Smoked Pulled Turkey
Share
Ingredients
- 20 lb. turkey, thawed
- 5 gallons turkey brine
- 2 sticks of butter
- 2 c water
- 1/4 c turkey rub
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
Directions
Turkey Prep
Remove the turkey from its packaging and remove the innards. Place the turkey in the turkey brine and refrigerate for 15 hours. Check out Christie’s brine recipe here!
Remove the turkey from the brine and pat it dry. Add a stick of butter in the cavity. Rub the turkey with mustard and sprinkle liberally with 2-3 tablespoons turkey rub. Place the turkey on a v-rack in an aluminum pan. Feel free to use your favorite BBQ rub or the specialty turkey rub that Christie created for this recipe.
Smoke
Add the turkey to the smoker once it reaches 275°F. Pour two cups of water into the pan. Melt the remaining stick of butter and baste the turkey every hour. Continue cooking until the breast meat reaches 160°F internal temp. It should take about 20 minutes per pound. The USDA recommends cooking turkey to 165°F degrees, but because of the next step, there will be carryover cooking that will take the turkey into the zone.
Remove the turkey from the grill and carefully place it in a brining bag. Set the bag on a towel in a cooler without ice for one hour. Save the drippings.
Serve
Remove the turkey from the cooler and bag. Pull the meat from the turkey, removing the bones and cartilage.
Toss the pulled meat with the remaining tablespoon of turkey rub and any drippings you want to add.
Recipe Notes
Add this Smoked Pulled Turkey to your weekend lineup and don’t be surprised when your guests devour it. Think outside the box with this delicious recipe from Turkey Smoke partner Christie Vanover of Girls Can Grill! When you smoke a whole turkey, the possibilities for leftovers are limitless. Don’t just take our word for it!
Note From the author: When we think of turkey, we usually think of thick slices of turkey breasts with a side of stuffing and huge smoked turkey legs. But there is so much more you can do with turkey.
In need of leftover inspiration? Why not try to make Pulled Turkey Tacos or a Smoked Pulled Turkey Sandwich with your bounty?
For more tips, check out the full video tutorial from Girls Can Grill.
