If you're tired of tough, dry turkey breast, then you've got to try this smoked bone in turkey breast with brown sugar and citrus. It's seriously easy to make and will give you the most tender, juicy turkey breast you'll ever eat. Smoked in just 2 hours!
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love My Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe:
- Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- How To Make Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tips For Making Bone In Smoked Turkey Breast
- What To Serve With Smoked Turkey Breasts
- Other Delicious Turkey Recipes To Try
- Smoked Bone In Turkey Breast
- Hosting Thanksgiving?
Why You'll Love My Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe:
A long time ago, I worked as a manager at a BBQ restaurant. While it wasn't my favorite job by any stretch of the imagination, I seriously enjoyed the first couple weeks of training when they trained me in the kitchen and smokehouse.
Every day, I was basically elbow-deep in raw meat while I learned how to use these huge smokers. It was a pretty incredible introduction to smoking foods, and my biggest takeaway from this job was a love for all things smoked.
Now, I tend to be a give-me-all-the-dark-meat kind of gal. But smoked turkey breast is different. I'm talking about the most tender, juicy turkey breast you'll ever taste! I mean, smoked turkey in general is a total win. It's one of the easiest ways to get meat that everyone will fight over! Need some more reasons to try it? Say no more:
- A unique way to cook turkey
- So fun for the holidays
- Tender and juicy results every time
- Full of flavor thanks to the citrus brown sugar brine
- More affordable than a whole turkey
- The ultimate Thanksgiving main dish!
Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- Turkey Breast- I usually pick up around 2 ½ pounds of bone-in turkey breast for this recipe. A general rule of thumb is to plan for about half a pound of meat per person.
- Salted Butter- Once the turkey is brined, you'll combine salted butter with a handful of seasonings to rub all over the meat before you smoke it. This butter and seasonings mixture will give you the most tender and juicy results.
- Seasonings- You'll need onion powder, poultry seasoning, and lemon zest for the butter rub.
- Wood Pellets- I like Traeger's apple or hickory wood pellets for my smoked turkey breast recipe! If you have a preference, feel free to go with your favorite.
How To Make Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast
Step 1- Prep the turkey.
Remove the turkey breast from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking. While you wait, combine the butter, onion powder, poultry seasoning, lemon zest, and brown sugar in a bowl. When the turkey is done resting, apply the butter rub all over — if there's skin, apply it underneath.
Fill your smoker with the wood pellets and set the dial to Smoke with the lid open. When you start to see smoke, close the lid and preheat to 300 degrees F.
Step 2- Smoke the turkey breast.
Place the turkey breast on the rack, bone-side down and insert the probe. Close the lid and smoke for about 2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
Remove the smoked turkey breast from the grill and let it rest under tented foil for about 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
It typically takes about 35 minutes per pound to make pellet grill smoked turkey breast. I found that my 2 ½ pounds worth took about 2 hours — I recommend that you start checking for doneness around 1 hour and 45 minutes to keep things from drying out.
The key is to keep a close eye on the temperature and then pull it off the heat just before it reaches the safe temperature (I pull it around 160 degrees F). Then rest it for 15 minutes, during which time the juices will redistribute and the turkey will come to full temp (165 degrees F).
I love apple, hickory, or maple pellets for my smoked turkey breast recipe! Lighter woods are generally best for white meat like turkey breast. You could also opt for one of those special turkey blend pellets too... I know Traeger makes one!
Yes — rub it down with the butter and seasoning mixture for the best flavor and texture.
I've made this recipe with and without a brine and have had very similar results. I'm putting my brine recipe in the recipe notes.
Yes! Follow the same directions but keep a close eye on the temperature, it will likely cook quicker without the bone.
Tips For Making Bone In Smoked Turkey Breast
- Rub it down well. I rub the butter mixture it all over the outside of the split turkey breast, but I also made a point to rub it under the skin as well. It's so easy — just pull the skin up, get some of the butter/spice rub mixture on your fingers, and get them all up in there. Trust me. Extra flavor is always a good idea!
- Rest the meat before cooking. Although you don't need to bring the meat to room temperature, I like to take it out of the fridge a good 20-30 minutes before cooking to take the extra chill off.
- Split turkey breast will cook faster. This is also a great option if you're cooking for fewer people or want to have some extra smoked meat to supplement a smaller whole turkey (hello Thanksgiving!).
- Monitor your temperature. Even though I've found the temperatures to be pretty much spot on, I love being able to use the probes that came with my Traeger. They plug right into the grill and stay in the meat the entire time. With the push of a button, you're able to see the correct internal temperature without having to open the grill and risk losing heat. You can also use a probe thermometer.
- Rest the meat after cooking too. This is so important because it allows for crossover cooking and a juicy bird. I pull the turkey breast off before 160 degrees F and I let it sit for 15 minutes before carving. By the end of that time the juices will have redistributed and the temp will reach 165 degrees F.
