How to Smoke a Whole Turkey on a Pellet Grill
Learn How To Smoke A Turkey On A Pellet Grill with this easy recipe! Just rub a whole turkey with my delicious homemade dry rub, put it on the pellet smoker, and let the smoker do its magic. You'll get a super juicy turkey with amazing smoke flavor and skin that's just the right kind of crispy.
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 471kcal
Ingredients
- 8-10 pound turkey 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 smoker to 225°F. Make sure it is topped up with wood pellets.
- Rinse the turkey inside and outside with cold water and dry the turkey with paper towels. 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 meat and the thigh. Close the lid and smoke the turkey until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F in the breast and 175 degrees F in the thigh. The cook time for the turkey is 30 minutes per pound at 225 degrees F, or 25 minutes per pound at 250 degrees F. This recipe took 4.5 to 5 hours at 225 degrees F for an 8.5-pound turkey.
- Let the turkey rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Video
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.
- Ensure the temperature probe tip does not touch the bone when checking the internal temperature.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 471kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 83g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 243mg | Sodium: 668mg | Potassium: 940mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 437IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 5mg
