So my neighborhood has had a hankering for smoked turkey. I'm not doing the whole bird but I am doing 10 breasts. I have never smoked just turkey breasts and would like to know ideas on time and temp. Thanks
Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
Need Guidence on Smoked Turkey breasts
Collapse
X
-
Hi Florida: I just spoke with one of the guys here at work who used to be the head chef at the Banff Springs Hotel.
This is what he told me:
First are you going to brine the breasts or not? If you're going to brine the breasts an interior temp of 160F is a good temp. If you're not going to brine the breasts, then go for 165F. Keep your smoker at about the 250F temp.
Are the breasts on the bone or off? This doesn't seem to matter as much, but no touching between the breasts bone or no bone.
You'll find that each breast will smoke based on it's size and weight. Start off with your meat thermo in the smallest breast, and when it gets to temp, check with your thermo pen all the other breasts that are about the same size. Anything that is not near that temp can be left in the smoker, and move your thermo probe into the next largest size that hasn't come up to temp.
It's either that or overcook some of the smaller breasts when you put the thermo probe in the largest breast.
There are a LOT of variables involved, your smoker, any hot or cold spots in it? If you do have variances in temp, rotate the meat to keep those to a minimum.
That's the info my chef friend gave to me so I could pass it along.
-
Administrator
- May 2014
- 19898
- Clare, Michigan area
-
Follow me on Instagram, huskeesbarbecue
Smokers / Grills- Yoder loaded Wichita offset smoker
- PBC
- Grilla Silverbac pellet grill
- Slow 'N Sear Deluxe Kamado (SnSK)
- Masterbuilt Gravity 560
- Masterbuilt Digital Charcoal Cabinet
- Weber 22" Original Kettle Premium (copper)
- Weber 26" Original Kettle Premium (light blue)
- Weber Jumbo Joe Gold (18.5")
- Weber Smokey Joe Silver (14.5")
- Brinkmann cabinet charcoal smoker (repurposed)
Thermometers- SnS 500 4-probe wireless
- (3) Maverick XR-50 4-probe Wireless Thermometers
- A few straggler Maverick ET-732s
- Maverick ET-735 Bluetooth (in box)
- Smoke X4 by ThermoWorks
- Thermapen MkII, orange & purple
- ThermoPop, yellow, plus a few more in a drawer for gifts
- ThermoWorks ChefAlarm (wife's)
- Morpilot 6-probe wireless
- ThermoWorks Infrared IRK2
- ThermoWorks fridge & freezer therms as well
Accessories- Instant Pot 6qt
- Anova Bluetooth SV
- Kitchen Aide mixer & meat grinder attachment
- Kindling Cracker King (XL)
- a couple BBQ Dragons
- Weber full & half chimneys, Char-Broil Half Time chimney
- Weber grill topper
- Slow 'N Sear Original, XL, and SnS Charcoal Basket (for Jumbo Joe)
- Drip 'N Griddle Pans, 22' Easy Spin Grate, and Elevated Cooking grate, by SnSGrills
- Pittsburgh Digital Moisture Meter
Beverages- Favorite summer beers: Leinenkugels Summer & Grapefruit Shandy, Hamm's, Michelob Ultra Pure Gold
- Fav other beers: Zombie Dust (an IPA by 3 Floyd's Brewing), Austin Bros IPA, DAB, Sam Adams regular, Third Shift amber or Coors Batch 19, Stella Artois
- Fav cheap beers: Pabst, High Life, Hamm's & Stroh's
- Most favorite beer: The one in your fridge
- Wine: Red- big, bold, tannic & peppery- Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauv, Sangiovese, Syrah, etc
- Whiskey: Buffalo Trace, E.H. Taylor, Blanton's, Old Forester 1870, Elijah Craig Toasted, Basil Hayden's. Neat please.
- Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
About me
Real name: Aaron
Location: Farwell, Michigan- near Clare. (dead center of lower peninsula)
Occupation:- Healthcare- Licensed & Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at MyMichigan Health, a University of Michigan Health System.
