Looking for some last-minute turkey tips for Thanksgiving? This smoked turkey guide will answer any questions you might have. It covers topics like "What is the best brine for a juicy smoked turkey?" and "What wood types pair best with turkey smoke flavor?"

During the holiday season, we all know that smoked turkey is king. Smoking a turkey is one of the best ways to lock in juicy meat with rich, wood-fired flavor and crispy golden skin.

If you are planning Thanksgiving dinner or a holiday feast, learning to smoke a turkey is important. This way, your turkey will be tender and full of flavor every time. On a Traeger, steady heat and versatile pellets make it easy to smoke turkey like a pro. Features like Super Smoke help too.

Best Smoked Turkey Tips

• Spatchcock your turkey for even cooking. For faster, more consistent results, smoking a spatchcock turkey is the way to go.

  • Cut out the backbone of the bird. Press it flat and smoke it skin-side up.
  • This way, more of the bird will get the wood-fired flavor. It also helps the thighs and breast cook at the same time. This is great for anyone learning to smoke a turkey on a pellet grill. It ensures juicy meat every time.

• Achieve golden, crispy skin. Air-dry your turkey uncovered in the fridge overnight to remove excess moisture. Right before smoking, lightly dust the skin with baking powder or spray it with duck fat. This jumpstarts the Maillard reaction, giving your turkey that professional, restaurant-quality crisp and delicious texture.

• Blend your wood pellets for maximum flavor. Cooking your turkey with wood pellets adds great flavor.

  • You don’t have to use just one type of pellet. Mix 50% apple pellets and 50% pecan pellets for a balanced and slightly sweet smoke. You can also use cherry pellets with hickory pellets for a bold and strong flavor.
  • Learn which are the best pellets for turkey to get the deepest, most flavorful smoke possible on your Traeger.

• Adjust cooking for high altitude. If you’re smoking above 5,000 feet, allow an extra 10–15 minutes per pound. High-altitude cooks often need more time. However, with good temperature control, your smoked turkey will stay tender, juicy, and tasty.

• Pull your turkey at the perfect internal temperature. Smoke the breast to 160°F; it will rise 5–10°F while resting. Using a MEATER wireless meat thermometer makes it easy to check internal temperatures. This helps your turkey stay juicy and not dry out.

• Keep breast and thighs perfectly cooked. If the breast finishes before the thighs, tent it with foil and continue smoking. Wait until the thighs reach 175°F to serve a perfectly cooked turkey from tip to tip.

• Protect the skin without steaming it. Tent only if the skin is browning too fast. This method preserves the crispy, golden skin that makes smoked turkey stand out.

• Enhance your smoke ring. Start with a cold turkey and use a water pan in the grill to keep the cooking chamber humid. The result is a deeper, more flavorful smoke ring that delivers that signature Traeger taste.

• Use Super Smoke for intense flavor – If your Traeger has Super Smoke, run it for the first 2–3 hours of the cook. This is the optimal window for your turkey to absorb maximum smoke flavor and aroma.

• Create rich, smoky gravy while cooking. Place aromatics, butter, and broth in a disposable pan under the turkey. As drippings fall, you build naturally smoky gravy. Prep ahead using this make-ahead turkey gravy recipe to complete your smoked turkey feast.

Supplies Needed for Smoked Turkey

Before you get to smoking a turkey, get your Thanksgiving supplies together:

1. Turkey: You can get your turkey frozen or fresh – luckily, either works for a smoked turkey recipe. Just keep in mind the guest count. You can follow our chart below:

Our recommendation:

• 8-10 people: 1 12-14 lb. turkey

• 12-14 people: 1 16 lb. turkey

• 16-18 people: 2 12-14 lb. turkeys

• 20+ people: 2 16 lb. turkeys

• Pellet Grill & Wood Pellets: To know how long to cook a turkey, it can take up to 6 hours. This depends on the size of your bird.

Make sure you have enough of your favorite wood pellets for smoking turkey. Our premium turkey pellets are a great choice. Also, get your pellet grill ready to use.

• Meat Thermometer: Cooking turkey can be stressful. A meat thermometer, especially a wireless one, is essential. Buy a good quality thermometer, like the MEATER. This way, you can check the internal temperature of your bird while relaxing on your couch.
• Seasonings and Brine: You can use basic salt and pepper to season your turkey. However, brine and extra spices will make it taste amazing and full of flavor. Look at our smoked turkey brine guide for the best tips and tricks.
• BBQ Tools: Get your BBQ tools, like your basting brush, a large stainless steel spatula, and more
• Injector: Purchase an injector only if you're doing a turkey injection recipe.

Why Smoke a Turkey on a Traeger

If you are wondering how to smoke a turkey on a pellet grill, Traeger makes it foolproof. Consistent temperature control means no more babysitting a bird in the oven or fighting flare-ups on a gas grill. Instead, you get steady heat from start to finish, which locks in flavor and guarantees juicy meat every time. You can simply Set-It & Forget-It. On top of that, nothing compares to Traeger’s signature wood-fired flavor. It transforms an ordinary turkey into the star of your holiday feast. With WiFIRE technology, you can control temps, track progress, and get real-time alerts straight from your phone. It is precision cooking with peace of mind, designed to take the stress out of the holidays.

