Try this Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast recipe for a juicy and flavorful holiday meal or Sunday supper. With a delicious dry rub and no need for brining, it's an easy and impressive main dish that your guests will love.
Use leftovers to make a pot of Smoked Turkey and White Bean Soup!
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This Traeger smoked turkey breast recipe is easy, flavorful, and one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes. The homemade dry rub helps lock in moisture, making the white meat tender and juicy.
I used my Traeger pellet grill, but any smoker will work, including a Pit Boss pellet grill or electric smoker. You can even use a gas grill and smoke the turkey breast over indirect heat.
How long to smoke a turkey breast
A turkey breast can take anywhere from 2 to 4 hours to smoke, depending on the breast's size and the smoker's temperature. You'll need to smoke for longer if you're smoking at a lower temperature. On a Traeger grill, it will take approximately 45-60 minutes per pound. I smoked a 3-pound turkey breast, and it took 3 hours. Smaller turkey breasts will cook more quickly than large turkey breasts.
Why I Love This Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast
- It is the perfect holiday meal when cooking for a small family.
- No turkey brine is needed.
- This smoker recipe is foolproof and yields juicy, flavorful meat every time. You will love the crispy skin!
- The entire smoking process is easy.
Ingredient Notes
This juicy turkey breast recipe is super easy. It requires only a few simple ingredients and about 5 minutes of prep time.
- Turkey breast. I used a boneless, skinless turkey breast. You can use a boneless turkey breast with the skin. However, if you make this recipe with a bone-in turkey breast, you will need to add 1-1.5 hours to the cooking time.
- Olive oil. I used extra virgin olive oil. This is used so the dry rub has something to stick to. You can also use melted butter or avocado oil.
- Turkey rub. To elevate the flavor of your Traeger-smoked turkey breast, my homemade turkey rub is the secret ingredient. It contains brown sugar, smoked paprika, sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, crushed rosemary, poultry seasoning, and ground thyme. You can also use my dry rub for smoked chicken, your favorite turkey rub, chicken rub, or poultry 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 smoker to 250 degrees 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 turkey breast directly on the grill grate of your preheated smoker. Insert a digital meat thermometer probe into the thickest part of the breast. (Image 3). Smoke the turkey breast until the internal temperature in the thickest part reaches 165 degrees F.
- Step 5: Remove the turkey breast from the smoker and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce or cranberry sauce (Image 4).
Variations
- Spicy - add cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or Cajun seasoning to the spice rub.
- Sweet - Add extra brown sugar to the spice rub.
- Brine - Brine it in my Fresh Herb Citrus Turkey Brine if you want to do a wet brine.
Another excellent option for cooking a turkey if you don't have a smoker is to make a turkey in a roaster oven.
Recipe Tips
- 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.
- According to the USDA, turkey is safely cooked at a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (73.9 °C).
What To Serve With Best Smoked Turkey Breast
Recipe FAQs
I think the best wood pellets for smoking a turkey breast are the Turkey blend by Traeger. However, Hickory, Mesquite, Signature Blend, Applewood, and Cherry wood are all excellent options.
The smoked turkey breast is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the meat.
No, you cannot smoke a frozen turkey breast. You need to thaw the turkey breast before smoking it. Smoking a frozen turkey breast will not cook the turkey properly, possibly resulting in foodborne illness.
More Turkey Recipes
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Recipe
Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast (Without Brine)
Equipment
- Pellet grill
Ingredients
- 1 (3-5 pound) turkey breast boneless, skinless
- 2 tablespoon olive oil or melted butter
- 3 tablespoon homemade turkey rub recipe below, or get the link to the full recipe post below in the notes
Homemade turkey rub
- 1 tbsp 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 degrees F. The cook time of my turkey breast was 3 hours, and it weighed 3 pounds.
- Remove the turkey breast from the smoker and allow it to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving.
- Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce or cranberry sauce.
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Recipe Notes:
- 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 INFORMATION
The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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! 🙂