Smoking a turkey on a Traeger grill will give you a turkey that is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The Traeger recipe for a “traditional smoked Thanksgiving turkey” is what I used in this video. The recipe does not call to brine the turkey, but I did use a brine that was easy to put together. Grab the recipes below:
Ingredients for the Brine:
16 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup kosher salt
1 sprig of rosemary
8 sprigs of thyme
3 to 4 sage leaves
1 gallon cold water
12.5 lb turkey
In a stock pot, combine vegetable broth and the next 4 ingredients and bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Once the kosher salt its dissolved, remove broth mixture from the heat and allow it to cool for 1.5 hours. Pour the broth mixture and 1 gallon of cold water into a 5 gallon bucket. Carefully place your turkey into the bucket, making sure the bird is completely submerged. Place the brining turkey into the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight.
How to prepare the turkey for the Traeger Grill:
After the turkey has brined for at least 8 hours or overnight, remove the turkey from the brining liquid. Discard the brining liquid. Rinse your turkey with cold water, and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the turkey on a sheet tray and allow it to come to room temperature (takes about an hour).
While the turkey is coming to room temp., mix your herb butter.
Ingredients for the Herb Butter:
1/2 lb of butter, softened (2 sticks)
6 cloves of minced garlic
1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
Leaves from 8 thyme sprigs
1/2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients for the herb butter in a medium size bowl. Use a spatula to mix the ingredients until they are fully combined.
Preheat the Traeger grill to 300F with the lid closed. While the Traeger grill is preheating, carefully rub the herb butter all over the turkey and underneath the skin. Season the outside of the turkey generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
Once the grill is preheated, gently place the turkey on the center of the grill. Insert the Traeger probe into the thickest portion of the turkey breast. Set the probe alarm to 160F (the turkey will continue to to cook off the grill to reach the desired temp. of 165F). Place a small heatproof container of water onto the grill. Close the lid. Smoke the turkey for 3-4 hours until the probe alarm sounds.
Once the desired internal temp. is reached, carefully remove the turkey from the Traeger grill. Place the grill into shutdown mode.
Allow the turkey to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. Enjoy!!
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