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Whole smoked turkey with crispy mahogany skin on a wooden board

Smoked Turkey

This smoked turkey is juicy, tender, and full of deep smoky flavor with perfectly crisp skin. A simple dry rub and low, slow smoking give you the ultimate Thanksgiving centerpiece - no dry meat, no guesswork.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole turkey 12-14 lb, thawed, giblets removed
  • ½ cup butter softened
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 onion quartered, for the cavity
  • 1 apple quartered, for the cavity

Method
 

  1. Pat the turkey completely dry, inside and out. For the juiciest result, brine it overnight first (optional).
  2. Mix the brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and thyme to make the dry rub.
  3. Rub the softened butter all over the turkey and under the skin, then coat it all over with the dry rub.
  4. Stuff the cavity with the quartered onion and apple.
  5. Preheat the smoker to 250°F using apple or cherry wood.
  6. Smoke the turkey, breast up, until the breast reaches 165°F and the thighs 175°F, about 30 minutes per pound (6-7 hours for a 13 lb bird).
  7. If the skin is not crisp, raise the heat to 300-325°F for the last 30-45 minutes.
  8. Rest the turkey, loosely tented with foil, for 20 minutes before carving.

Notes

Smoke to temperature (165°F breast), not time. Use a leave-in thermometer. Spatchcocking the turkey cuts the time nearly in half. Store leftovers up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.