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Smoked Turkey

✇HowToBBBQRight
By: Malcom Reed
3 November 2025 at 14:40

Smoked Turkey

Juicy Meat & Crispy Skin Every Time

This smoked turkey is all about big flavor and perfect texture — juicy meat with crispy, bite-through skin. The secret isn’t complicated: a simple brine, a good dry, and steady heat on the pit.

Once the bird soaks up that flavor, I let the skin dry out, season it from top to bottom, and smoke it low and slow over pecan wood. The result is golden skin that crackles when you slice and meat so tender it practically drips juice.

Serve it hot off the board for Thanksgiving dinner and show off what a real smoked turkey should taste like.

WHAT MALCOM USED IN THIS RECIPE:

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smoked turkey

Smoked Turkey

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Description

Juicy, smoky, and crisped to perfection — this smoked turkey is everything a holiday bird should be. Tender, flavorful, and kissed with just the right amount of smoke — it’s turkey done right.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole turkey (12–18 lbs), thawed
  • HowToBBQRight Ultimate Brine Kit
    • OR
      • 1 bottle Malcom’s Bird Brine
      • 1 bottle Killer Hogs AP Seasoning
      • 1 bottle Malcom’s King Craw Cajun Seasoning
      • Meat Bag
  • Water (enough to completely submerge turkey)
  • 1 stalk celery, cut into chunks
  • 1 medium onion, quartered
  • 1 apple, quartered
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • Cooking spray or oil (for coating the skin)
  • Chicken Rack (optional)

Instructions

  1. Brine the Turkey
    1. Mix one bottle of Bird Brine with 1 gallon of water until dissolved. Place the turkey in a large brining bag or container and pour the brine mixture over the bird. Add enough cold water to completely submerge.
    2. Seal the bag (or cover the container) and refrigerate for 24 hours. For larger turkeys (over 16 lbs), brine up to 48 hours.
  2. Dry and Prep
    1. Remove the turkey from the brine and discard the liquid. Pat the skin completely dry with paper towels—this is key to getting crispy skin.
  3. Stuff the Cavity
    1. Place the celery, onion, apple and garlic (use whatever aromatics you like) inside the cavity.
    2. Tie the legs together and tuck the wing tips underneath so the turkey cooks evenly.
  4. Oil and Season
    1. Lightly coat the entire surface of the turkey with cooking spray or oil.
    2. Season the backside first with a medium coat of Killer Hogs AP Seasoning, followed by a medium coat of Malcom’s King Craw Cajun Seasoning.
    3. Flip the turkey onto a rack and repeat on the top side with the same layers of seasoning.
  5. Smoke the Turkey
    1. Preheat your smoker or grill to 275°F using pecan pellets (or your preferred wood).
    2. Place the turkey on the pit, centered for even airflow, and cook until the internal temperature in the deepest part of the breast reaches 160°F.
  6. Rest and Serve
    1. Remove the turkey from the smoker and rest for 20 minutes. The internal temperature will carry over to about 165°F in the breast and 175°F in the dark meat.

 

That’s how you smoke a turkey that comes out juicy every single time — with golden, crispy skin and that rich, smoky flavor you can only get from cooking it low and slow. Keep it simple, trust the process, and you’ll carve into the best turkey you’ve ever put on the table.

Malcom Reed
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The post Smoked Turkey appeared first on HowToBBBQRight.

Smoked & Fried Turkey Recipe

✇HowToBBBQRight
By: Malcom Reed
3 November 2022 at 16:03
Smoked & Fried Turkey Recipe

Smoked Fried Turkey

I brined this 12lb bird, then smoked it on a pellet grill until it hit around 150° internal, then I dropped it in 350° peanut oil until the breast was 165° in the breast. And as soon as it came out of the hot oil, I gave it a good shake of my cajun seasoning….

This turkey can our with a super crunchy, crispy skin on the outside and some seriously juicy and lightly smoked meat on the inside!

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Smoked & Fried Turkey Recipe

Description

Smoked Fried Turkey – whole turkey brined and smoked with pecan wood,  then deep fried it in peanut oil for a juicy, smoked turkey with a crispy turkey skin.  

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Remove thawed turkey from packaging be sure to check the cavity and neck area for giblets.
  2. Place the turkey in Meat Bag or large container and pour in the bottle of Bird Brine. Add 2 gallons of water (enough to completely submerge the bird) and place in the refrigerator or in a cooler on ice for 24-48 hours.
  3. Remove turkey from brine and allow to drain. Place on a wire rack over a sheet pan and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to dry the skin. (It helps to pat the excess moisture off the skin with paper towel)
  4. Prepare pellet grill for indirect smoking at 275°F using pecan pellets.
  5. Spray the skin with the cooking spray – or another oil – and season with AP seasoning on all sides.
  6. Place the turkey in the smoker breast side up until an internal meat probe hits about 150° F.
  7. Set up a turkey fryer for deep frying at 350°F using peanut oil for best flavor. Any clear frying oil will work.
  8. Remove the turkey from the smoker and insert the turkey frying rod/hanger through the cavity.
  9. Leave the meat probe inserted in the thickest part of the breast to monitor internal temperature while frying.
  10. Carefully lower the turkey breast side down into the hot oil. Use extreme caution and follow the turkey fryer directions carefully.
  11. When the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the breast, carefully remove the turkey from the hot oil allowing it to drain. Place the turkey immediately on a cutting board breast side up and remove the turkey frying rod/hanger.
  12. Season the outer skin with King Craw Cajun Seasoning and let the bird rest for 5-10 minutes before carving.

Malcom Reed
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The post Smoked & Fried Turkey Recipe appeared first on HowToBBBQRight.

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