This Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast is juicy, tender, and packed with smoky flavor, with no brining required. A simple homemade turkey rub gives the boneless turkey breast plenty of flavor, and smoking it at 250°F on the pellet grill keeps the meat moist and tender.
Use leftovers to make a pot of Smoked Turkey and White Bean Soup or turkey sandwiches.
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I've smoked plenty of turkeys on my pellet grills over the years, and a boneless turkey breast is one of my favorites when I don't need a whole bird. There's no overnight brine to plan for, and prep takes about 10 minutes. It's an easy alternative to smoking a whole turkey for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Sunday dinner, especially when you're feeding a smaller group.
I smoke the turkey breast at 250°F until the thickest part reaches 165°F. My 3-pound boneless turkey breast took about 3 hours, but always cook according to internal temperature rather than time.
I made this recipe on my Traeger pellet grill, but you can use any pellet smoker, including a Pit Boss. You can also make it in an electric smoker as long as you maintain the same cooking temperature.
Serve it with a side of Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Smoked Green Bean Casserole, Smoked Asparagus , and Whole30 Cranberry Sauce or 3 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce for a delicious meal.
Jump to:
- How Long to Smoke a Turkey Breast on a Traeger
- Why I Love This Juicy Smoked Turkey Breast
- What Readers Are Saying
- Ingredient Notes
- How To Smoke A Turkey Breast On A Traeger Grill
- How to Keep Smoked Turkey Breast Juicy
- Variations
- Tips for the Best Smoked Turkey Breast
- What to Serve with Juicy Smoked Turkey Breast
- Storage
- Recipe FAQs
- More Turkey Recipes You'll Love
- Printable Recipe
- Comments
How Long to Smoke a Turkey Breast on a Traeger
At 250°F, plan on approximately 45-60 minutes per pound for a boneless turkey breast. My 3-pound turkey breast took about 3 hours.
Cooking time is only an estimate, though. The exact time will depend on the size and thickness of your turkey breast, its starting temperature, your smoker, and the outdoor temperature.
The most reliable way to know when smoked turkey breast is done is to check its internal temperature. It should reach 165°F in the thickest part of the breast.
Why I Love This Juicy Smoked Turkey Breast
- Perfect for a smaller gathering. A turkey breast is a great alternative when you don't need a whole smoked turkey.
- No brine required. There's no need to soak the turkey overnight before smoking it.
- Simple ingredients. You only need turkey breast, olive oil, and a flavorful homemade turkey rub.
- Easy to make. Prep takes about 10 minutes, and then the smoker does most of the work.
- Juicy and flavorful. Smoking at 250°F gives the turkey plenty of smoky flavor while careful temperature monitoring helps prevent it from drying out.
What Readers Are Saying
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fantastic recipe! Great flavor and turkey came out very juicy! Only change I'd recommend is adding a few pats of butter to the foil while the breast is resting. - Cameron
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Made this for Thanksgiving and it was amazing-so tender and juicy. The rub was great and flavorful. I will definitely be making this again. - LaTanya
Related Recipes: Smoked Turkey Roast, Smoked Turkey Legs, How to Smoke a Turkey in an Electric Smoker.
Ingredient Notes
This juicy turkey breast recipe is super easy. It requires only a few simple ingredients and about 10 minutes of prep time.
- Turkey breast. I used a 3-pound boneless, skinless turkey breast. You can also use a larger boneless turkey breast; just allow additional cooking time. If using a bone-in turkey breast, cook it according to internal temperature rather than relying on the estimated time.
- Olive oil. This helps the dry rub stick to the turkey. Avocado oil or melted butter can also be used.
- Turkey rub. I used my Homemade Turkey Rub made with brown sugar, smoked paprika, sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, crushed rosemary, poultry seasoning, and ground thyme. Feel free to use fresh rosemary and fresh thyme if you have it. You can also use your favorite poultry seasoning, your favorite turkey rub, or my Smoked Chicken Rub.
See the printable recipe card for exact measurements and a complete list of ingredients.
How To Smoke A Turkey Breast On A Traeger Grill
- Step 1: Preheat your Traeger grill or pellet grill to 250°F.
- Step 2: While the smoker is preheating, mix the ingredients for the turkey rub in a small bowl. Dry the whole turkey breast with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Apply olive oil to the entire outside of the turkey breast (Image 1).
- Step 3: Apply the dry turkey rub. Make sure to cover the entire boneless breast in the spice rub. You want to cover the top, bottom, and sides. Press the rub in slightly with your fingers (Image 2).
- Step 4: Place the seasoned turkey breast directly on the grill grate of your preheated smoker. Insert a digital meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, making sure the probe is in the center of the meat (Image 3). Close the lid and smoke the turkey breast until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Step 5: Remove the turkey breast from the smoker, loosely cover it with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce, turkey gravy, or cranberry sauce. (Image 4).
How to Keep Smoked Turkey Breast Juicy
The biggest secret is not overcooking it. Turkey breast is lean, so it can dry out quickly once it cooks past the proper temperature.
Use a digital meat thermometer and monitor the temperature in the thickest part of the breast rather than relying only on cooking time. Also, let the turkey rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
And no, you don't have to brine it first. The combination of cooking at 250°F, a flavorful dry rub, and careful temperature monitoring gives you juicy turkey breast without adding an overnight step.
Variations
- Spicy: Add cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or Cajun seasoning to the dry rub.
- Sweeter rub: Add a little extra brown sugar.
