Learn How to Smoke a Turkey on a Pellet Grill with this easy recipe! Rub a whole turkey with my delicious homemade dry rub and let it smoke low and slow on the pellet smoker for a super juicy turkey with amazing smoke flavor and crispy skin. Plus, it keeps your oven free for all the side dishes.
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The Easiest Smoked Turkey on Pellet Grill Recipe
This pellet grill smoked turkey makes the perfect Thanksgiving or holiday turkey, and it's one of the best smoked turkeys I've made.
I've made it on both my Pit Boss and Traeger pellet grills with great results.
Save the bones and leftover meat afterward to make a batch of homemade smoked turkey stock, smoked turkey and white bean soup, or Leftover Turkey Enchiladas!
Jump to:
- The Easiest Smoked Turkey on Pellet Grill Recipe
- Why You'll Love This Pellet Grill Turkey
- Reader Reviews
- Recipe Ingredients
- What Is The Best Size Turkey for Smoking?
- Smoked Turkey Time And Temp
- How to Smoke a Turkey on a Pellet Grill
- How to Cook Smoked Turkey
- Pro Tip
- How to Make Smoked Turkey Gravy
- Jeri's Top Tips
- What to Serve with Pellet Grill Smoked Turkey
- Storage Tips
- Leftover Ideas
- Variations
- Recipe FAQs
- If You Love This Recipe
- More Turkey Recipes You'll Love
- Printable Recipe
- Comments
Why You'll Love This Pellet Grill Turkey
- Versatile. Make this smoked turkey in a vertical electric smoker, pellet smoker, or pellet grill.
- Beginner-friendly. This is an easy smoked turkey recipe, even if you're new to using a smoker.
- Perfect for the holidays. Make it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any special meal.
Reader Reviews
OMG the turkey was a hit with everyone. So juicy and perfect taste. Thanks for the recipe it was awesome!! - Mac
This came out so juicy and amazing! - Joe
It came out delicious, juicy, and full of flavor. The dry spice rub was wonderful! - Kristina
Recipe Ingredients
- Turkey. I used a frozen turkey which I thawed. You can also use a Butterball turkey or a fresh turkey.
- Melted butter or olive oil. This gives the spice rub something to stick to, keeps the meat moist, and prevents it from drying out.
- Homemade spice rub. I made this Pit Boss smoked turkey with my Dry Rub For Smoked Chicken, which is made with brown sugar, garlic powder, Roasted Garlic and Peppers Seasoning, paprika, onion powder, chili powder, seasoning salt, and black pepper. You can also use my Smoked Turkey Rub, which includes herbs such as thyme and rosemary. However, feel free to use your favorite poultry rub.
See the printable recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
What Is The Best Size Turkey for Smoking?
The best size turkey for smoking is under 15 pounds. I usually smoke turkeys under 15 pounds because they cook faster and more evenly on the pellet grill. If you need more turkey, I prefer smoking two smaller birds instead of one very large turkey.
For example, if you need 25 pounds of turkey, smoke a 12-pound turkey and a 13-pound turkey. You can also spatchcock a larger turkey so it cooks more quickly (try my Traeger Smoked Spatchcock Turkey - a flattened turkey cooked at a higher heat).
Smoked Turkey Time And Temp
Smoke a turkey on a pellet grill at 225ºF for 30 minutes per pound, or 250ºF for 25 minutes per pound. As a guide:
- 8.5 pounds: 4.5-5 hours at 225ºF
- 12 pounds: 6-7 hours at 225ºF
- 14 pounds: about 7 hours at 225°F, or 5.5-6 hours at 250ºF
- 15 pounds: about 7.5 hours at 225°F
Always confirm doneness with a thermometer, not the clock.
How to Smoke a Turkey on a Pellet Grill
How to Prepare a Turkey For Smoking
- Preheat your pellet smoker to 225ºF.
- Remove the thawed turkey from the package. Remove the neck and giblets from inside the cavity. Do not stuff the turkey before smoking. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
- Place the whole turkey on a large platter or roasting pan. Brush olive oil all over the turkey and underneath the skin of the turkey breast.
