How Do I Smoke a Turkey in a Propane Smoker?

A perfectly cooked turkey is the centerpiece of any Thanksgiving feast, but baking isn’t the only way of cooking it to perfection. Instead of baking a turkey for the holiday season, here’s how you can easily smoke your turkey using a gas smoker. In this article, we share how you can smoke a turkey in a propane smoker using wood chips to add a unique flavor that you won’t find anywhere else. 

Why Smoking is the Best Way to Cook a Turkey

While it may be intimidating at first, smoking meats and poultry can be easily done and offers a tender and moist result. When you want mouthwatering smoked turkey for the holiday season, then there’s nothing better than your grill or smoker. Gas grills will often be excellent smokers since they can keep a consistent temperature; this is the key to smoking your meat right. 

These are also wide enough to fit a whole turkey, which is then cooked on top of indirect heat while the smoker box is filled with wood chips that will produce the unique flavors you want. 

How to Choose the Right Smoker 

The size of your propane smoker will matter when it comes to smoking a turkey; you will need a sizable smoker to help infuse the delicious flavors into your bird. Make sure to get a smoker that will be big enough to fit an entire turkey; if you intend to smoke a 12-pound turkey, then you’ll need a 26-inch grill at a minimum. However, if you’re aiming to smoke a larger bird such as a 20-pound turkey, you’ll need to look for a bigger smoker. 

Always look for options that allow good airflow that’s easy to open even when cooking in case you need to add more wood chips. Fortunately, there are plenty of smoke boxes available in the market in a wide variety of sizes that can be used with gas and charcoal grills. Another thing to think about is the type of smoker to look for; while we’ll be using a gas grill in this guide, you can also opt for a charcoal grill or an electric smoker.

If you want to use a charcoal grill, double-check that you have enough charcoal to maintain its temperature as you go through the smoking process.    

Preparing the Right Wood Chips

Start preparing your wood chips by soaking them in water for a minimum of 30 minutes before starting to cook your turkey; doing this will help them create more flavorful smoke. 

Best Wood Chips for Smoking Turkey

Luckily, you can use any kind of wood to smoke turkey to achieve the classic smoky flavor we all love; some of the most popular are pecan, mesquite, and hickory. However, these are the best wood to use if you’re looking to experiment with other flavors:

• Cherry wood
• Apple wood
• Fruit wood 

For many smokers, the flavors that work best with turkey are pecan and cherry wood. It’s also best to avoid using cedar or pine since they can leave a bitter taste on the meat. 

How Do I Season My Turkey? 

The best way to season your turkey is through a process called brining that helps it keep moisture inside the bird throughout the smoking process. To brine your turkey, it will need to be soaked in a saltwater solution for a minimum of 12 hours. If you want to give your turkey additional flavor by adding the following aromatics: 

• Rosemary
• Garlic
• Sage
• Thyme

Making the Brine for Your Turkey 

Before you smoke your turkey give it a minimum of 12 hours to brine it within a saltwater solution. 

When working with a 12-pound turkey, prepare the following:

• One gallon of water
• One cup of kosher salt
• One whole turkey 

Note: Make sure you have fresh turkey; if you have a frozen bird, be sure to thaw it completely before starting the brining process. 

1. Combine your water and salt inside a large food-safe container and stir it until the salt completely dissolves. You can use an ice cooler to do this part since it will be big enough to hold your turkey and will come with a lid to keep it clean. At the same time, this will maintain a proper chilled temperature without the need to put it inside your refrigerator. 
2. Add your thawed or fresh turkey into your wet brine and push it down to ensure it’s completely submerged. If needed, weigh down your turkey using clean bricks wrapped in foil or with a plate.
3. Add ice to bring the cold water over the turkey. 
4. After leaving your turkey overnight, remove it from the brine and use paper towels to pat it dry.

Once your turkey’s brined, it’s time to start seasoning your turkey to prepare it for smoking. 

How to Season Your Turkey

After brining your turkey, you will need to season it again; this is because the salt inside your brine has brought out some of your turkey’s natural juices. A few dry rub seasonings that work well for poultry include the following:

• Garlic
• Black pepper
• Red pepper
• Onion
• Sage
• Thyme
• Marjoram
• Paprika 
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper
• Garlic salt
• Sea salt
• Chili powder
• Celery salt
• Basil
• Oregano

But if you’re unsure of how to combine these ingredients to create a delicious rub, then look for these options in your grocery store:

• Weber Seasoning Roasted Garlic & Herb Seasoning
• Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
• McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning
• Poultry Magic Seasoning
• Simply Organic All Natural Turkey Seasoning

Basting Your Smoked Turkey 

While basting isn’t a necessary step when smoking a turkey, some people include it to help the skin stay moist while adding extra flavor. If you should baste your turkey, be light on your hand and try not to add too much liquid which may cause the temperature inside your smoker to fluctuate. Combining herbs and butter can be a simple mix for your basting liquid; simply melt the butter and add some fresh thyme, sage, and rosemary. 

