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A sliced smoked turkey breast on a cutting board with the crispy skin on.
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Smoked Bone In Turkey Breast

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!
Course dinner, Main, Main Course, Main dish
Cuisine American, smoked turkey breast
Diet Gluten Free
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Resting time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 82kcal
Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

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.
Brine Recipe:
Although brining isn't necessary, if you want to brine your turkey breast follow these directions:
  1. 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.
  2. Simmer for 5 minutes stirring periodically until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
  3. Remove from heat and stir in 4 cups ice water. Cool completely at room temperature.
  4. 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.
  5. 30 minutes prior to cooking, drain and rinse the turkey breast well. Dry completely and follow the recipe above.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 82kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 246IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 0.3mg