Traeger Smoked Turkey Recipe Card

5 from 2 votes

A whole turkey is smoked low and slow for 5 hours on your Traeger for a tender, juicy, and flavorful turkey dinner.

Prep Time25

Cook Time5 15

Resting Time30

Total Time6 10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: smoked, turkey

Servings:

Calories: 625kcal

Get Recipe Ingredients

Remove the turkey from the packaging. Discard the neck and organs.
Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Tuck the wings behind the back of the turkey.
Season the turkey under the skin with kosher salt and rub it around the legs and thighs as well.
Place the turkey in a roasting pan or disposable aluminum tray. Put the turkey in the refrigerator and leave it uncovered overnight to dry brine.

Take the turkey out of the refrigerator an hour in advance.
Mix the dry rub ingredients. Crush the dried rosemary and thyme with your fingers to release the flavors. Combine half of the rub with 4 tablespoons of butter. Rub the seasoned butter under the skin and spread out over the turkey breast as much as possible.
Drizzle the outside of the turkey with olive oil and season with the rest of your homemade turkey rub.
Preheat your Traeger Smoker to 225˚F-250˚F and let the smoker heat with the lid closed for at least 15 minutes.
Place the prepared turkey directly on the grill grates. Insert a wireless meat probe or wired in meat thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast. Close the lid and cook the turkey on the smoker for 4 hours and 15 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 120˚F.
When the internal temperature has reached 120F, increase the temperature on the Traeger to 375˚F. Brush the turkey with the rest of the butter and continue to cook until the breast meat reaches 160˚F.
Remove the turkey from the smoker and let it rest for 30-45 minutes before slicing.