Fruit tree woods are especially good for smoking lighter meats like chicken or turkey with their more delicate flavors. There is less risk here to overpower your meal with too much smoke forward flavor. Mesquite is a favorite in the southwestern states and delivers the strongest of flavors.
Is mesquite wood good for smoking turkey?
When it comes to the best wood for smoking turkey, you want something mild in flavor. Anything too strong (like mesquite or hickory) will take over the flavor of the bird. Poultry pairs nice with sweet woods, so find a fruit wood or another sweet wood that fits your taste profile.
What is a good smoke flavor for turkey?
What flavor wood chips for smoking turkey? We like to use wood chips with a slightly sweet flavor such as apple, apricot, cherry, peach or maple. Hickory is stronger but is always a classic and gives an even smoky flavor! Mesquite also goes well with turkey.
What is mesquite flavor turkey?
Mesquite has a strong, earthy flavor profile that can overpower lean meat. It’s a better fit for turkey legs than the whole bird, but you can use it either way if you enjoy a bolder smoke flavor with your turkey.
What pellets are best for smoking a turkey?
Use sweet smoke to add a layer of flavor to turkey. Try mixing cherry, pecan, or apple hardwood pellets.
What temperature do you smoke a turkey to?
Set the smoker to 225° F. Place the turkey on a cooking rack and cook for 8 to 12 hours or until the inner thigh temperature reaches 180° F. Check the temperature of your turkey after 3½ hours. Your turkey must pass through a critical range of 40° F to 140° F in 4 hours or less.
How long does it take to smoke a turkey?
It depends on the size of your turkey and the smoker you’re using. Generally, though, you should allow for about 30-40 minutes of smoking per pound. So, if you have a 20-pound turkey, it’ll probably take 10-12 hours to completely smoke it. You should always determine doneness by internal temperature and not by time.
How do you keep a turkey moist while smoking?
Turkeys should be brined overnight, coated with fat only initially, and minimally seasoned. Brining keeps the turkey from drying out during the smoking process. Basting the turkey only results in soggy skin. Overly seasoning the skin just makes inedible skin – let the brine and aromatics add flavor.
How long does it take to smoke a 12 pound turkey?
about 3 ½ hours
It takes about 3 ½ hours to smoke a 10-12lb turkey but checking the internal temps is key. It has to hit at least 165 in the breast and 175 in the thigh. Once again – this is when a Thermapen comes in real handy.
Do you smoke a turkey breast side up or down?
Whether you’re using a smoker or a grill, have the bird breast side up. Insert a digital probe meat thermometer, if you have one, into the thickest part of the breast or thigh.
Is mesquite turkey healthy?
Charter Reserve Mesquite Smoked Turkey Breast is oven-roasted and mesquite-smoked for a unique, mild flavor. This heart-healthy turkey is 96% fat free with no trans fat, and made with no added MSG, hormones or steroids. * And with 10g of protein, it’s more than just delicious — it’s good for you and your family.
What does mesquite turkey breast taste like?
For a distinct smoky and savory flavor, inspired by Western smokehouse traditions, Boar’s Head Mesquite Wood Smoked Turkey Breast is carefully roasted and smoked for a flavor that is sure to become a family favorite. They have the best fresh sliced deli meat ever, my favorite is mesquite roast turkey!
Can I use hickory pellets with turkey?
Hickory. Another deep ‘earthy’ wood, hickory is often used as a base layer for a lot of different types of meat. While hickory is indisputably a classic wood, it just too much of a distinct, heavy flavor for poultry.
How long do you smoke a turkey at 225?
Low & Slow Smoked Turkey – Smoke your turkey at the low temperature of 225 degrees F for approximately 6-8 hours for a 22 pound turkey. Remove turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towels (this is an important step, don’t skip it).
What is the best wood chips to smoke a turkey?
What are the best types of wood for smoking turkey?
- Pecan. One of the most common woods used in meat smoking, pecan provides an excellent combination of sweetness, smokiness, and sharpness to your turkey meat.
- Maple.
- Cherry.
- Alder.
- Hickory.
- Oak.
- Mesquite.
Is it better to smoke a turkey at 225 or 250?
Turkey can be smoked at a smoker temperature as low as 225 degrees, but it’s much quicker if smoked at 275-300 degrees, or even higher. When smoking at a lower temperature you’re looking at more time in the smoker, but that means the turkey could potentially have a richer smoke flavor.
Do you cover turkey when smoking?
What is this? All that remains is to cover the smoked turkey with a foil tent, and let it rest for at least one-half hour, breast side down, before slicing. This allows the juices and smoke flavor to evenly disperse throughout the flesh as it firms up.
How do you get crispy skin on smoked turkey?
Turn the heat up to at least 350°F at the end of smoking. If you cook a turkey low and slow until finished, it will have rubbery skin. Do you baste a turkey while smoking? You can baste or spritz with chicken broth while smoking the turkey to help keep it moist as well as help crisp up that skin.
Should I Cover the turkey with aluminum foil?
We’ve found that covering a turkey in foil yields much moister results than roasting it without foil, and we favor simply covering up the breast to even out cooking time.
How long does it take to smoke a 15 pound turkey?
about 7 1/2 hours
A 15-lb turkey will take about 7 1/2 hours of smoking time. When I calculate my smoking time, I estimate about 30 minutes per pound. What is the temperature of turkey when it’s done? Safe internal temperature of turkey is 165°.
Can you smoke a 20 pound turkey?
At 225 degrees, a 20-pound turkey should cook at a rate of 30 to 40 minutes per pound. If you increase the temperature to 250, it will take 25 to 30 minutes per pound. It’s best to keep the smoker temperature above 225 when smoking a bird this large.