Cadmentr gives you some very sound advice. Meathead recommends smoking chicken & turkey at 325. This does two things- speeds up the cook time and helps retain moisture by a shorter cook, and helps crisp the skin. You can certainly do a lower temp like Cad suggests, but be aware of the rationale behind the higher temp.Last edited by Huskee; October 2, 2014, 11:37 AM.
- Likes 1
Comment
-
Founding Member
- Jul 2014
- 69
- Fountain Hills, AZ
-
Smokers N' Grills:
XL Big Green Egg
22" Weber Kettle
​Weber Smokey Joe
Char-Broil TRU Infrared Performance (3 Burner)
Temp, NOT Time:
Thermoworks Thermapen
Silver Maverick ET-732
BBQ Guru DigiQ DX2
Poultry - 325F until it hits 165 (white meat). Instead of a traditional brine, I prefer MH's dry brine method, you get really crispy skin that way. Check out the Ultimate Smoked Turkey, it can easily be adapted to breasts only.
Comment
-
While on the topic, I'm about to smoke a 12 lb double-breast on the weekend. Typically I brine my birds in a solution, but I'm intrigued if anyone's had more success with a dry-brine instead. I'll be smoking them without the skin (rather remove and roast it to make turkey skin chicharonnes, which I luuuuuuuuurv!).
Comment
-
Founding Member & Owner of SnS Grills
- May 2014
- 4890
- Charlotte, NC
-
- Slow 'N Sear Kamado
- Slow 'N Sear Kettle
- Lots of grills that work with Slow 'N Sear
- LOTS of digital thermometers
- LOTS of accessories
- Favorite Beer - Fat Tire
- Favorite Bourbon - Woodford Reserve
- Favorite White Wine - Cakebread Chardonnay
- Favorite Red Wine - Yes, Please
- President/Owner - SnS Grills
Originally posted by biggreenmatt View PostWhile on the topic, I'm about to smoke a 12 lb double-breast on the weekend. Typically I brine my birds in a solution, but I'm intrigued if anyone's had more success with a dry-brine instead. I'll be smoking them without the skin (rather remove and roast it to make turkey skin chicharonnes, which I luuuuuuuuurv!).
Dry Brine with salt. Inject with butter. Best turkey ever.
Comment
-
Founding Member
- Jul 2014
- 69
- Fountain Hills, AZ
-
Smokers N' Grills:
XL Big Green Egg
22" Weber Kettle
​Weber Smokey Joe
Char-Broil TRU Infrared Performance (3 Burner)
Temp, NOT Time:
Thermoworks Thermapen
Silver Maverick ET-732
BBQ Guru DigiQ DX2
Yeah, if you dry brine the skin and cook at 325, you should have great skin. Either way, for a whole breast, I would stick with dry bringing. Obviously injecting with butter is a must!
Comment
-
Thanks for the reply, guys.
I'm not worried about the skin- it's my complete intention to take it off and cook it separately. Frankly, I don't like smoked skin. Rather have it crisp and beautiful straight out of the oven.
My concern is juicy, plump, perfectly done, smoked poultry meat. Is this better accomplished with a brine or salt?
Comment
-
Founding Member & Owner of SnS Grills
- May 2014
- 4890
- Charlotte, NC
-
- Slow 'N Sear Kamado
- Slow 'N Sear Kettle
- Lots of grills that work with Slow 'N Sear
- LOTS of digital thermometers
- LOTS of accessories
- Favorite Beer - Fat Tire
- Favorite Bourbon - Woodford Reserve
- Favorite White Wine - Cakebread Chardonnay
- Favorite Red Wine - Yes, Please
- President/Owner - SnS Grills
Originally posted by biggreenmatt View PostThanks for the reply, guys.
I'm not worried about the skin- it's my complete intention to take it off and cook it separately. Frankly, I don't like smoked skin. Rather have it crisp and beautiful straight out of the oven.
My concern is juicy, plump, perfectly done, smoked poultry meat. Is this better accomplished with a brine or salt?
