A Quick Guide to Smoking a Turkey: Enjoy that Fantastic Taste

For those of you that absolutely love turkey for either Thanksgiving or Christmas, but are tired of the traditional roasted bird you are in luck. A smoked turkey can be just the thing to keep your holiday season fresh. First a quality smoker or grill is a must. Once that is covered we can move onto the most important item the turkey. I like to select a frozen boneless turkey breast from my local grocery store. Make sure to allow two to three day for the bird to thaw.

After the turkey breast is properly thawed it is time to season it up. I like to combine an external rub along with a marinade injection. Now this is the fun part and will either make or break your finished product. Base the rub and injection on your personal taste. Some like heat and others like sweet a lot of people even like a combination of the two. Rub the skin of the turkey generously the more rub the stronger the flavor. When injecting the marinade make sure to vary the placement of the liquid. Too much flavor in one spot can overwhelm the meat and have you running to get some pizza.

After your holiday feast centerpiece is seasoned place in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours. An average turkey breast will cook in about 5 hours at a steady temperature of 200-250. Make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 to kill of any bacteria. No one needs to get a call at 3am from someone who has been up all night sick because of your cooking, so make sure that you get there on the temperature so that everyone that eats stays safe.

Start your grill, gas or charcoal, get the temperature right and throw on the bird. Monitor the temperature frequently to assure proper cooking. Use a meat thermometer to assure doneness. Allow the meat to cool for thirty minutes to allow the juice to redistribute throughout. Slice and enjoy.