Whiskey-Smoked Turkey Recipe

This Christmas, try using whiskey brine and whiskey barrel chips to deliver a sweet and smoky flavor that your guests will love.

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by AdobeStock/evgenyb
30 hrs DURATION
5-6 hrs COOK TIME
24 hrs PREP TIME
Serves 8-10 SERVINGS

Ingredients

  • 1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds)
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 medium-size onion, peeled and quartered
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 1-1/2 cups coarse salt (sea or kosher)
  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 quarts boiling water
  • 6 quarts cold water (2 gallons in all)
  • 1 cup bourbon or rye whiskey
  • 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

Injector sauce (optional):

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons low-sodium turkey or chicken stock (preferably homemade)
  • 1 tablespoon whiskey or brandy
  • For smoking and serving:

    4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Directions

  • Thaw the turkey, if frozen.
  • Remove the neck and giblets (liver, gizzard, and heart) and set aside. Be sure to empty both the front (neck) and main cavities of the bird. (Smoke the neck, gizzard, and heart to make a smoked turkey stock.) Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold running water. Fold the wing tips behind the back.
  • Make the brine:
  • Pin the bay leaves to the onion quarters with the cloves.
  • Place the salt and maple syrup in a stockpot large enough to hold the turkey.
  • Add the boiling water and whisk until the salt is dissolved.
  • Whisk in the cold water, the whiskey, and the peppercorns.
  • Add the turkey, legs up, and the onion quarters.
  • Jiggle the turkey as needed so the brine flows into the main cavity and the whole bird is submerged.
  • Put the lid on the stockpot and brine the turkey in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
  • Turn the turkey over halfway through so it brines evenly.
  • The next day, remove the turkey from the brine.
  • Place the turkey on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet to drain and dry, 30 minutes.
  • Truss the bird, if desired.
  • Meanwhile, make the injector sauce:
  • Melt the butter in a saucepan.
  • Stir in the stock and whiskey.
  • Let cool to room temperature.
  • Fill the injector with the sauce, then inject it in several places in the breast, thighs, and drumsticks.
  • Set up your smoker following the manufacturer’s instructions and preheat to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Add the wood as specified by the manufacturer.
  • Full-smoke method:
  • Place the turkey on the rack in the smoker.
  • After 2 hours, start basting the turkey all over with melted butter and baste again every hour.
  • Smoke the turkey until the skin is browned and the meat in the thigh reaches 165 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer. (Insert it into the deepest part of the thigh but not touching the bone).
  • This will take 5 to 6 hours.
  • Smoke with the grill-finish method:
  • This gives you the rich flavor of smoke with the crisp skin of a roasted turkey.
  • Smoke the turkey as described above (without basting) until the skin is golden brown and the meat in the thigh reaches 145 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh but not touching the bone, 3 to 4 hours.
  • If your smoker operates at higher temperatures, increase the heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Otherwise, set up a grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-high (400 degrees Fahrenheit).
  • Transfer the turkey to the grill, over the drip pan.
  • Baste the bird with melted butter.
  • Roast the turkey until the skin is browned and crisp and the meat of the thigh reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, 1 hour more or as needed, basting once or twice more.
  • Transfer the turkey to a platter and loosely drape a sheet of aluminum foil over it. (Don’t bunch the foil around the bird.)
  • Let rest for 20 minutes, then carve and serve.
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Learn how to make the perfect Whiskey-Smoked Turkey Recipe this Christmas using whiskey brine and whiskey barrel chips to deliver a sweet and smoky flavor that your guests will love.

I’ve cooked our family turkeys most of my adult life, and I don’t believe I’ve ever done it the same way twice. Over the years, I’ve tried indirect grilling, spit-roasting, spatchcocking, beer-canning, and more. But if I had to pick just one method, it would be this: whiskey-brined and whiskey barrel chip-smoked. The brine adds flavor and succulence, especially to the breast meat, which has a well-documented tendency to dry out. The whiskey barrel chips deliver a sweet musky smoke flavor. To keep the breast meat extra moist, I also inject it with melted butter and chicken stock.

Method: Hot-smoking

Prep time: 20 minutes

Brining time: 24 hours

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