- Combine the ingredients for the homemade dry rub in a small bowl or jar, and coat all parts of the turkey with the rub. Lift the turkey skin and rub spices directly on the turkey breast.
How to Cook Smoked Turkey
- Once the grill temperature reaches 225°F, place the whole bird directly on the grill grates of your pellet grill, breast side up. If you plan to make gravy, place the turkey on a wire rack set inside an aluminum pan instead so you can catch the drippings as it cooks. Place a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and the dark meat of the thigh.
- Close the lid and smoke the turkey until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the turkey breast reaches 165ºF, and the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 175ºF.
- Remove the smoked turkey from the smoker, cover with aluminum foil, and rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve in a baking dish or on a turkey platter with your favorite sides. Enjoy!
Pro Tip
Check the internal temperature of the turkey with a meat thermometer one hour before you think it should be done. The size of your turkey, how hot your smoker cooks, and the weather can all affect the cooking time. I've smoked this turkey on both my Pit Boss and Traeger, and my Traeger takes longer to preheat, loses more heat when I open the lid, and takes longer to recover that heat. That's why I always cook with the thermometer, not the clock, especially in cold or windy weather.
If the turkey is done earlier, shut the grill off and cover it with aluminum foil to prevent it from drying out. You can also use the WARM setting if your pellet grill has it, or keep it warm in your oven.
How to Make Smoked Turkey Gravy
Some people ask if they can get gravy from pellet-grilled smoked turkey. And the answer is yes! It makes the best turkey gravy! Here's how to do it:
- Catch the turkey drippings by placing an aluminum pan or baking sheet on the grill grates and a wire rack inside the pan. Place the turkey on the wire rack. Add a few cups of water to the pan so the drippings do not evaporate while the turkey is smoking. Keep liquid in the pan throughout the whole smoking process. Refill as needed.
- Use a turkey baster or soup spoon to remove the drippings from the pan. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat.
- In a small cup or jar, make a cornstarch slurry by combining 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Whisk the slurry into the gravy. Bring it to a boil, whisking constantly.
- To make a thicker gravy, add more cornstarch slurry, a teaspoon at a time. Turn the heat down to low and keep warm until you're ready to serve.
Jeri's Top Tips
- Smaller turkeys will cook quicker than larger birds.
- Check the turkey occasionally, but don't open the grill too often as heat will escape and increase the smoking time.
- Cook with the thermometer, not the clock.
- Ensure the temperature probe tip does not touch the bone when checking the internal temperature.
What to Serve with Pellet Grill Smoked Turkey
Casseroles: Smoked Green Bean Casserole, Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes, Ruths Chris Sweet Potato Casserole, 5-ingredient Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows, Campbell's Green Bean Casserole, and Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole.
Bread. Old Fashioned Fluffy Air Buns or Homemade Biscuits With No Milk.
Must Serve Sides: Easy Sourdough Stuffing, Homemade Stuffing with Bacon, Whole30 Cranberry Sauce or Homemade Cranberry Sauce.
Dessert: Smoked Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Pie With Graham Cracker Crust, Gluten-Free Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Storage Tips
- Fridge. Cool the turkey and remove the meat from the carcass. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- Freezer. Wrap turkey slices (or turkey carcass if saving for later) in plastic wrap then place in a freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.
- To Reheat. Reheat in the air fryer, oven, microwave, or stovetop until hot.
Leftover Ideas
Use the leftover smoked turkey carcass instead of chicken in my Smoked Chicken Soup to make smoked turkey soup, or make my Smoked Turkey and White Bean Soup. Leftovers are also delicious in sandwiches or turkey shepherd's pie.
Variations
- Wet brine - To brine the turkey, use my easy Fresh Herb Citrus Turkey Brine Recipe.
- Dry brine - Dry brine the turkey first with this recipe for how to dry brine a turkey for Thanksgiving.
- Spicy - add cayenne pepper, chili pepper flakes, or Cajun seasoning to the spice rub.
