If you need a seasonal Traeger Smoked Turkey recipe you are in luck. Traeger smoked turkey is an absolute blinder all year round but especially suited to the holiday season – Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year.

We have even included a link to a copycat recipe for Disneyland Smoked Turkey Legs to help you reproduce those famous turkey legs from Disneyland at home!

It’s also well worth having a look at the ‘Traeger Bible’ Cookbook for a whole load of ideas of what to smoke on your Traeger grills.

Traeger Smoked Turkey Recipe

This easy Traeger turkey recipe comes straight from the people at Traeger themselves. If anyone should know how to smoked turkey on the Traeger grills surely it should be the people behind the brand.

You don’t need to use a dry rub here – instead you make up a simple but tasty and traditional garlic, rosemary and thyme butter to place under the skin of the turkey as it smokes.

The turkey is smoked at 300F in the pellet grill for 3-4 hours over cherry wood until the internal temperature of the turkey is 175F (79C) at the thigh and 165F final temperature in the breast meat.

There’s also an optional Traditional Stuffing recipe.

Traeger Brined and Smoked Turkey Breast

If you want to save on time and don’t have too many mouths to feed, this Traeger recipe for brined, smoked turkey breast will definitely suit you.

The brine is of course optional, but it is a great way to infuse flavour and keep a potentially dry meat like turkey moist in the smoker.

The turkey is brined in a solution of salt, sugar, molasses, black pepper, garlic salt, onion powder, as well as sage leaves for 24 hours.

The next day you dry the turkey breast, cover it in Traeger Pork and Poultry Rub (or your rub of choice) and butter, and place it in the pellet smoker at 375F (191C) over hickory wood for around 2 1/2 hours.

Traeger Smoked Turkey Legs to Rival Disneyland

This Disney copycat smoked turkey legs is well worth trying out on your Traeger pellet grill, or whatever BBQ smoker you have.

Give it a go, and you won’t be disappointed!

Pellet Grill Smoked Turkey with Homemade Rub and Brine

This is our own recipe for smoked turkey with plenty of helpful advice and tips, along with a delcious homemade rub and turkey brine.

Top 5 Rubs for Smoking Turkey

You might also enjoy this article on rubs for smoking turkey.

Traeger Smoked Turkey Injection

If you would like to inject your turkey for extra flavour, this post tells you how, as well as a whole lot more about smoking turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Cranberry Sauce Recipe for Traeger Smoked Turkey

If you need a fantastic cranberry sauce recipe for your Traeger turkey try here.

Traeger Grill Bible by Phil Johnson

If you are interested in expanding your Traeger recipes and horizons this Traeger Grill Bible is a brilliant comprehensive guide.

You might also enjoy this smoked turkey recipe for further reading and research.

https://www.smoker-cooking.com/smokedturkey.html

FAQ’s About Traeger Smoked Turkey

How Long Do you Smoke a Turkey on a Traeger?

If you set your Traeger to 325F (163C) it will take somewhere in the region of 3-4 hours to smoke a whole turkey. It will obviously take a little longer if the bird is on the larger side.

Make sure to cook to internal temperature rather than timings – turkey needs to have an internal temperature of 165F (74C) to be safe to eat.

Will a Turkey Fit in a Traeger?

According to Traeger themselves the Timberline 1300 grill has enough space to hold 6 turkeys. The Timberline 850 can hold up to 4 turkeys.

So yes, one individual turkey will easily fit in a Traeger.

Do You Smoke a Turkey on the Traeger Breast Up or Down?

We would recommend you smoke turkey breast side down because that allows the juices to drip down into the breast meat. This is because there is more moisture in the darker meat (thighs, legs etc) and this helps to keep the turkey moist during the smoking process.

Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast

If you would like a good recipe for smoked turkey breast on the pellet grills try this one.

Traeger Smoked Turkey no Brine

A brine is always optional for smoking but it is definitely a good way to impart flavour and ensure your turkey doesn’t dry out during the cooking process.

However if you want to smoke your turkey on the Traeger grills without brining it first try this video tutorial.

Traeger Turkey Brine

If you do decide to brine your turkey overnight, this is a helpful and informative article.

Smoked Turkey Traeger Spatchcock

There are some definite advantages to spatchcocking turkey – it allows for even cooking and airflow which helps the smoke distribute more evenly across the bird. It also helps to reduce cooking times in the smoker.

For a great smoker recipe for turkey that has been spatchcocked try here:

https://heygrillhey.com/spatchcock-smoked-turkey/

Traeger Turkey Cook Time Per Pound

Overall it’s best to factor in 30-40 minutes per pound of meat for smoked turkey. An 8 pound turkey will take around 4 hours in the smoker, whereas a 12 pound turkey could take as much as 6+ hours.

Remember that the heavier the turkey the more likely it is to be a male turkey which is usually going to be more muscular and less tender than a female turkey.

Ask your butcher the right questions first!

Traeger Smoked Turkey Video

For a great video tutorial on Traeger smoked turkey try here.