Smoked Turkey Breasts

[dahubb55]

Awright, it's time to try something new. I've smoked turkey thighs with great success, a friend wants me to try turkey breasts. Has anyone ever smoked turkey breasts? I have a MES 30. Since the breasts are a drier meat than thighs, which is why I like thighs, I am sure a liquid needs to be used. I like Shiner Bock for thighs and beer can chicken. I guess this beer would work as well. Any tips or suggestions would be welcome. Thanks greatly for y'all's help.

 

[hillbillyrkstr]

Brine your bird. I do the turkey breasts that are still attached to the bone. Brine them, stuff as much butter as you can under the skin, and rub down with whatever you want to. Smoker won’t get hot enough to crisp the skin so you’ll need to throw it on the grill for a bit after you pull it off the smoker to get that good crispy skin.

Good luck
Scott

 

[kit s]

Like Hillbilly said do a wet brine. Because of what it is, suggest you put cure in brine solution. I use a simple brine, apple juice sugar cure#1 and salt and nutmeg (which i wrap in cheese cloth ball to get flavor). Mark (diggingdog farm) on this site has made and shared a good tool for ratios in brine. For wet brine add weight of liquid to meat.
Site and tool ( http://www.diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html )
If you want crisp skin at 150f IT again like the hillbilly said grill it until it reaches a 165f It. If that is not necessary for you then pull from smoker when iy reaches the 165f IT. It will still be plenty moist.
Kit

 

[indaswamp]

See tag in my signature. I also recently smoked whole birds...
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/whole-turkeys-on-sale.273833/

If the breast has been brined, be aware you will have to use a lower strength brine or the meat will be too salty.

 

[kit s]

Probably should have asked. How hot is your smoker heat going to be?

 

[dahubb55]

I figured somewhere in the range of 225 - 250. Can go lower or higher if that's what is recommended.

 

[indaswamp]

IF you want crisp skin, go higher...275~325*
If you want more smoke, go lower and cook longer.

 

[indaswamp]

If you are going skinless breasts, I recommend low for a couple hours , then hot and fast to keep the breast moist.

 

[SmokinAl]

I do turkey breast all the time, I buy bone in, skin on Butterballs so no brine is needed.
But I do inject them with Tony C's Creole butter marinade.
I smoke mine at 225, but we don't eat the skin.
Al

 

[kit s]

I figured somewhere in the range of 225 - 250. Can go lower or higher if that's what is recommended.

That or lower for smoking....crisp skin though need to raise that temp when you are about 2/3 of the optimum internal temp you want to reach for your breast at end of cook. I pull mine any where from 163 to 165 IT. Let it rest and serve.
Sometimes I do crisp, sometimes not. Make sure skin is dry before you start smoke/cooking.
Kit

 

[tallbm]

Like everyone is saying brine, brine, brine.
I toss the skin, debone, and brine.
I have also tied them together for one big chunk for sandwich meat slicing. Still figuring that out. I think next time I will slice long ways so every slice does NOT have a seam where the two breasts are joined. After freezing and defrosting they want to come apart at the seams more easily than I like.

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• tallbm
• Aug 3, 2017