual nutritional info with this recipe may vary depending on the brands you choose. “Eating Gluten and Dairy Free” is not a registered dietician or nutritionist. The provided nutritional info above is based on a generic calculator, if you want more accurate info, use your nutritional calculator of choice where you can choose brands and get more info that way.

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