- Don't fear the pink ring! One thing I remember from my short time in the BBQ industry was that people would often be concerned that they would bite into their meat and it would look pink. Now, I'm not talking about raw chicken or in this case, turkey. But when meat is properly smoked, it gets what's called "the pink ring" or a "smoke ring" This ring of pink is a chemical reaction caused by the gasses from the wood pellets and the pigment in the meat. It's a sign of moist meat and good smoking! Consider it your badge of smoked meat honor.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- You can make the butter up to 1-2 days in advance, just make sure to store it in the fridge and pull out 30 minutes prior to using so it can soften.
- Leftovers and storage- Store any leftover smoked turkey breast in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. I usually reheat in 30-second bursts in the microwave, or in the oven at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes until heated through.
What To Serve With Smoked Turkey Breasts
Whether you plan on making smoked turkey breast on a pellet grill for a holiday feast or simply family night dinner, here are a few other dishes to make it a meal:
- French Onion Mashed Potatoes
- Garlic Green Beans
- Cranberry Sauce with Diced Cherries and Shallots
- Cheesy Garlic Knots
Other Delicious Turkey Recipes To Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Smoked Bone In Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 1 split turkey breast, around 2 ½ pounds
- 4 Tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 lemon (zest only)
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Remove the turkey breast from the fridge and dry with paper towel. Set aside to rest for 20 minutes.
- While the split turkey breast rests, combine salted butter, onion powder, poultry seasoning, lemon zest and 1 Tablespoon brown sugar. Mix well.
- Rub the butter mixture all over outside of the split turkey breast and if there is skin, pull up the skin and rub it underneath as well.
- Fill the hopper of the Traeger Wood Fired Grill with your wood pellets of choice (I tested this with both apple and hickory and both were fantastic!) and set the dial to Smoke with the lid open. After 10 minutes you should see smoke.
- Close the lid and set the dial to 300 degrees to preheat. It should take around 10 minutes.
- Once the grill has reached the temperature, place the split turkey breast onto the rack.
- Plug the probe into the grill (below the dials) bring it through the slot to the right of the dials and place the probe into the thickest part of the turkey breast, being careful not to touch the bone.
- Close the lid and smoke for approximately 2 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches between 160-165 degrees. Keep a close eye on this as it could go quicker and start checking the temperature after an hour and a half.
- Remove the split turkey breast from the grill and place it on your cutting board, tented in foil. Rest for 10-15 minutes.
- While the turkey breast rests, close the lid and switch the dial to Shut Down Mode. After 10 minutes turn it off and unplug it. Cool completely before cleaning and covering.
- Once rested, slice the turkey breast and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
-
- Rub it down well. I rub the butter mixture it all over the outside of the split turkey breast, but I also made a point to rub it under the skin as well. It's so easy — just pull the skin up, get some of the butter/spice rub mixture on your fingers, and get them all up in there. Trust me. Extra flavor is always a good idea!
-
- Rest the meat before cooking. Although you don't need to bring the meat to room temperature, I like to take it out of the fridge a good 20-30 minutes before cooking to take the extra chill off.
-
- Split turkey breast will cook faster. This is also a great option if you're cooking for fewer people or want to have some extra smoked meat to supplement a smaller whole turkey (hello Thanksgiving!).
-
- Monitor your temperature. Even though I've found the temperatures to be pretty much spot on, I love being able to use the probes that came with my Traeger. They plug right into the grill and stay in the meat the entire time. With the push of a button, you're able to see the correct internal temperature without having to open the grill and risk losing heat. You can also use a probe thermometer.
-
- Rest the meat after cooking too. This is so important because it allows for crossover cooking and a juicy bird. I pull the turkey breast off before 160 degrees F and I let it sit for 15 minutes before carving. By the end of that time the juices will have redistributed and the temp will reach 165 degrees F.
-
- Don't fear the pink ring! One thing I remember from my short time in the BBQ industry was that people would often be concerned that they would bite into their meat and it would look pink. Now, I'm not talking about raw chicken or in this case, turkey. But when meat is properly smoked, it gets what's called "the pink ring" or a "smoke ring" This ring of pink is a chemical reaction caused by the gasses from the wood pellets and the pigment in the meat. It's a sign of moist meat and good smoking! Consider it your badge of smoked meat honor.
-
- Ingredients to prep ahead- You can make the butter up to 1-2 days in advance, just make sure to store it in the fridge and pull out 30 minutes prior to using so it can soften.
-
- Leftovers and storage- Store any leftover smoked turkey breast in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. I usually reheat in 30-second bursts in the microwave, or in the oven at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes until heated through.
- On the day before cooking, combine 4 cups water, ½ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup brown sugar, ⅓ cup kosher salt, 1 orange, cut into eighths, 1 lemon, cut into quarters, 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf in a large dutch oven and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 5 minutes stirring periodically until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
- Remove from heat and stir in 4 cups ice water. Cool completely at room temperature.
- Once it's almost cool, remove the split turkey breast from it's packaging and submerge it in the brine. Cover and refrigerate over night.
- 30 minutes prior to cooking, drain and rinse the turkey breast well. Dry completely and follow the recipe above.
Nutrition
Hosting Thanksgiving?
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