- Extra flavor - Stuff the cavity with quartered onions, apples, and whole cloves of garlic.
Related Recipe: Roasted Turkey in Electric Roaster.
Recipe FAQs
No, you don't have to do a turkey brine before smoking, not for this recipe. This bird turns out moist and juicy without brining. But, of course, if you buy a pre-brined turkey, that is fine too; we are just not going to add this step to this simple recipe.
No, you do not need to baste the turkey. Keep the lid closed as much as possible to keep the moisture in. Add a water pan if your smoker requires it.
My go-to pellets for smoked turkey are hickory, cherry, or Pit Boss Competition Blend. Mesquite and applewood are also good options if you want to switch things up, and Traeger's Signature blend works well too.
Absolutely! A reader double-smoked two turkeys with great success on his pellet grill. He smoked them at 205 degrees F for about 5 hours and monitored the internal temperature. He added chicken broth to a small pan and sprayed the turkeys with the broth a few times to keep them moist and juicy while smoking, and was thrilled with the result.
I like to plan for 1.5 pounds of turkey per person. This amount will ensure everyone will have enough to eat, and you will also have some delicious leftovers.
If You Love This Recipe
... check out these smoked meats next:
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Printable Recipe
How to Smoke a Whole Turkey on a Pellet Grill
Ingredients
- 8-10 pound turkey, completely thawed neck and giblets removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
- 3 tablespoons dry spice rub ingredients below
Dry Spice Rub
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons Roasted Garlic and Peppers seasoning a Club House seasoning
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the pellet grill to 225°F and make sure the hopper is filled with wood pellets.
- Remove the neck and giblets, if needed. Dry the turkey inside and out with paper towels. Do not stuff the turkey before smoking. Place the turkey on a large platter or roasting pan.
- Add butter or olive oil underneath the skin on the turkey breast and all over the outside of the entire turkey.
- If using homemade dry spice rub, mix together the brown sugar, garlic powder, Roasted Garlic and Peppers seasoning, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, and black pepper. Generously apply spice rub over the whole turkey. Don't forget underneath!
- Place the whole turkey directly on the grill grates of the preheated pellet grill, or in an aluminum pan on a wire rack if making gravy.
- Place a temperature probe into the thickest part of the breast and the thigh, making sure the probe isn't touching bone. Close the lid and smoke until the breast reaches 165°F and the thigh reaches 175°F.The cook time for the turkey is 30 minutes per pound at 225℉, or 25 minutes per pound at 250℉. This recipe took 4.5 to 5 hours at 225℉ for an 8.5-pound turkey.
- Let the turkey rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Video
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Notes
- Smaller turkeys will cook quicker than larger birds.
- Start checking the turkey an hour before you think it should be done.
- Check the turkey occasionally, but don't open the grill too often as heat will escape and increase the smoking time.
- Cook with the thermometer, not the clock.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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Derek G says
Just wondering should I baste the turkey at some point during the smoking ?
Jeri Walker says
Nope! No need to baste it. 🙂
Tom says
smoking a 15 pound turkey on my Pit Boss pellet smoker. planned for 7 1/2 hours at 225 like you said. But it was done in 5 hours. That's 3 hours early before dinner. I turned down the smoker to 185 hoping to keep it warm, but worried it will be to dry.
Jeri Walker says
Wow! It reached 165 degrees already? That's fast! What you can do so the turkey doesn't dry out is to take a large cooler, fill it with boiling water, and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then, carefully drain the water and dry the inside of the cooler with paper towels. Then, place your turkey in a large baking dish and cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Place a temperature probe in the turkey to monitor its internal temperature. You don't want it to drop below 140 degrees F. Place a thick towel on the bottom of the cooler, place the turkey on top, and wrap the turkey tightly with another thick blanket. Close the lid on the cooler and let it rest in there. Unfortunately, you won't get crispy skin, but the meat should be moist and juicy. I hope this helps! Just make sure it doesn't drop below 140 degrees.