What You'll Need
2. Stick your corded thermometer into the thigh of the turkey, making sure it doesn't touch the bone.
Ingredients
- Sprayable olive oil
- 10 to12-lb turkey, seasoned, insides removed, legs tied with twine
Equipment
- 3 cups hickory-smoked wood chips
- Bowl
- Water (to cover wood chips)
- Paper towels
- Smoker
- Charcoal
- Matches
- Colander
- Pitcher
- 1 gallon water
- Corded meat thermometer
Note
Do not smoke a turkey that has been stuffed. Not only does smoked stuffing have a bad taste, it also takes too long for the stuffing to reach a safe temperature.
Step 1: Preparing Your Smoker
1. Soak hickory-smoked wood chips in a bowl of water overnight.
2. Remove any moisture from the turkey by patting it dry with paper towels.
3. Lift the top rack off of the smoker and set it aside. This rack will not be used. Take out the middle rack and the top bowl. Pour charcoal into the bottom bowl. Place the lid on top of the smoker.
4. Open the small panel in the side of the smoker and light the briquettes. Close and lock the side panel. Wait 20 to 30 minutes until the briquettes turn grayish.
5. If you're in your kitchen, use a colander to strain the water from the wood chips. If you're outside, lift the wood chips and shake free any excess water. Take off the lid of the smoker and put the wood chips over the charcoal.
6. Place the top bowl back into the smoker. Pour a gallon of water into the top bowl. Place the middle rack into the smoker. Spray the rack with olive oil.
Step 2: Smoking the Turkey
1. Place the turkey breast-side down onto the middle rack of the smoker.
2. Stick your corded thermometer into the thigh of the turkey, making sure it doesn't touch the bone. Unlock and open the side panel, then pull the cord out through it; this way, you'll be able to read the temperature without changing it.
3. Place the lid on the smoker. A 10-pound turkey takes 35 minutes per pound, so if you have a 10-pound turkey, smoke it for five hours and 50 minutes.
*During the smoking process, make sure that the heat gauge on the smoker reads "ideal" (the area between "warm" and "hot"). When the turkey is completely cooked through, the thermometer will read 180ºF (82ºC).
Tips
- To add additional flavor, you can use apple cider or wine in the smoker's top bowl instead of the gallon of water.
- Different types of wood chips lead to different flavors. Mesquite, cherry and apple wood chips are all options. Do not use softwoods like cedar, pine or spruce.
- Do not smoke a turkey that is larger than 12 pounds. You'll have trouble fitting it into the smoker, and it may not cook all the way through.
- If you're smoking the turkey outside, do not do it on windy days. Wind can blow out the fire or negatively affect the temperature.