Smoked Turkey - Low & Slow

[Wiley Hoag]

I know that spatchcocking a turkey on a grill is great, and roasting a whole turkey at normal grilling heat gives you a wonderfully crisp skin. HOWEVER ... my family loves a heavily smoked flavor in a turkey. So, I smoke it on my Weber Smokey Mountain at 250 with lots of hickory chips and water between the turkey and the coals. It takes much longer and you can't eat the skin - too leathery because the fat doesn't crisp up. But the smokey flavor is wonderful, and the water keeps the turkey incredibly moist without having had to do any brining. So, am I crazy, or is it just a matter of taste? Does anyone else do turkey low n slow, with or without water?

[radiodome21]

I’ve never done them low and slow because I like the crispy skin. I’ve done them on my WSM a few times and they were still nice and smokey. I used some cherry chunks. No water pan either and did it closer to 300°.

My family loved it.

[captainlee]

We do one at 225 for two hours then into the fryer it goes, best of both worlds.

[realdocBBQ]

I'd actually like to try this... but I don't think The Wife wants me buying a turkey fryer and spending $50 on peanut oil just for a single meal.
Dangit.

[captainlee]

Yes the oil is expensive. I'll use it once here and give it to my daughter's family and they will use it again after tgiving. You filter it and put it back in the container and keep it in the garage nice and cool. They will get a few uses out of it. The property next to us is also having 18 people for the holiday. I offered the fryer to them if they want to bring a bird over when we are done. Great setup for making fried chicken or a fish fry with the leftover oil. Use it many times.

[jowadi09]

I am normally not into the skin but my wife is - but we have smoked a turkey before. Came out great.

[LA Pork Butt]

I have smoked them before, and I like them a lot. Now I smoke roast them at 350. This is not the same but comes out a lot faster. No matter what temp I have cooled them at I haven’t been happy with the skin.

[Santamarina]

We’re crispy skin fans here. I do a smoked bird now and then on my offset, but crank it up to 350. A little smoke flavor and crispy skin. Turkey’s one of those meats that we don’t like a ton of smoke on…but that’s the great thing about cooking…you can use any method that produces the result your family likes!

[ItsAllGoneToTheDogs]

I like crispy skin, but no reason you can't take the skin off after the cook and crisp it up in the oven separately and then slice some crunchy skin strips to serve along side the meat.

[Huskee]

I am in favor of both worlds: low & slow for extra smoke since you and yours like it, then crank the daylights out of it and get that skin crispy too! Why not both?

[PIGBOY]

I'm thinking cold bird in an offset, (or whatever you've got) @ 225 for a couple hours then transfer to a rotisserie till done. You gots some smoke, you gots crispy skin, and you gots all them lovely juices for gravy. But you would need a rotis which not everyone has... Otherwise just smoke it for a bit and transfer to oven or grill.

[klflowers]

I used to do the low and slow on the WSM all the time and get the skin to bite through. Now I do them hotter because the last few have been on the pellet grill and there is no benefit to low and slow poultry since the smoke is so light. I think I'll put one on the WSM this year. It will only be me and my son so who knows what I might try lol

[bbqLuv]

It is on my to-do list for Traegerize a Turkey.
But honestly, ButterBall turkey breasts cook up great.

Traeger Spatchcock Turkey - Traeger Grills
Smoked Spatchcock Turkey - Traeger
Meat Church Smoked Turkey -Traeger Grills


As if I could smoke a turkey this good

[Starsky]

I'm doing one of my turkeys, spatchcocked, in the smoker at around 250 degrees. I don't worry about the skin too much because I break it down and serve in an aluminum pan. Maybe I could try crisping up the skin in the oven as a treat