Smoked Turkey Tips

If you're going to smoke a turkey this Thanksgiving, now's the time to begin the preparations. Items you may need to have are a bucket for brining, an injector, wood chunks or chips for smoking, plenty of propane or wood for the heat, ingredients for the brine and the rub, and of course, a turkey or two. And if you've never smoked a turkey before, I highly recommend practicing on one before smoking that Thanksgiving bird.

Turkeys can be smoked in any kind of smoker, and even on a good sized grill. A large propane grill does a good job smoking with indirect heat.

Brining the turkey improves the flavor and texture of the meat, but I have made some tasty smoked turkey using pre-basted birds. I didn't brine them, but just coated them inside and out with a good poultry rub.

Turkeys can be smoked at lower temperatures, but I've found that they also smoke well at 300-350 degrees Fahrenheit. By smoking at a higher temperature, the temperature of the turkey will rise above 140F (out of the Danger Zone) quicker. You'll also be eating your turkey in just a few hours, instead of eight to twelve hours.

Sizewise, I recommend that turkeys for smoking weigh 14 pounds or less. Larger turkeys tend to heat up too slow, allowing time for bacteria to multiply. Besides that, it can be a challenge to make one of those 20 pound birds fit in most smokers or grills.