Smoked Turkey Breast: Cooking and Pull Temps
Boneless smoked turkey breasts, adapted from a recipe found on MeatChurch.com
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless turkey breast halves
- 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
- BBQ rub or another seasoning
- 1 C kosher salt
- 1/2 C sugar optional
- Other brine ingredients optional (we used a half bottle of hot sauce)
Instructions
Brine the meat
- Combine the cup of kosher salt (and the sugar if using) with one gallon of water. Stir to combine until all the salt is dissolved.
- Place the breasts in the brine and put the brine in the refrigerator for 3–6 hours.
Cook the turkey
- As the meat approaches the end of its brining time, preheat your smoker to 275°F (135°C). If using Billows BBQ Control Fan, set the fan-control channel on your Smoke X4 or RFX GATEWAY for that temp.
- Remove the meat from the brine and discard the brine.
- Pat the meat dry with paper towels.
- Smear the mayo onto the surface of the meat, scraping it with a gloved finger so that only a bare coat remains.
- Season the breasts on both sides with your favorite poultry rub.
- Place the turkey in the smoker and probe a breast with your Smoke X4 or RFX MEAT. Set the high-temp alarm for 157°F (69°C).
- Smoke until the high-temp alarm sounds on your meat channel.
- Use your Thermapen ONE to verify that 157°F (69°C) is the lowest temp you can find in the meat.
- Remove the meat from the smoker and let it rest for a few minutes before carving in.
- Slice it up and serve it!
- Note: only slice as much as you will eat. The leftovers are better if you let the breast cool as a chunk then slice the meat for sandwiches off of that chunk. Slicing it all when hot, then cooling it will yield drier sandwich meat.
