Cherry Wood Smoked Turkey
Cherry Wood Smoked Turkey
A juicy and flavorful way to prepare your next Thanksgiving Day turkey!
Ingredients
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 gallons water
- 12 whole peppercorns
- 5 bay leaves
- 5 fresh thyme or 2 Tbs dried thyme
- 1 16-18 pound turkey, defrosted
- Cherry, Apple or Hickory Wood chips as needed
Instructions
- Combine the salt, sugar, peppercorns, bay leaves and thyme with 1 gallon of hot tap water. When the salt and sugar have dissolved, add in one gallon of cold tap water.
- Place a thick garbage bag in a large cooler and pour the cool brine into it. Place the turkey in the brine solution. Tie the bag up. Cover with ice.
- Brine for 2 days. Check to make sure there is always ice covering the bag during the 2 days.
- Remove the turkey from the brine and pat it dry. Allow the turkey to sit in a cool area to let the skin dry.
- Prepare a smoker for smoking according to manufacturer instructions.
- Rub the turkey with olive oil and place in the smoker. Begin adding in wood chips that have been soaked in water or apple juice.
- Continue to smoke, maintaining a 300 degree temperature for approximately 2 hours. Remove from the smoker at that point. The turkey should be evenly brown.
- Check the temperature of the turkey with a meat thermometer for a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If you need to, you can finish the turkey in the oven at 350 degrees.
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