Where Traeger truly stands apart is in the exclusive features that give your smoked turkey an edge. Turn on Super Smoke to pack in bold flavor during the first few hours of the cook when the bird absorbs the most smoke. Place a pan under the drip tray to catch juices and build smoky turkey gravy while the bird cooks, no stovetop required.

Take advantage of pellet versatility to create your perfect flavor profile, whether that is applewood for something sweet and mild or a hickory and cherry blend for a deeper, richer smoke. From consistent temps to wood-fired flavor, smoking a turkey on a Traeger is more than easy. It is the ultimate way to deliver big flavor and backyard bragging rights.

How To Choose a Turkey

Before we get into how long to smoke a turkey or the type of brine you’ll want to use, we have to start with how to choose the right turkey for your big day.

You first need to ask yourself - "how big of a turkey should I get?" The size of turkey you’ll need to smoke depends on the number of guests. The general rule of thumb for buying turkey is 1 1/2 pounds per person.

But be warned if you're feeding a big group: Before you go running out to find the biggest turkey you can find we recommend sticking with one that weighs 16 pounds or less. Why? Nearly all the birds you can find that weigh more than 16 pounds are bound to be male turkeys, and male turkeys are not as tender as females. If you cook a large male bird, your meat will be a little bit tougher.

That’s why if you’re cooking for a large holiday crowd, smoking multiple smaller turkeys or adding a bone-in turkey breast to supplement your whole bird is the way forward. It will also take less time to smoke smaller birds.

How Much Smoked Turkey Per Person?

In addition to turkey size, you should also pay attention to bird quality. When you’re in the meat aisle, do yourself a favor and avoid any labels with words like “enhanced” or “basted.” If you buy a turkey that’s already had its flavor tinkered with, you’ll be signing away control of your flavor profile. You’ll also probably be paying extra for water weight and not getting as much meat as you’re expecting.

Finally, always buy fresh. If you’re cooking for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you’ll need to be on your A-game. A lot of stores don’t stock these birds in great numbers until the week before a holiday, although you can typically place an order for a fresh turkey in advance. Ideally, buy your turkey no more than four or five days before you’re planning to smoke it.

Seasoning and Brining a Turkey for Smoking

Once you’ve chosen your turkey, it’s time to think about how you’d like to season it.

First of all, if you’ve bought a frozen bird, learn how to thaw your frozen turkey so that it’s ready to go come smoke time.

For seasoning and brining smoked turkey, there are a few different methods:

• Brining: If you haven’t bought a pre-brined turkey from the store, make sure to read our guide on how to brine a turkey for smoking. Brining (soaking your turkey in a salty bath) makes it moist, tender, and most importantly, full of flavor. And yes, you can brine frozen turkey (just make sure it’s completely thawed out).
• Seasoning: There are a ton of different rubs and seasonings you can use on your bird this Thanksgiving (including one specifically made for turkey), to add some extra flavor to your meal. Make sure to apply any dry rub to the turkey about 12-24 hours in advance so that the flavor can penetrate the skin. If you leave it uncovered and let the skin dry out a bit in the fridge, you’ll get an extra crispy texture when smoking.

How To Prep a Turkey

Defrosting Frozen Turkey

Fresh turkey not an option? It’s not a crime to buy frozen. You’re just going to need to commit more time to the cause. It normally takes 24 hours to thaw for every 5 pounds of turkey, so if you have a 16-pound turkey, we could be talking about three days of thaw time.

Remove Giblets

Many store-bought turkeys come with giblets — the liver, heart, gizzard, and neck of the animal. Usually, the giblets are in a paper bag in the turkey cavity. You can use the giblets to add flavor to stuffing or gravy, or you can simply discard them.

Season Your Turkey

A good smoked turkey recipe will call for seasoning the turkey with salt and pepper or some sort of rub. A good poultry rub enhances the natural flavor of the meat and introduces an appetizing color to the skin.

Turkey Injection, or No?

You don’t have to inject your turkey, but it never hurts. Turkey injection is great for adding moisture and flavor, and there are very few cons apart from the potential to oversalt and uneven cooking if you don’t do it right. However, you will need a meat injector if you don't already have one.

If you do choose to inject, though, it's best to do it 12 to 24 hours before smoking. This will allow the flavors to distribute and soak into the meat. If you’re short on time, you can inject as little as 1 to 2 hours before smoking, but it won’t be as deeply flavored.

After injecting, let the turkey rest in the fridge to allow the marinade to evenly distribute. And just because you inject, don’t forget to season the outside of the turkey still for well-rounded flavor.

Choosing a Stuffing

Truthfully, when it comes to smoking a turkey, we do not recommend stuffing the cavity. Smoking at lower temps can make it harder for stuffing to reach a safe internal temperature, and that can risk uneven cooking or food safety issues. Plus, leaving the cavity open allows smoke and heat to circulate more freely, which gives you juicier meat and deeper wood-fired flavor.

