Apple Juice Brined Smoked Turkey

I don’t know what it’s like for your family, but in mine, the love for eating turkey runs so deep that we can’t possibly wait around for Thanksgiving each year to enjoy it.  I mean, turkey is a once a month affair in my house, if not once a week.  The only problem with this turkey lust is that during the summer months, we try to restrict ourselves from using our indoor oven as much as possible.  However, this restriction has given us plenty of opportunities to learn the art of smoked turkey.

Today’s particular smoked turkey recipe gets its unique flavor, not only from the smoking process but also from a brine, which in my opinion is a requirement.  You see turkey needs to be brined when cooked for a prolonged time in a smoker.  If not it can quickly dry out.  Plus It is a simple preparation method that provides a mild flavor that allows the turkey to pair well with a number of different side dishes. Just make sure to make more of this recipe than you think you will need, because the leftovers, especially when made into sandwiches, are to die for.

Tips, Tricks & Suggestions

• In order to brine the turkey, you will need not only the brining ingredients but also a large plastic bucket to do the actual brineing in.  So where do you get a large plastic bucket?  Well, I recommend that you simply go to your local hardware store, and ask an employee for one of the cheap ones they have available.
• As for smoking the turkey, I think it goes without saying that it is easiest if you have an actual smoker.  However, if you don’t own a smoker then don’t worry, you can still make this recipe on the grill. All you have to do is purchase some smoker boxes, which as the name suggests, are little boxes that you can fill with wood chips in order to produce smoke on any grill.  In fact, my dad and I used these all the time before we purchased a real smoker, and it worked out just fine.
• I highly recommend that you try to stick with wood chips made from fruit trees such as apple or cherry.  The only type of wood that I would suggest you never use for this recipe is mesquite, as its flavor is often overpowering.
• If you liked this smoked turkey recipe then check out our other BBQ recipes such as BBQ Baked Beans, and Pulled Pork

Apple Juice Brined Smoked Turkey Recipe

Prep time: 1 day

Cook Time: 2 to 4 hours

Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients

2 Turkey breasts halves (2 to 2 ¼ pounds each)

2 Quarts of unfiltered apple juice, or apple cider

1 Quart of water

⅙ Cup of apple cider vinegar

½ Cup salt

½ Cup of brown sugar

About a ¼ cup of ginger (sliced)

2 Oranges (quartered)

6 Cloves of Garlic (crushed)

8 Cloves (whole)  

1 Bunch of fresh thyme

You will also need

1 LB bag of ice

A bag of wood chips (soaked for at least 2 hours prior to use)

Instructions

1. Make the brine:  Get out a large saucepot and add to it the apple juice, salt, and sugar.  Place this over medium heat on your stove, and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve.  This should take about 3 to 5 minutes.  Add this solution along with all of the other ingredients (besides the turkey) to your bucket.  Then stir it up a little until everything is mixed well.  Follow this up by adding the two turkey breasts, and make sure that they are both submerged in the brine.  Finally, top this all off with The bag of ice, and put the lid on the bucket.

2. Let it brine:  Place the bucket somewhere in your house that is relatively cool, and let it sit for 18 to 24 hours

3. Preheat your smoker, or grill to 275 degrees Fahrenheit, and soak your wood chips.

4. Smoke the turkey:  Take the turkey breasts out of the brine and quickly pad them dry with some paper towels.  Then place both breasts on the racks of either your smoker or grill.  It is at this time that you will want to add the first set of wood chips, probably just a handful.  However, these chips won’t last you the whole way through.  So just periodically add more wood chips, about a handful each 30 to 45 minutes.  Let the turkey breast halves cook at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for about 3 hours.  However, start checking the temperature at 2 hours as some smokers/grills will cook hotter than others.  You will know that the turkey breasts have become fully cooked when their internal temperatures reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Take the turkey breasts out and let them rest for 10 minutes before carving

Print Recipe

Apple Juice Brined Smoked Turkey Recipe

Prep Time1 day d

Cook Time3 hours hrs

Total Time1 day d 3 hours hrs

Servings: 8 people

Ingredients

• 2 Turkey breasts halves 2 to 2 ¼ pounds each
• 2 Quarts of unfiltered apple juice or apple cider
• 1 Quart of water
• ⅙ Cup of apple cider vinegar
• ½ Cup salt
• ½ Cup of brown sugar
• About a ¼ cup of ginger sliced
• 2 Oranges quartered
• 6 Cloves of Garlic crushed
• 8 Cloves whole
• 1 Bunch of fresh thyme
• 1 LB bag of ice
• 1 Bag of wood chips soaked for at least 2 hours prior to use

Instructions

• Make the brine: Get out a large saucepot and add to it the apple juice, salt, and sugar. Place this over medium heat on your stove, and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. This should take about 3 to 5 minutes. Then add this solution along with all of the other ingredients (besides the turkey) to your bucket and stir it up a little until everything is mixed well. Follow this up by adding the two turkey breasts, and make sure that they are both submerged in the brine. Finally, top this all off with The bag of ice, and put the lid on the bucket.
• Let it brine: Place the bucket somewhere in your house that is relatively cool, and let it sit for 18 to 24 hours
• Preheat your smoker, or grill to 275 degrees Fahrenheit, and soak your wood chips
• Smoke the turkey: Take the turkey breasts out of the brine and quickly pad them dry with some paper towels. Then place both breasts on the racks of either your smoker or grill. It is at this time that you will want to add the first set of wood chips, probably just a handful. However these chips won’t last you the whole way through, so during the cooking process, you will want to periodically add more wood chips, about a handful each 30 to 45 minutes. Let the turkey breast halves cook at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for about 3 hours, however, start checking the temperature at 2 hours as some smokers/grills will cook hotter than others. You will know that both turkey breast halves have become fully cooked when their internal temperatures reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Take the turkey breasts out and let them rest for 10 minutes before carving

Inspiration from other blogs

From Hey Grill Hey

From My Life Cookbook