Help with a smoked turkey breast?

[DieselTech]

Guys & gals I picked up a turkey breast today & I would like to smoke it next week sometime, but would like some pointers on preparing it & smoking it.

I think I will need to brine it to help keep it moist. What will I need for a brine?

How long & @ what temperature should this turkey breast be smoked at?

I'm looking for some help, cause I don't want to poison anyone & I would hate to waste/ruin it.

So can you professionals give me a run down about how to do it.

Thanks. I know! Dang Newbies!!!

 

[JLeonard]

Pops brine is always good. And as far as temps....I usually do them around 325 degrees until IT around 170 degrees. You can do them bone in or debone. After soaking in the brine I like to let it sit in the frdge to air dry the skin then season and onto the smoker. You'll get a lot of great advice here pretty soon and many different ways to do them.

Jim

 

[SmokinEdge]

Brine of your choice, but I’d also inject the brine.

 

[912smoker]

I don't usually plan far enough in advance to brine so I always inject with some Tony C's creole butter and they turn out great.

Keith

 

[texomakid]

I don't usually plan far enough in advance to brine so I always inject with some Tony C's creole butter and they turn out great.

Keith

This has worked well for me as well and Tony's is good in Turkey or Chicken. I'd say smoke 'em around 250/275 and my experience with Turkey or Chicken breast is never take them above 160° IT. I usually pull 'em around 155°

If you have time a simple brine of water/salt/brown sugar will work. The one's I've brined in the past were whole turkey's and I brined 'em for about 12 hours. There's a thousand recipes for brine out there just look around and pick one out that looks good to you.

 

[DieselTech]

Pops brine is always good. And as far as temps....I usually do them around 325 degrees until IT around 170 degrees. You can do them bone in or debone. After soaking in the brine I like to let it sit in the frdge to air dry the skin then season and onto the smoker. You'll get a lot of great advice here pretty soon and many different ways to do them.

Jim

Thanks I appreciate it. Yeah all the reading I've done, kinda was lost. They all mentioned to at least try to brine it.

I think this will be good if I can do my part.

I was thinking a Cajun seasoned turkey breast.

 

[DieselTech]

Brine of your choice, but I’d also inject the brine.

Thanks. I unfortunately don't have a injector syringe yet! Lmao I do have a bunch of new insulin syringes!!!

 

[DieselTech]

I don't usually plan far enough in advance to brine so I always inject with some Tony C's creole butter and they turn out great.

Keith

Yeah I watched some people, peel the skin back with a butter knife handle & then push butter up under the skin.

Thanks.

 

[DieselTech]

This has worked well for me as well and Tony's is good in Turkey or Chicken. I'd say smoke 'em around 250/275 and my experience with Turkey or Chicken breast is never take them above 160° IT. I usually pull 'em around 155°

If you have time a simple brine of water/salt/brown sugar will work. The one's I've brined in the past were whole turkey's and I brined 'em for about 12 hours. There's a thousand recipes for brine out there just look around and pick one out that looks good to you.

Thanks. Yeah I plan on brining for at least 4 hrs minimum. Probably will do 8 hours.

 

[JIMSMOKES]

Bone in skin on liquid brine of choice fer a day. Seasoned overnight dry then smoked hot and fast.
If you like turkey breast try them every way you can think of. Last Thanksgiving I cooked/tried 6 different ways. Boneless skinless texas style was my favorite but the butterball cajun had No leftovers.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Thanks. I unfortunately don't have a injector syringe yet! Lmao I do have a bunch of new insulin syringes!!!

If you buy some Tony C’s they mostly come with the injector. At any rate meat injectors are not expensive.

 

[JLeonard]

That thing is still frozen,,,you got a couple days. Hit the grocery and get the Tony C's cajun butter injection and seasoning. It comes with the syringe. This and texas style is my favorites.

Jim

 

[jcam222]

I'm another vote for injecting with Tony C. Found in most grocery stores and comes with an injector. Like others I do breasts hot. I'll run 275 for a couple hours and then up to 300. I pull my breasts at about 158F. Residual heat gets you to 165F. I also as someone else said like to let mine sit overnight uncovered after drying the skin, sprinkling with baking powder to further dry and and the my rub.

 

[civilsmoker]

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/smoked-turkey-breast.316034/

I think chopsaw does some very nice smoked turkey breast, here is one of his posts, I would suggest you search a few others of his.....

I do a salt based brine and smoke at 335 to an INT of 160, easy peasy......

 

[bradger]

i make my own brine typically 1 cup salt, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice, i think i brined my whole chicken for 10 hours. cooked at 225 for an hour then kicked it up to 275 for the remainder, the cook time was only 2 hours.

 

[DieselTech]

Bone in skin on liquid brine of choice fer a day. Seasoned overnight dry then smoked hot and fast.
If you like turkey breast try them every way you can think of. Last Thanksgiving I cooked/tried 6 different ways. Boneless skinless texas style was my favorite but the butterball cajun had No leftovers.

Oh yeah! I plan on trying multiple methods & see what I like the best.

 

[DieselTech]

If you buy some Tony C’s they mostly come with the injector. At any rate meat injectors are not expensive.

I'm another vote for injecting with Tony C. Found in most grocery stores and comes with an injector. Like others I do breasts hot. I'll run 275 for a couple hours and then up to 300. I pull my breasts at about 158F. Residual heat gets you to 165F. I also as someone else said like to let mine sit overnight uncovered after drying the skin, sprinkling with baking powder to further dry and and the my rub.

Yeah I'll check out my local store & see if they got a Tony C's injecting kit. Thanks.

 

[DieselTech]

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/smoked-turkey-breast.316034/

I think chopsaw does some very nice smoked turkey breast, here is one of his posts, I would suggest you search a few others of his.....

I do a salt based brine and smoke at 335 to an INT of 160, easy peasy......

Thanks for the link/thread. It's much appreciated. I shall read thru it & see what I pick up.

Thanks.

 

[DieselTech]

i make my own brine typically 1 cup salt, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice, i think i brined my whole chicken for 10 hours. cooked at 225 for an hour then kicked it up to 275 for the remainder, the cook time was only 2 hours.

Thanks for the brine recipe. I actually got all that stuff. Does 1 cup of brown sugar cause the turkey to take on a sweet taste?

Thanks.

 

[DieselTech]

If I decide I want to brine this bone in turkey breast for 24hours or longer. Do I need to use cure #1?

Can Morton Tender Quick cure be used?

I've read a bunch of different ways on here & other places, I bit lost now.

Lol next will be finding something I can brine it in, to keep it submerged under the brine.

Thanks. Much appreciated.