21 of the Best Smoked Turkey Recipes

If you’re wondering how long to cook a smoked turkey, we are sharing 21 of the Best Smoked Turkey Recipes to take the guesswork out of it!

The BEST turkey you’ll taste is a smoked turkey.

Smoking a whole turkey (or even just a turkey breast or leg) is a cooking process that gives you crispy skin, tender meat, and that delicious smoky flavor you love.

​Smoked turkey isn’t just for Thanksgiving dinner any more! The smoking process will give you breast meat and dark meat that tastes amazing in a number of recipes! You’ll be sneaking the leftover turkey every chance you get. 

​How to Smoke The Perfect Turkey

1. Whatever type of smoker you’ll be using, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions for preparing the smoker. There are many types of smokers out there: (electric smoker, a traeger smoker that uses wood pellets or wood chips, a gas grill, or a charcoal grill). Look into the options and choose one that works best for your family.  The most important thing is to read the instructions so you can get great results the first time.
2. Start with a fresh turkey (not a frozen turkey) for even cooking. 
3. Brush the outside of the turkey with vegetable oil and insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh. Don’t stuff the cavity of the turkey. 
4. Set the smoker to 225° F. Place the turkey on a cooking rack and cook for 8 to 12 hours or until the inner thigh temperature reaches 180° degrees F. The cooking time will depend on the size of the turkey.
5. Because the turkey cooks with indirect heat,  your turkey must pass a danger zone of 40° F to 140° F in 4 hours or less. Check the instant-read thermometer in your turkey after 3½ hours. If the internal temperature of the turkey is low after 3½ hours, take your turkey off the smoker and finish it in the oven. 
6. Cover the turkey and chill or let stand for 20 minutes before carving.

This is the basic cooking method. However, you’ll want to check out this list of the best smoked turkey recipes to find your personal preference! 

Whether you like using fresh herbs, a dry rub, a wet brine, or something in between, you’ll find the best smoked turkey recipe below!

Smoked Turkey

Juicy, tender and deliciously smoky, this Smoked Turkey recipe is the perfect dish for any celebration, taking an old classic to a whole new level.

View the Recipe

Smoked Turkey Recipe

This smoked turkey recipe is a whole turkey that’s coated in homemade spice rub then slow smoked to tender and juicy perfection.

View the Recipe

Smoked Turkey Recipe

Step-by-step for how to smoke the juiciest, most flavorful turkey for your special occasion. It’s much easier than you might think!

View the Recipe

Smoked Turkey (Without Smoker)

Create the delicious taste of smoked turkey without the hassle of the meat smoker in this 3-ingredient recipe that is great for holidays.

View the Recipe

Smoked Whole Turkey

Get Smoked Whole Turkey Recipe from Food Network

View the Recipe

Wood-Smoked Turkey

Before slow-smoking, this turkey is brined overnight to guarantee deeply smoked meat that’s also super flavorful and juicy. Use this recipe to determine the best wood to smoke a turkey, trying cherry and fruit woods.

View the Recipe

Traeger Smoked Turkey Recipe | Traeger Grills

Our favorite smoked turkey recipe for Thanksgiving dinner. Use your pellet grill this year to free up oven space. Let that bird smoke its way to deliciousness.

View the Recipe

Perfect Smoked Turkey

Perfect smoked turkey – the best recipe for a restaurant style turkey that is juicy, tender, and full of smoky flavor the family will love!

View the Recipe

Perfectly Smoked Turkey (Crispy Skin)

Make a Thanksgiving Turkey that is juicy, moist, nice smoke flavor, and an unbelievable tasty and crispy skin. The PERFECT smoked turkey!

View the Recipe

The Best Wood Smoked Turkey Recipe!

Whole turkey is coated in a homemade spice mix and smoked low and slow, to create a perfectly seasoned crust to and juicy interior. #smokedturkey #smokedturkeyrecipes #smokedrecipes #turkeyrecipes

View the Recipe

Smoked Turkey Recipe – Whole Bird Traeger Pellet Grill Guide

Best Smoked Turkey Recipe. See how to smoke a turkey on Traeger Smoker Pellet Grill (whole, no brine) for an easy Thanksgiving smoker recipe.

View the Recipe

How to Make Smoked Turkey

The steps you need + HOW-TO VIDEO to make smoked turkey, including what size turkey to buy, when to defrost, an apple cider rub, smoke temps and cook time.

View the Recipe

How Long Does It Take to Smoke a Turkey? [Barbecue Smoking Recipe]

From best woods, to cooking times, to target temperatures, here’s everything you need to know for smoking your next turkey.

View the Recipe

Smoked Turkey

How to make the juiciest, smoked turkey! This easy recipe is perfect for beginners and uses dry-brining to make a tender and moist turkey.

View the Recipe

Smoked Turkey Legs – The Woks of Life

This smoked turkey legs recipe was inspired by the turkey legs at Disney World. Rather surprisingly, they’re not that hard to make at home.

View the Recipe

Smoked Turkey Breast – The Seasoned Mom

Moist, juicy and flavorful, this whole, bone-in smoked turkey breast is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving dinner or Sunday supper!

View the Recipe

Low and Slow Turkey on a Smoker Cooker

Here is a smoker cooker recipe for a turkey cooked low and slow.

View the Recipe

Smoked Turkey in the Pit Barrel Cooker – Learn to Smoke Meat with Jeff Phillips

Thanksgiving is upon us and as tradition would have it, smoked turkey is the standard fare. In this recipe/instructional I not only want to show you a better

View the Recipe

How to smoke a turkey – Shady Brook Farms

What’s not to love about smoked turkey? You get tasty and tender meat, and the smoky flavor is just irresistible. Even better, smoked turkey is healthier and has less calories than most other smoked meats, meaning you can indulge without feeling guilty.

View the Recipe

Smoked Brined Turkey

Once you try this brined turkey recipe on the Big Green Egg, you’ll agree that nothing does a better job of roasting meats.

View the Recipe

Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe: How to Smoke Turkey Breast – 2023 – MasterClass

Smoked turkey breast is a great way to add smoky flavor to standard Thanksgiving fare, but it’s also an easy BBQ main course any time of year. Learn how to smoke turkey at home with a simple recipe.

View the Recipe

As an added bonus, here are a few of our other favorite smoker recipes:

SMOKED BBQ RIBS RECIPE

EASY SMOKED CHICKEN BREAST RECIPE

EASY SMOKED BRISKET RECIPE