Smoked Whole Turkey
Looking for a new way to do Thanksgiving turkey this year? This smoked whole turkey brings a little something different to the holiday table, with smoky flavor and crispy, golden skin. We’ll show you how to spatchcock a turkey and what temperature to smoke it at, so you can feel confident trying something new for the big day.
Ingredients
1 whole turkey, 12–14 lb, completely thawed
1 Kinder’s Butcher’s Brine Kit, optional but highly recommended
¼ Cup pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp Kinder’s Buttery Poultry Blend or Kinder’s Buttery Garlic & Herb Seasoning
½ Cup unsalted butter, melted, optional
Turkey or chicken stock, for gravy
Instructions
BRINE
While brining isn’t mandatory, it is highly recommended. Brining helps season the meat throughout while allowing it to retain more moisture during cooking, resulting in a juicier, more flavorful turkey.
Prepare the Kinder’s Butcher’s Brine according to the package directions and brine the turkey for 12 to 24 hours. Remove from the brine before following remainder of recipe.
SPATCHCOCK & SEASON
Spatchcocking allows the breast and dark meat to cook more evenly, exposes more skin to the heat and smoke, and helps the turkey cook considerably faster.
Preheat the smoker to 375°F. Apple, cherry, or pecan wood all works well.
Pat your turkey extremely dry with paper towels, then place the turkey breast-side down on a cutting board.
Using sturdy kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it.
Flip the turkey breast-side up and press firmly on the breastbone until it cracks and the turkey lies flat.
Brush the turkey with a thin, even layer of maple syrup, then season on all sides with Kinder’s Buttery Poultry Blend or Kinder’s Buttery Garlic & Herb Seasoning. If the turkey was brined, use a slightly lighter hand with the seasoning.
SMOKE
We start with a slightly higher-heat smoke to get the skin to render well and get super crispy. We drop the heat as we put the turkey in to aim for even cooking temps across the thigh and breast. Once your skin is crispy, baste and lower the heat a touch if you find the bird is cooking unevenly. Cooking at the higher temperature still gives the turkey plenty of smoke flavor while allowing the skin to properly render and brown.
Reduce heat to 350°F and place the turkey directly onto the smoker grates, skin-side up along with the reserved backbone, if using (see pro tip).
When the breast reaches around 130°F, check the skin. If desired, lightly brush with melted butter for additional richness and browning.
Continue smoking until the thickest part of the breast reaches 160°F and the thighs reach 170–175°F. A 12 to 14-lb spatchcocked turkey will generally take around 2 to 2½ hours but always rely on internal temperature rather than cooking time alone.
Remove the turkey and backbone from the smoker.
REST
Resting the turkey allows for carryover cooking to take the turkey to 165°F and for the juices to distribute to get a super juicy turkey.
Let the turkey rest uncovered for 30 minutes before carving.
Carve the turkey and serve warm with the gravy alongside.
PRO TIPS:
Super Crispy Skin: If time allows, place your spatchcocked, unseasoned turkey uncovered on a wire rack overnight. Drying the skin is especially important when smoking and will help it render and brown during cooking.
Smoked Gravy: When spatchcocking, reserve the backbone and smoke it alongside the turkey. You can use it later to add rich, smoky turkey flavor to your gravy. While the turkey rests, simmer the smoked backbone in turkey or chicken stock to extract its smoky roasted flavor. Strain the stock, combine with any collected turkey drippings, and use it as the base for your favorite gravy.