If you love the idea of stuffing, there are still ways to bring it to the table. Smoke your stuffing in a separate cast iron skillet or pan alongside the turkey so it soaks up that same rich flavor without slowing down the bird. You can also add aromatics like onion, garlic, citrus, and herbs to the turkey cavity for flavor without the risk. This way, you get the best of both worlds: perfectly smoked turkey and a stuffing that is just as flavorful, cooked safely on the side.

Here are some good stuffing recipes for you to try out:

• Cornbread Sausage Stuffing with Cranberries
• Baked Sausage and Mushroom Stuffing
• Griddle Sausage and Bacon Stuffing

Truss the Turkey - Or Not

Trussing a turkey means securing the legs close to the body of the bird. Some store-bought turkeys come with a built-in plastic truss. You can also use kitchen twine to tie the ends of the legs together.

The point of trussing is to make the surface of the bird a more regular shape. Sometimes, this can prevent hotspots on certain parts of the bird, which could dry out the meat. However, you can easily skip this step if you want.

And, perhaps obviously, if you're spatchcocking a turkey, you can't truss it.

Stuff Your Bird (Optional)

You can stuff a whole turkey if you like though these days the practice is not as common. That's in part because the USDA says it risks cross-contamination and because it takes the turkey longer to cook. A better practice is to cook the stuffing separately.

Using Turkey Drippings

As your bird cooks, it sheds delicious bits of fat and flavor to the bottom of the cooking surface. You can incorporate turkey drippings into your turkey gravy. Once the turkey is done cooking, remove the bird and strain the remaining liquid into a container. Add the strained drippings into your gravy. However, if you have brined the bird, its juices may be too salty to use. Taste it to see and be careful with adding additional salt.

Should I Spatchcock a Turkey?

If you are looking for a faster cook time and more even results, spatchcocking your turkey is the way to go. By removing the backbone and flattening the bird, you increase surface area and expose more of the meat to steady pellet grill heat. This helps the thighs and breast cook at the same pace, which means no more dried-out white meat while you wait for the dark meat to finish. On top of that, spatchcocking gives you extra crispy skin from edge to edge.

Not sure how to do it? It is easier than it sounds. All you need is a pair of sturdy kitchen shears and a little prep time. Check out our step-by-step spatchcock turkey guide, complete with visuals and photos so you can follow along with confidence. Once you master the technique, you will wonder why you ever cooked a whole bird the old-fashioned way.

How to Smoke a Turkey Step-by-Step

Select a Wood Pellet

When choosing a wood pellet flavor for turkey, you’ll want something that enhances the bird’s natural flavors without overpowering it. Pellets that are a little sweeter, and more mild will complement your bird and let the natural flavors and brine shine through. You can find the best pellets for turkey by reading our guide.

Preheat the Grill

When you’ve done all your turkey prep, set your pellet grill temperature to 225°F with Super Smoke if available and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes.

Smoke the Turkey

Once you’ve chosen your pellets and preheated the grill, it’s time to smoke your bird. First, insert your wireless meat thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast and place it breast-side up on the grill. You can either smoke the bird at this temperature until fully cooked (165°F) or start with smoke for a few hours and then crank the heat to 350°F or so to finish for browner more crispy skin. The time this takes will vary depending on the size of your turkey, but it will be at least 3 to 4 hours.

Turkey Internal Temperature

The best internal temperature for smoked turkey is 165°F at the breast. (The thighs can go higher.)

To ensure it's fully cooked and safe to eat, insert a meat thermometer into the deepest part of the breast, making sure not to touch any bones, as that can give an inaccurate reading.

A leave-in meat thermometer, wired or wireless, lets you monitor the temperature remotely without having to open the lid.

Let the smoked turkey rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute.

How Long to Smoke a Turkey

A good rule of thumb is that smoking a turkey typically takes about 30-40 minutes per pound at a temperature of 225°F to 250°F.

For example, a 12-pound turkey will take approximately 6 to 8 hours. It's important to keep the smoker's temperature consistent and monitor the internal temperature of the turkey closely.

You can increase the smoker temperature to 275°F towards the end of the cook to help crisp the skin, if desired.

HOWEVER, the best way to tell if a turkey is done is by measuring internal temperature, NOT time. A wireless meat thermometer will be your best tool to use.

Best Smoked Turkey Recipes

Now that we’ve walked you through smoking a turkey, it’s time to try out a recipe on the grill. Take a look at some of our favorites to get inspiration for Thanksgiving:

• Traeger Smoked Turkey
• Easy Smoked Turkey Recipe
• Crispy Pellet Grill Turkey
• Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast
• Herbed Traeger Spatchcocked Turkey

Best Smoked Turkey Sides

Deliciously smoked turkey calls for some equally epic sides. Take a look at our some delicious sides to cook along with your bird:

• Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
• Ultimate Scratch Gravy
• Smoked Green Bean Casserole
• Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls
• Cranberry Sauce
• Traditional Stuffing

And that’s it. You now have all the expert knowledge you need to smoke a turkey that will go down in the history books. So, are you ready to create your own mouth-watering work of art? Check out our smoked turkey recipes for some inspiration and get smoking.