Smoked turkey breast is a tender and juicy showstopper, perfect for holiday gatherings or simple enough for a weeknight dinner. It’s made with a simple brine of fresh sage and rosemary and then smoked to juicy perfection on a Traeger or pellet smoker.
Over the years, I’ve cooked turkey breast almost every way you can imagine, from air-fried (crispy and so delicious!) to hands-off, slow-cooker turkey breast to a sheet-pan roast turkey dinner. Still, it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I got into cooking with a smoker—enter this recipe for smoked turkey breast.
It’s perfect for the holidays, whether it’s a small Thanksgiving or Christmas gathering.
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📋 Ingredients you’ll need
This is a very straightforward turkey recipe. It features all of the ingredients and flavors you’re used to—they are made even better by the smoker!
- Boneless turkey breast roast (2 lbs): The dish’s star is the lean and mild turkey breast roast, which lends itself to brining and smoking. I like to use a boneless roast because it absorbs the flavor and brine so well and is easier to carve and cooks faster than a bone-in variety.
- Tip: You can make this recipe with a larger roast, but I struggled to find anything bigger in my local stores.
- For the brine: Water, kosher salt, dark brown sugar, fresh rosemary and sage, garlic and peppercorns create a salty, sweet and herbaceous soak for the turkey.
- Finally, the turkey roast gets rubbed with softened butter before smoking.
🔪 Step by step instructions
Make sure to give yourself enough time–this turkey should brine for 4-6 hours.
Prepare the brine: In a large pot, combine water, kosher salt, brown sugar, rosemary, sage, garlic, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve. The brine will have a dark brown color from the sugar. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Add turkey, cover and brine in the fridge for 4-6 hours.
Prepare the turkey: Remove the turkey breast from the brine and pat dry with paper towels–you don’t need to worry about rinsing it.
Rub the turkey with softened butter. Preheat the smoker to 375F; once it reaches temperature, allow it to heat for 15 minutes.
Place turkey breast on smoker and cook for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 325F and continue cooking for another 45 minutes or until turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Note: If you are smoking a larger turkey breast, it takes about 30 minutes to smoke per pound.
Rest and serve: Remove the turkey breast from the smoker and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Slice and serve! I recommend Ina Garten’s make-ahead gravy recipe, if you’d like to make homemade gravy.
Tip: If you have a larger turkey breast, increase the cooking time by about 20-30 minutes per pound, be sure to check the temperature, the turkey is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 365F.
✏️ Substitutions
- Herbs: Swap in thyme for rosemary or sage, or just use one of the herbs.
- Butter: If you’re going for something dairy free, use olive oil for a non-dairy option to add fat and a more golden finish.
💭 Cooking tips
- Make sure the brine is completely cool before you add the turkey, this helps with keeping the turkey at the correct temperature, avoiding any food safety issues.
- Monitor the internal temperature while it cooks; my Traeger has a thermometer that I use to monitor the cooking. I always double-check with my instant-read thermometer to ensure it reaches 165F.
- The turkey won’t get a shattering, crispy skin in the smoker; if you want the skin more browned, brush it with canola oil and place it under the broiler for a few minutes; be sure to keep a close eye in case it burns.
Holiday mains
Looking for other showstopping holiday main dishes? Try these:
Smoked Turkey Breast
Ingredients
- 2 lb turkey breast roast, see notes for larger turkey breast
- 16 cups water
- 1 cup kosher salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh sage
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 tablespoon peppercorns
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- In a large pot combine water, kosher salt, brown sugar, rosemary, sage, garlic, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
- Once the brine has cooled, submerge the turkey breast. Cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
- Preheat the smoker to 375F.
- Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Spread softened butter all over the turkey.
- Place the turkey breast on the smoker grate and cook for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 325F and continue cooking for another 50 minutes (for a 2lb breast) or until internal temperature reaches 165F. If the breast is larger, it will need to cook for another 20-30 minutes per pound.
- Once it reaches 165F, remove from smoker and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- For a larger turkey breast roast, you’ll need to increase the cooking time by about 20-30 minutes per pound. Always use an instant-read thermometer to check that the meat has reached an internal temperature of 165F.
- To make your own gravy, I recommend Ina Garten’s makeahead gravy recipe.
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