Smoked turkey breast slowly cooked over apple wood. Made with simple brine and dry rub, this easy barbecue recipe is deliciously moist and packed with flavor.
This smoked turkey breast recipe is the best way to enjoy this cut of white meat year-round. While all turkeys have their place during the holiday season, turkey breast is an easy roast meat that can be enjoyed anytime.
As with most smoked turkey recipes , the brisket will likely dry out, but with the right approach, YOU can get a juicy cut of meat. Our easy brine and oil injection ensures the meat retains moisture, while our Dry Herb BBQ Marinade adds spices that make your traditional turkey stand out. The end result is a succulent portion of white meat that’s as tender as it is smoky.
Learn how to smoke the best turkey breast, including how to prepare the meat and brine, as well as the best smoking woods and dry seasoning. Let’s get into that!
How to smoke turkey breast
These simple steps to smoking the perfect turkey breast are easy to follow and produce the best results(see the bottom of this article for the full recipe):
- Prepare the turkey breasts, remove the fat from them and soak them in our sugar-salt-brine solution for 12 hours.
- Wash and dry the breasts before seasoning with our Cayenne Pepper and Thyme BBQ Dry Rub
- Use a meat injector to apply extra oil and fat to the meat, making sure each breast is as moist and ground up as possible.
- Smoke at 107°C(225°F) over indirect heat until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 70°C(160°F), approximately 90 minutes
Injection of marinade
The final step before smoking our turkey breast is to inject oil into each breast. While not technically a marinade, this step helps us lock in one final round of moisture by adding a touch of extra fat to the meat.
Turkey injection marinades can be complicated preparations, but I’ve kept it simple here with a mixture of canola oil, water, and Worcestershire sauce. Any oil will work, but use canola oil because it has a high smoke point(meaning it won’t burn during the cooking process).
Simply combine the ingredients of the solution(see recipe below for full measurements) and load the mixture into a meat injector. It may be helpful to use a mold or test tube here. Next, apply the solution to the turkey breast and insert the injector head into the meat about ½ inch from the surface. Do this every 1-2 inches on the top of each turkey breast.
Pro tip: don’t use butter in your solution. Butter, even when melted or lukewarm, will hold when it comes in contact with cold meat.
Times and temperatures
Turkey must be smoked at 107°C(225°F) for 30 minutes per pound of meat until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 70°C(160°F). Total cooking time is about the size of your turkey breast fillet, but on average it would take around 60-90 minutes.
The best wood for grilling
Mild fruity woods like apple, cherry or walnut pair best with smoked turkey. We chose apple wood for this recipe. Applewood has a sweet, more delicate and subtle taste. Check out our guide to the best wood for smoking turkey for more information.
Quick tips
- Place the meat breast side up. You may have heard that the meat side, breast side down, allows the juices to flow into the meat, making it juicier and more flavorful. This is just a myth. The muscle fibers of white meat don’t allow for the same flow as beef or pork. Besides, why ruin a perfect brisket and force it against the grill?
Writer & content creator. BBQ fanatic!
