Turkey in a Smoker

This smoked turkey recipe smokes a whole turkey over wood chips in an outdoor smoker for a moist, tender, hickory-flavored Thanksgiving turkey.

Turkey in a Smoker

Course: ThanksgivingCuisine: European
Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

10

minutes
Total Time

10

minutes
Servings

13

Ingredients

  • 1 (10 pound) — whole turkey, neck and giblets removed

  • 4 cloves — garlic, crushed

  • 2 tablespoons — seasoned salt

  • ½ cup — butter

  • 2 (12 fluid ounce) cans — cola-flavored carbonated beverage

  • 1 medium — apple, quartered

  • 1 medium — onion, quartered

  • 1 tablespoon — garlic powder

  • 1 tablespoon — salt

  • 1 tablespoon — ground black pepper

  • 2 cups — hickory wood chips, or more as needed (Optional)

Directions

  • Preheat a smoker to 225 to 250 degrees F (110 to 120 degrees C).
  • Rinse turkey under cold water, and pat dry.
  • Rub crushed garlic over the outside of the turkey, and sprinkle with seasoned salt. Transfer to a disposable roasting pan.
  • Fill the turkey cavity with butter, cola, apple, onion, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cover turkey loosely with foil.
  • Add wood chips to the smoker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Place the roasting pan in the preheated smoker. Smoke the turkey, basting every 1 to 2 hours with juices from the bottom of the roasting pan, for 5 hours.
  • Add more wood chips if desired. Continue smoking and basting, until turkey is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 5 more hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 180 degrees F (80 degrees C).

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