Besides carving up a brisket tableside, there is nothing more captivating than cooking and presenting an awesome turkey. This BBQ Brian’s Whole-Smoked Turkey recipe was published by Figure One in Grilling With House of Q and shares the steps to master this remarkable bird.

Smoke, Grill or Cook in the Oven?

There are choices to cook your turkey. The choice is yours! But, there can be a few things to consider as you choose which way you want to cook your turkey.

• Does it fit? make sure your turkey fits where you want to cook it. This sounds stupid but, it happens… you prepare your turkey and start to place it in your oven and determine, it doesn’t fit. Or your smoker lid won’t close because the bird is too big. Take the step to check if the bird fits where you want to cook it.
• What else am I cooking? if you chose to cook your turkey in your kitchen oven, consider what else you want to cook along with the centre-of-the-table protein. Do you have baked sweet potatoes, bean casserole and also need to bake bread while the turkey takes up the entire oven? Maybe the turkey can be cooked in your grill instead allowing you to cook the other items more easily in the kitchen.
• Think about the flavours? trust me, a smoked turkey can be absolutely delicious. The added flavour of the smoke can be appealing. However it can also be dominant and off-putting for those that don’t like the smokiness. Maybe grill roasting in your grill will be best with just a hint of smoke flavour instead of the full character of a live fire.

Don’t Skip the Brine

For those that have taken the step to brine their turkey, chicken, or pork chops, they often say they will never cook the same meat again without brining. It is a game changing step that offers plenty of flavour, moisture and seasoning.

In this recipe there is a “basic” recipe for brining a turkey. But in The Juiciest, Smoked Chicken Recipe, there are is a different flavour with Slow Smoke Gold added to the brine. This might be an option for you for your turkey. With the base recipe posted below, you can easily change it to your liking by changing the “sweet” element to honey, molasses, apple cider or agave syrup. The liquid or water portion could be changed to beer or fruit juice. We hope you find something creative to use for your brine.

Brine Tip: there is a lesson we want to share since we hear regularly an error people make when brining. That is, people share their brine experience was horrible and too salty. But a habit could easily fix this… taste the brine BEFORE you put the meat in it! If it is too salty, the meat will be the same. If the cider is too tart the bird may become too tangy or acidic – add sugar. But you will never know if you don’t taste it.

BBQ Brian’s Whole-Smoked Turkey Recipe

Print Recipe

Course Main Course

Cuisine Grill, Oven, Smoker

Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Servings 10 people

Author House of Q

Ingredients

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
• 16 cups water 1 gallon
• 6 to 8 cups ice or more
• 1 whole turkey 12 to 14 lbs, rinsed
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup butter melted

Instructions

• Before you start, make sure your turkey fits on one side of your grill with the lid closed. Some grills may not have the inside height or width to cook the bird indirectly, and your turkey will not smoke properly if this is the case.
• In a large, deep canning pot, stir together the salt, sugar and water until the crystals are completely dissolved. Add the ice.
• Place the turkey, breast side down, into the pot or transfer everything to a brining bag. Refrigerate the turkey for at least 1 hour per pound of meat, or a minimum of 12 to 14 hours. Be sure you keep the meat cold, which helps with the brining process and keeps your poultry safe from bacterial growth.
• Remove your turkey from the brine, rinse it under cold running water and pat it dry with paper towels.
• Fill a foil packet with alder, maple or cherry wood chips. Prepare your grill for indirect cooking on medium heat. Place the foil packet on the heat under the grill grate, and place a drip pan under the grate on the cool side. Set the turkey on a large baking sheet.
• Using a silicone brush, coat the outside of the bird with the melted butter. Even if the butter is warm, the bird is cold from the brine and the butter may harden on the bird—that’s perfect! Transfer the turkey to the cool side of the grill, close the lid and allow the smoke to fill up the cooking chamber. Cook the turkey for 30 to 45 minutes, and then rotate the bird and check to see if you need to replace the wood chips. Repeat this process for 2 to 3 hours total or until the internal temperature of the white meat is 165°F and the leg meat is 170°F. The turkey should be a nice golden brown from the melted butter and the smoking process. Remove the bird from the grill and allow it to rest, loosely covered with aluminum foil, for 30 to 45 minutes.
• To carve up a whole bird, start by removing the legs. Using a sharp knife, cut the skin between the breast and leg, and then cut through the joint separating the thigh from the spine. Arrange the legs on a serving platter. Remove the wings by cutting them from the breast meat and add them to the platter. Lastly, remove the entire breast by sliding your knife along the ribcage. Once removed, cut the breast into slices and arrange them on the platter. Serve family-style.

Shopping for Your Turkey