Smoking Turkey

[crpepple]

So I am in charge of this year's Turkey. My brother raised it, killed it, & cleaned it so it's my turn to smoke it. I already know I'm going with the Slaughterhouse Brine, Injection, & Spritz but my question is on the rub and stuffing. What is your recommended rub, if any, and does anyone stuff their smoked turkeys with anything, like lemons, limes, etc..???

Also, it's a 20lb bird. What would your recommended smoking temp be on an electric pellet smoker? I'm thinking 300.

 

[chilerelleno]

No stuffing,, it adversely affects cooking.
And you've enough going on with injection and rub.

Bird is a bit on the large size for smoking whole, suggest spatchcocking it for faster, more even smoking.
Any decent poultry rub will be fine, I've a good one in my Recipe Index.
Even just salt and pepper will work for you with the injections.
Suggest 1:3 ratio baking powder and salt.
Rub and then air dry for 24 hrs, then inject and smoke at 350°-375°.

 

[gmc2003]

First welcome to the site cr, and congratulations on being in charge of the TD smoke. I don't spritz so I won't make any recommendations there, but I like a roasted garlic and herb rub on poultry. As for stuffing, lemons, limes and such are fine, but stay away from stuffing it with actual stuffing. Let us know how it goes with pics of course.

Here's bird I did a short time back. It turned out really good. However the TD bird is my wife's day to shine so I don't even bother asking.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/1st-try-at-a-smoked-turkey.274867/

Chris

 

[noboundaries]

300F works fine. If your pellet smoker can hold 325F, that's what I'd shoot for. Don't bother spritzing unless you want rubbery skin.

You'll get plenty of flavor in the meat with your brine and injection. I don't stuff my turkeys with anything, just salt and rub the cavity really well if left whole. Spatching the bird is a great idea. Smoke the backbone along with the neck. Makes for a fantastic gravy, which brings me to the rub.

For brined and injected birds, the rub is really cosmetic, more for the folks who like eating the skin, but it does flavor the drippings. I use a dried herb poultry rub called Litehouse. I have smoked all natural birds that were rubbed, but not brined or injected. The meat had a fine turkey taste, but was missing something, tasting rather bland. The gravy, made from the drippings, neck (and backbone if spatched) was fantastic though. A lot of the rub will flavor the drippings as the fat renders out of the skin. You don't have to wait until the turkey is done to start the gravy. Smoke the neck and backbone for a couple hours, then throw them in some water to make the turkey stock for the gravy.

Since I mentioned drippings, be sure to put a pan under the bird to catch them, then use the fat when you make your gravy. If I have a bird IN the pan, I put a cooling grate in or across the pan to raise the bird out of the drippings.