Name: How To Smoke A Turkey
Prep time: 50 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 16 – 20-pound thawed turkey; 3 Garlic Heads; 6 Vidalia Onions (i.e. Yellow Onions); 2 Red Apples; 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter; 1 ⅓ Cups Kosher Salt; ¼ Cup Whole Peppercorns; 2 tablespoons Ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon Onion Powder; 2 tablespoon Garlic Powder; 1 ½ tablespoons Garlic Salt; 1 tablespoon Old Hickory Seasoning; 2 ½ tablespoons Smoked Paprika; 11 ¼ cups of Apple Juice (1.5 bottles); 1 cup White Vinegar; 1 ¾ cups White Wine (Something Dry — Like Chardonnay); ¾ cups Honey; ⅓ Cup Vegetable Oil; 1 Small spool Butcher’s Twine; 4 Wing Pins; 1 Baster; 1 Brining Bag, stockpot or bucket (large enough for whole turkey); 1 Aluminum Cooking Tray; *3 Handfuls – Wood Chips or chunks water soaked for 12 hours

How To Smoke A Turkey

Rated 3.6 stars by 25 users

Prep Time

50 minutes

Cook Time

12

Ingredients

16 – 20-pound thawed turkey
3 Garlic Heads
6 Vidalia Onions (i.e. Yellow Onions)
2 Red Apples
4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 ⅓ Cups Kosher Salt
¼ Cup Whole Peppercorns
2 tablespoons Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Onion Powder
2 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 ½ tablespoons Garlic Salt
1 tablespoon Old Hickory Seasoning
2 ½ tablespoons Smoked Paprika
11 ¼ cups of Apple Juice (1.5 bottles)
1 cup White Vinegar
1 ¾ cups White Wine (Something Dry — Like Chardonnay)
¾ cups Honey
⅓ Cup Vegetable Oil

Supplies

1 Small spool Butcher’s Twine
4 Wing Pins
1 Baster
1 Brining Bag, stockpot or bucket (large enough for whole turkey)
1 Aluminum Cooking Tray
*3 Handfuls – Wood Chips or chunks water soaked for 12 hours

Directions

Dissolve kosher salt in 4 quarts of boiling water. Then, add to your bucket or stockpot. Add 7 ½ cups (1 bottle) of apple juice along with 1 ¾ cups White Wine to bucket, bag or stockpot. Add one head or jar of minced garlic cloves. Chunk the 3 onions into fourths and add to the brine. Add ¼ cup of whole black peppercorns. Place the clean thawed turkey (BREAST SIDE DOWN) into the brine. Cover the pot (or bucket) and place in the refrigerator for 12+ hours.
*Soak wood chips in separate container of water then set aside for 12 hours while turkey is in the brine. After the 12 hours are up, remove the turkey from the fridge and dry it (thoroughly) with paper towels. Once dry, rub it down with a liberal amount of butter, covering the entire turkey.
Mix Seasonings together into a bowl
1 tablespoon Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons hickory seasoning
Generously cover turkey with seasonings:
Then place the turkey in the aluminum pan (the previously mentioned tin pan).
Cavity Filling:
Stuff it with a 3 onions (quartered), 6 cloves garlic, and 2 apples (quartered and cored) Once Stuffed, tie turkey legs together with Butcher’s Twine (so the inner contents don’t spill out) and secure the wings to the turkey with the pins.
Prep Grill:
Heat the grill to 250°-275° and place the lava stone in the brackets.
NOTE: The grill will cool significantly once you place the bird on the grill, so this temp will drop quite a bit. The temp you want to maintain is 225° Before putting the turkey on the grill, sprinkle in wood chips and allow them to char before cooking.
Start Cook:
Once the grill is up to temp, place the turkey (still in the pan) on the top grate rack and close the lid. Leave for 1 hour.
Baste:
Mix together 3 ¾ cups (1/2 bottle) of apple juice, ¾ cup of honey, and 1 ¾ cup of white vinegar along with ½ tablespoon of garlic salt. Baste the turkey after cooking for 1 hour. Repeat the basting every 2-3 hours for 12-13 hours.
→ In that time, make sure the temperature does NOT exceed 220°-225°.
→ NOTE: The meat will need to cook for roughly 30-40 minutes per pound.
Removal:
After 12-13 hours, make sure the internal temperature of the thigh registers 165° and the breast registers 155°. Let the turkey rest for 45 minutes. After the allotted resting, it’s time to dig in and watch everyone’s reaction to this epic meal.