Comment
-
Administrator
- May 2014
- 19898
- Clare, Michigan area
-
Follow me on Instagram, huskeesbarbecue
Smokers / Grills- Yoder loaded Wichita offset smoker
- PBC
- Grilla Silverbac pellet grill
- Slow 'N Sear Deluxe Kamado (SnSK)
- Masterbuilt Gravity 560
- Masterbuilt Digital Charcoal Cabinet
- Weber 22" Original Kettle Premium (copper)
- Weber 26" Original Kettle Premium (light blue)
- Weber Jumbo Joe Gold (18.5")
- Weber Smokey Joe Silver (14.5")
- Brinkmann cabinet charcoal smoker (repurposed)
Thermometers- SnS 500 4-probe wireless
- (3) Maverick XR-50 4-probe Wireless Thermometers
- A few straggler Maverick ET-732s
- Maverick ET-735 Bluetooth (in box)
- Smoke X4 by ThermoWorks
- Thermapen MkII, orange & purple
- ThermoPop, yellow, plus a few more in a drawer for gifts
- ThermoWorks ChefAlarm (wife's)
- Morpilot 6-probe wireless
- ThermoWorks Infrared IRK2
- ThermoWorks fridge & freezer therms as well
Accessories- Instant Pot 6qt
- Anova Bluetooth SV
- Kitchen Aide mixer & meat grinder attachment
- Kindling Cracker King (XL)
- a couple BBQ Dragons
- Weber full & half chimneys, Char-Broil Half Time chimney
- Weber grill topper
- Slow 'N Sear Original, XL, and SnS Charcoal Basket (for Jumbo Joe)
- Drip 'N Griddle Pans, 22' Easy Spin Grate, and Elevated Cooking grate, by SnSGrills
- Pittsburgh Digital Moisture Meter
Beverages- Favorite summer beers: Leinenkugels Summer & Grapefruit Shandy, Hamm's, Michelob Ultra Pure Gold
- Fav other beers: Zombie Dust (an IPA by 3 Floyd's Brewing), Austin Bros IPA, DAB, Sam Adams regular, Third Shift amber or Coors Batch 19, Stella Artois
- Fav cheap beers: Pabst, High Life, Hamm's & Stroh's
- Most favorite beer: The one in your fridge
- Wine: Red- big, bold, tannic & peppery- Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauv, Sangiovese, Syrah, etc
- Whiskey: Buffalo Trace, E.H. Taylor, Blanton's, Old Forester 1870, Elijah Craig Toasted, Basil Hayden's. Neat please.
- Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
About me
Real name: Aaron
Location: Farwell, Michigan- near Clare. (dead center of lower peninsula)
Occupation:- Healthcare- Licensed & Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at MyMichigan Health, a University of Michigan Health System.
BGM, I have done them both ways. When I do chicken pieces they're always skinless, and whole birds I tend to do skin-on. I wet brine skinless pieces in a solution of 1 gal water, 1C salt, 1C sugar, for 1 Hr <--- I've tried many brines and this is my personal favorite FWIW. I cook skinless usually at 225, it still develops a nice (thin) bark layer, similar to skin anyway. When I do whole birds I dry brine and cook at 325 (because of the skin). I am not knocking dry brining breast pieces, simply sharing what I do. A good dry brine on skinless will result in likely the same outcome but be less hassle and waste less salt for sure. Experiment!
Comment
-
Originally posted by bbantel View PostYeah, if you dry brine the skin and cook at 325, you should have great skin. Either way, for a whole breast, I would stick with dry bringing. Obviously injecting with butter is a must!
Comment
-
Founding Member
- Jul 2014
- 5135
- Stockholm, Sweden
-
Author of the book Barbecue, fire and smoke
Grills
PK 300
My custom built offset smoker
My custom built hot box
Thermometers
Thermapen
Fireboard
Accessories
Slow n' Sear
All my recipes, photos and information can be found at
https://hankstruebbq.com
YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/c/Hankstruebbq
I agree with Pit Boss and others. Dry brine, inject with butter, and run at 325 deg F. The butter is key in my opinion.
Comment
Announcement
Collapse
No announcement yet.
Comment