8 March, 2022
Smoked Turkey Breast
Smoked Turkey Breast
Notes
(if the turkey breast has been enhanced with saline solution, check label, reduce the brining time to three hours)
Ingredients
- 12 ea. cups (3 ea. quarts) of water
- ¾ ea. cups kosher salt
- 1 ea. med. shallot, roughly chopped
- 1 ea. garlic clove, chopped
- 10 ea. fresh thyme sprigs
- 8 ea. sage leaves
- 4 ea. Bay leaves
- 1 ea. tbsp. allspice berries
- 1 ea. zest of lemon, removed in large strips with a vegetable peeler
- 1 ea. pound wood chips, about 8 ea. cups, such as apple or hickory wood
- 1 ea. 6 pound bone in turkey breast.
Instructions
- Place 4 ea. cups (1 ea. qt.) of water, salt, shallot, garlic, lemon zest. thyme, sage, bay leaves and allspice berries in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and let cool to room temp. (about 1 hr.)
- Pour the brine in a large bowl or pan, add the remaining 8 ea. cups of water (2 ea. qt.). Place turkey in brine and refrigerate for 6 hours. (if the turkey breast has been enhanced with saline solution, check label, reduce the brining time to three hours)
- Two hours before preheating the grill, place wood chips in a large bowl of water to soak thoroughly through.
- About 20 minutes before you are ready to grill, preheat a gas grill with all burners lit to 300F.
- Drain the wood chips. Use a smoking box if available and add wood chips. Or, fold a 12”x20” piece of heavy duty foil in ½ to create a 12”x10” double thick piece. Transfer the wet wood chips to the center of the foil and crimp edges to create a basket. Place the foil basket on the grill rack directly over the heat source. Turn off one burner.
- Remove turkey from the brine, pat dry and set on the unheated side of the grill rack. Close the lid and roast “UNDISTURBED” (no peeking!) for 40 minutes. Grill temperature should be between 250F-300F degrees. Adjust burners accordingly, but be reminded to not lite the burner under the turkey breast.
- Rotate the turkey 180 degrees. Close the lid and roast “UNDISTURBED” (no peeking!) for 40 minutes.
- Rotate the turkey 180 degrees one more time. Insert an instant read thermometer suitable for oven use into the turkey breast being careful to be in the center of the breast and not touching a bone. Close the lid and roast “UNDISTURBED” (no peeking!) for 40 minutes to one hour more. Total smoking time 2 hours – 2 hours 20 minutes.
- Check the thermometer and when it reads 165 degrees transfer the turkey to a cutting board and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carving.