Brined and Smoked Turkey

Brined and Smoked Turkey! Smokin’ Joe Martinez brined this turkey using a lemon thyme flavored turkey bath from Sweetwater Spice Company and seasoned with Cattlemans Grill Ranchero, then smoked the turkey on his Yoder Frontiersman offset smoker using post oak wood.

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Recipe from Smokin’ Joe’s Pit BBQ
Watch the Full Video Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcUFhZrewCw

INGREDIENTS

  • Whole Turkey
  • 2 Bottles of Sweetwater Spice Lemon Thyme Turkey Bath
  • 1 Shaker of Cattleman's Grill Ranchero Rub

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Turkey Prep – Trim off any unwanted skin or fat using a sharp knife or kitchen shears. (Optional – remove skin holding legs together and tie legs using some kitchen twine)
  2. Brine Prep – Mix one 16oz bottle of Sweetwater Spice Company Lemon Thyme Turkey Bath per one gallon of water inside a brining bucket. Rinse out turkey bath bottle to remove residual concentrate and to brine. Add 1/2 of salt to brine and mix contents until salt is dissolved.
  3. Brine Time –  Place turkey breast side down into your brining bucket. (Optional – Add onions, apples or oranges to turkey cavity to weigh down the turkey and add additional flavors) Brine Turkey for one hour per pound
  4. Preheat – Your smoker (pellet or offset) to 275ºF.
  5. Remove – The turkey from the brine. (Optional – sift the brine to collect herbs and spices and rub on the outside of the turkey or under the skin) You can also place the turkey back inside your fridge uncovered to allow the skin to dry up a bit, doing this will give you crispier skin.
  6. Season – The outside of the turkey with Cattleman’s Grill Ranchero Rub.
  7. Smoke – The Turkey until the internal temp of the turkey breast is 165ºF and the turkey thighs at 165ºF or higher.
  8. Baste – The outside of the turkey with butter the last 20 minutes for a nice golden color.
  9. Remove – The smoked turkey from your smoker and allow the turkey to cool down uncovered for 30 minutes. Slice away and enjoy!

 

PRO TIP: If you start basting your turkey with butter at a lower temperature like 140ºF, you will get a darker-colored turkey as opposed to basting at 160ºF.