Herbed Butter Smoked Whole Turkey
There’s no need to wait until Thanksgiving to have a delicious turkey. Smoked with classic seasonings, this is a dinner that offers leftovers for days.
Serves: 8Prep: 5 minutesCook: 5 hoursTotal: 5 hours 5 minutesDifficulty: Medium
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 3 cups hickory wood chips, or as needed, soaked in water
- 1 turkey (8-10 lbs.), neck and giblets removed
- 2 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
- 2 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1⁄2 tsp. black pepper
- 1 lemon, halved
Directions
- Heat smoker to 225-250°F and add wood chips to smoker.
- Rinse turkey under cold water and pat dry. Stir together sage, thyme, rosemary, garlic, butter, salt and pepper. Rub turkey with ½ butter mixture, including under the skin and in the cavity. Place lemon halves in the turkey cavity. Reserve remaining butter mixture.
- Smoke until internal temperature reaches 165°F at the thigh and breast. Brush turkey with butter mixture every hour and add additional water to drip pan when needed. Cook time is approximately 30 minutes per pound.
- After removing from the smoker, place the turkey on a platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Allow to rest 20-30 minutes before carving.
- Serve immediately and refrigerate leftovers.