How to Smoke a Turkey Breast

The unofficial “end of summer” holiday just passed and as the days are getting shorter the holidays are coming. What better way to start preparing for Thanksgiving than with a quick turkey breast for smoking! It’s great for a quick weekday meal, so let’s talk about it!

Why Smoke a Turkey Breast

A smoked turkey breast is a quick and easy meal for a weeknight, family gathering, or Thanksgiving. This boneless turkey breast was about 3 lbs. and the total cook time was just under 3 hours. What’s nice about smoking a turkey breast is it’s much easier than a full-size bird. It fits nicely in a small smoker, like a 14-inch Weber Smokey Mountain.

Also, using a turkey injection, like Butcher BBQ Original Bird Booster, results in a juicy and flavorful dinner. It is less intimidating for new pitmasters. Injecting is quicker than wet brining and makes less of a mess.

What You Need to Smoke a Turkey Breast

• Turkey breast (bone-in or boneless) from your local grocery store.
  • I used a Butterball All Natural 3 lb. boneless turkey breast for this cook.
• Rub – I used my go-to homemade turkey rub for this one:
  • 2 tablespoons of smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon of fine kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon of ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon of finely ground onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon of finely ground garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons of rosemary
    
  • 1 teaspoon of dried mustard
• Optional, but highly recommended Butcher BBQ Original Bird Booster injection for added moisture and flavor.
• Wood chunks – fruit woods work well for poultry; I used apple chunks for this cook.
• Charcoal for the WSM – I used B and B Competition Briquettes for this cook, set up with the Minion Method.

Smoking a Turkey Breast Step-by-Step on the 14-Inch Weber Smokey Mountain

Now that you have all your supplies, let’s prep the bird.

• Rinse the breast and pat it dry.
• Mix your Butcher BBQ Original Bird Booster and inject the turkey breast.
  • I mixed half of the recommended 1/4 cup to 2 cups of water for 10 lbs. of meat.
  • Instead, I mixed 1/8 cup of Bird Booster to 1 cup of water since my turkey breast was 3 lbs.
  • Inject it with a pistol grip injector.

• Use the injection as a binder and apply the turkey rub.

• Let the turkey rub rest on the meat while you fire up the WSM.

Set Up the 14-Inch Weber Smokey Mountain

The 14 inch Weber Smokey Mountain was my first smoker. My wife purchased it for me and I learned so much with it. It is a great starter smoker for anyone who is interested in the hobby!

Now back to the WSM setup:

1. Fill the WSM charcoal ring with briquettes or lump charcoal.
   1. I like using the Minion Method when I cook on my Weber Smokey Mountain. The Minion Method offers a steady heat and a consistent burn.
2. Add a couple chunks of apple wood to the charcoal basket.
3. Add some water to the water pan; personally I like to leave it dry and just wrap it in aluminum foil for easy cleanup.
4. We are shooting for a grate temperature of 250–275°F.

Cooking the Turkey Breast

Ok, now that the smoker is up to temp, grab your turkey breast and place it on the WSM’s top rack. You will want to put a temp probe to keep an eye on the internal temperature. Now, monitor the cook and when the internal temp reaches 140°F baste it with butter.

When the internal temp of the breast reaches 160°F, pull and let it rest for 15–20 minutes. The carryover cook will bring the temp up to 165°F. Your turkey breast should have a beautiful mahogany red and brownish color to it!

We have a video explaining how to cook a turkey breast below:

In Conclusion

Smoking a turkey breast is easy! It just takes some time to prepare for the cook. Once it is finished, you will have a delicious, juicy, flavorful meal for the weekday or any occasion. Butcher BBQ Original Bird Booster also saves you time by not brining the turkey breast for 12-24 hours.

With a 14 inch Weber Smokey Mountain and this newfound knowledge, you will be known as “Mr. Turkey” going forward! Let’s get to cooking and please leave us a comment below on how your smoked turkey breast turned out!