To baste your turkey, brush it with your butter mixture every 30 minutes during the cooking process. 

Setting Up Your Propane Smoker for Smoking Turkey 

When it’s time to use your gas grill, be sure to create two different zones with one side of your smoker set up with higher heat, and the other end dedicated to indirect low heat. Preheat your grill to 225˚ Fahrenheit and place your wet wood chips inside the smoking box over on the hotter end. 

Placing Your Turkey Inside the Smoker

Put your brined over on the cooler side of your grill but ensure that it doesn’t block your smoker vents and don’t let it touch the side walls. Some people prefer placing the turkey over by the grill grate with a drip pan underneath to catch delicious juices that might drip down. This also helps to prevent flare-ups in the fire.

There’s some debate as to whether or not a turkey should be placed breast side up or down inside the smoker. Some people will cook their turkey breast side up so they don’t get overcooked, but you can cook any way you see fit. 

Cooking Your Smoked Turkey 

Smoking your turkey will be a gradual cooking process that takes place over indirect heat, so it will take many hours and will require your patience. Even so, the most important thing to keep in mind is that this should never be rushed. After placing your whole bird on your grill grate, close the lid and allow your turkey to smoke undisturbed for the next 2 hours. 

After this time, open your smoker’s lid and rotate your turkey over so that the side previously facing the heat now faces the cooler side. Close the lid and allow it to smoke for the next 60 minutes; repeat this process until your turkey reaches the desired internal temperature of 165˚ Fahrenheit.  

Staying at the Perfect Temperature

When you’re looking to create a perfectly smoked turkey or want to serve up a great Thanksgiving turkey, the secret is to maintain a constant temperature inside your smoker. For the best results, be sure to keep your turkey at 225˚ Fahrenheit; to help control the temperature inside your smoker, be sure to keep it somewhere sheltered and far away from drafts. If your smoker is getting too hot, leave slight openings on the vents to let some heat out but if it’s getting too cool, close all vents slightly to restrict the airflow inside and to help the smoker maintain your desired temperature.    

Another great way to help you control the temperature inside the smoker is the use of a water pan. This not only adds moisture to the air inside your smoker, but it also helps to create a buffer between your turkey and the heat source, which helps to prevent it from getting cooked too fast. If you want to use a water pan, simply fill one with hot water and put it inside your smoker before you add the turkey inside; check your water levels at regular intervals, and add more water when needed. 

Smoking a Turkey in a Propane Smoker FAQs 

Here are a few questions that many new cooks will ask when trying to make a delicious smoked turkey for the first time. 

How Long Does it Take to Cook a Turkey?

When smoking a turkey, the cooking time should take around 30 minutes for each pound of turkey. For example, a 12-pound turkey should take about 6 hours to cook, while smaller turkeys will be done faster and a larger turkey will take even longer to cook. 

How Do I Check the Internal Temperature of My Smoked Turkey? 

You can use an instant-read thermometer to check on the internal temperature of the turkey. Simply insert your probe thermometer inside the thickest part of the breast, but be careful not to touch the bone. Next, close the lid of your smoker and wait for your thermometer to come up with an accurate reading. 

You’ll be able to tell that your turkey is done once it reaches an internal temperature of 165˚ Fahrenheit. Some people prefer using a digital meat thermometer so they can check the temperature of their turkey without the need to open the smoker, which lets all the precious heat out. 

Should I Let My Cooked Turkey Rest Before Serving? 

This is an important step when cooking turkey; give your turkey rest for a minimum of 20 minutes before you carve your turkey. Doing this will also help the juices inside to redistribute and allow the meat even more tender. 

Is it Possible to Overcook Smoked Turkey? 

Yes, it’s definitely possible to overcook your turkey, which is why it’s important to use a digital thermometer to check the temperature inside your turkey throughout your smoking process. However, if you think that the skin on your turkey is getting too dark, be sure to put aluminum foil over it to stop it from burning. 

How Do I Reheat My Smoked Turkey? 

When you want to reheat your smoked turkey, you need to make sure it’s cooked thoroughly. Next, slice your turkey into thin pieces, put some onto a baking sheet, then cover it with foil, and heat it inside an oven at 300˚ Fahrenheit for the next 15 to 20 minutes to heat up your leftover turkey. 

Conclusion

Now that you’re ready to smoke your turkey inside a propane smoker, you’ll be able to host your next Thanksgiving dinner complete with sides without a hard time. Whether this is your first time or your 10th time making turkey, you’ll find that this guide will help you achieve the perfect turkey. But before you fire up your grill, make sure to have a digital thermometer handy to ensure that your smoked turkey always reaches the right temperature.

Sources 

• poptionspopcorn.com
• angrybbq.com
• littlefamilyadventure.com