- Brined: If you prefer to brine your turkey, use my Fresh Herb Citrus Turkey Brine before smoking.
- Butter instead of oil: Brush the turkey breast with melted butter before adding the seasoning.
If you don't have a smoker, my Turkey in a Roaster Oven is another easy option.
Tips for the Best Smoked Turkey Breast
- Cook by temperature, not time. Every turkey breast and smoker cooks a little differently.
- Put the thermometer in the thickest part. Avoid placing the probe too close to the surface of the meat.
- Keep the lid closed. Opening the smoker repeatedly releases heat and can increase cooking time.
- Let it rest before slicing. Give the turkey 10-15 minutes before carving.
- Slice across the grain. This gives you more tender slices.
- Don't overcook it. Turkey breast is lean and can dry out when cooked too long.
- According to the USDA, turkey is safely cooked at a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (73.9 °C).
What to Serve with Juicy Smoked Turkey Breast
For a holiday dinner, serve it with Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes, 5-Ingredient Sweet Potato Casserole, Campbell's Classic Green Bean Casserole, Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole, and Homemade Stuffing with Bacon.
Want to keep the whole meal on the pellet grill? Try Smoked Cauliflower, Smoked Cheesy Potatoes, Smoked Zucchini, Smoked Mashed Potatoes, Smoked Sourdough Bread, Smoked Cornbread, Smoked Green Bean Casserole, and Smoked Asparagus.
Storage
Leftover smoked turkey breast can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, freeze it in a freezer-safe container.
Recipe FAQs
Apple, cherry, pecan, hickory, or a mild pellet blend all work well with turkey. Apple and cherry give the turkey a milder smoke flavor, while hickory is stronger.
The smoked turkey breast is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the meat.
No. I recommend thawing the turkey breast completely before smoking it, even if the package says it can be cooked from frozen. This helps it cook more evenly and makes it easier to monitor the internal temperature.
Yes. You do not have to brine a turkey breast before smoking it. This recipe uses olive oil and a flavorful dry rub and cooks the turkey at 250°F until it reaches 165°F.
No. I smoke the turkey breast uncovered directly on the grill grates for the entire cook. After it comes off the smoker, I loosely cover it with foil while it rests for 10-15 minutes.
More Turkey Recipes You'll Love
Printable Recipe
Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast (No Brine)
Ingredients
- 1 (3-5 pound) turkey breast boneless, skinless
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
- 3 tablespoons homemade turkey rub recipe below, or get the link to the full recipe post below in the notes
Homemade turkey rub
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon rosemary crushed
- ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ⅛ teaspoon ground thyme
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker to 250℉.
- Mix the turkey dry rub ingredients in a small bowl (brown sugar, smoked paprika, sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, crushed rosemary, poultry seasoning, and ground thyme).
- Pat the turkey breast dry with paper towels. Apply olive oil to the entire outside of the turkey breast. Sprinkle on the dry turkey rub, covering the entire breast on the top, bottom, and sides. Press the rub in slightly with your fingers.
- Place the turkey breast directly on the grill grate of the preheated smoker. Insert a digital meat thermometer probe into the thickest part of the breast. Smoke the turkey breast until the internal temperature reaches 165℉. My turkey breast took 3 hours to cook and it weighed 3 pounds.
- Remove the turkey breast from the smoker, cover it loosely with aluminum foil, and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.
- Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce or cranberry sauce.
- If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating and review below!
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Notes
- Click here for my full recipe post on Homemade Turkey Rub.
- Resist the urge to open the grill too often, which will let out heat and prolong the cooking time.
- Cook with the thermometer, not the clock.
- Leftover turkey breast can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Cameron S. says
Fantastic recipe! Great flavor and Turkey came out very juicy! Only change I’d recommend is adding a few pats of butter to the foil while the breast is resting.
Jeri Walker says
I'm so happy you loved the recipe, Cameron! Thanks for the kind words, and the butter tip. A few pats while it rests sounds like a great idea, and I'll add that note to the post. I really appreciate the rating and review! 😊
Ted says
When do you put it in foil? The recipe doesn’t say anything about foil?
Thanks
Jeri Walker says
Hi Ted! You don't need to wrap it in foil while it's cooking. Just cover it loosely with foil after you remove it from the grill and let it rest. Sorry for the confusion! I'll clarify that in the recipe card. 😊
LaTanya Loveridge says
Made this for thanksgiving and it was amazing so tender and juicy. The rub was great and flavorful. I will definitely be making this again.
Jeri Walker says
Thanks so much LaTanya! I'm so glad you liked it! 🙂
Alyssa says
Did you thaw the breast first? Mine says frozen to oven but figured I'd need to thaw it for this.
Jeri Walker says
Hi Alyssa. Yes, you'll need to thaw the turkey breast first.
Orville Wooldridge says
haven't eaten it yet, but man does it look and smell good!
Jeri Walker says
Fantastic! It should be super moist and juicy! Enjoy! 🙂
Nichole Hohenberg says
I accidentally bought a bone in turkey breast. should I remove the skin, or apply the seasoning to the skin, or leave skin on and place seasoning under skin??
Jeri Walker says
Hi Nichole! No worries at all! You can definitely smoke a bone-in turkey breast! 😊 I recommend leaving the skin on and applying the seasoning to the skin for the best flavor. I actually have a recipe specifically for a bone-in smoked turkey breast roast that walks you through the whole process. Here's the link: https://www.windingcreekranch.org/smoked-turkey-roast/