Smoking turkey breasts (either boneless or bone-in) is a great way to cook turkey for just a few people OR even a special family meal. It’s fast enough (especially with my recipe) for a delicious weeknight dinner, but it’s also perfect for Holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas.
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I’ve doubled this recipe for Thanksgiving in years past, and everyone loved the results. I use my signature smoked turkey rub which marries classic holiday flavors with modern barbecue influence.
Smoked Turkey Breast
I prefer to smoke bone-in turkey breasts, also known as a turkey crown. It’s basically a whole turkey without the legs and wings. One big reason for this is that my turkey gravy is so darn good, I just can’t resist making it. For that I need the backbone.
Butterflying the turkey by cutting out the backbone (also known as spatchcock) helps with faster, even cooking and juicier meat. I made a video on how to spatchcock a turkey if you’d like to check it out.
I cook all my skin-on turkey and chicken hotter than most to get crispy, delicious skin. Hotter temps also mean faster cooking. This keeps the meat JUICY. We’ll be smoking our turkey breasts anywhere from 375 to 425 °F. Having the bones really helps prevent the breasts from drying out also.
Seasoning Your Turkey
I’ve developed an amazing smoked turkey rub that I use when cooking whole turkey and chicken. I urge you to give it a try, but whatever rub you like will work. You’ll need about 2 tablespoons.
Smoked Turkey Breasts vs. A Whole Turkey
There are some definite advantages to cooking just the breasts.
For one, it’s not just easier in general, but it eliminates the problem of getting the white meat and dark meat done at the same time. It also COOKS FASTER. Lastly, if you have a very small grill or smoker you can easily fit just the breast.
As for smoking a whole turkey, there’s really only a few benefits, but for many folks they are deal breakers.
The most obvious reason you’d want the whole bird, is that you’d get the dark meat if that’s your thing.
Next is presentation. Some people won’t even spatchcock a holiday turkey for aesthetic reasons let alone cut off half the parts.
Last but not least is price. You’ll pay a lot more per pound for just the turkey breasts vs. a whole turkey, especially with holiday sales.
Using kitchen shears or a large, sharp knife, remove the backbone from the turkey. This is called butterflying or spatchcocking. If you need help, check out my video on how to spatchcock a turkey. Place the turkey skin-side up on a wire rack.
Preheat your grill or smoker to 400 degrees. Anything between 375 and 425 will be fine
Spray the turkey skin with a light coating of duck fat or olive oil spray. Season the turkey with 2 tablespoons of my smoked turkey rub or whatever rub you’re using
Place a temperature probe in the thickest part of the turkey breast
Smoke the turkey breast at 400 °F for 45 minutes. Spray with a light coating of duck fat spray. This will help crisp up the skin.
Continue smoking at 400 °F until the temperature probe reads 165 °F (about 1.5 to 2 hours total)
Notes
Duck fat spray has become very popular in the BBQ world in recent years. I like it, but it can be a little pricey, so feel free to substitute with a cheaper alternative like olive oil spray.
