Smoked Turkey Breast
This simple brine pairs perfectly with a turkey breast and works wonderfully with a light smoke that results in a juicy, tender turkey breast.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 395kcal
Equipment
- Apple Wood
Ingredients
- 1 Turkey Breast bone in
Apple Cider Brine
- 2 Apples quartered
- 1 Lemon quartered
- 1 Orange quartered
- ¼ cup Kosher Salt
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 cups Apple Cider
- 2 cups Water
Dry Rub
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- 1 tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
Instructions
Prepare the Brine
- Cut the orange, lemon, and apples into quarters and place in a large bowl. Add the Bay Leaf, Cinnamon Stick, Brown Sugar and Kosher Salt.
- Add the apple cider and water in a one to one ratio. Two cups of each was enough to cover the Turkey Breast for me. Stir well to dissolve the salt.
- Add in the Turkey Breast, making sure it is completely covered by the wet brine.
- Cover the bowl with saran and let sit in the refrigerator for 8 - 10 hours.
Prepare the Rub
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mix it thoroughly with a fork. That's it!
Prepare the Turkey Breast
- Remove the Turkey Breast from the brine and add it to a bowl of water for 15 minutes. This will allow any excess brine to gently dissipate in the water.
- Remove the breast and pat it dry with a paper towel.
- Pour some of the dry rub in your hand and rub it into the turkey. Make sure to turn it over and cover all of the meat.
Smoking Instructions
- Set up your grill for indirect heat. For a Kamado grill, add a plate setter. For a gas grill, turn off the center burners.
- Bring the grill to 275 degrees and add the smoking chips.
- Add the breast to the grill and let it smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. This typically takes about 30 minutes per pound.
Notes
Smoke: A little smoke goes a long way. Use a mild wood, like apple. You do not want a lot of billowing smoke. That will quickly overpower the brined turkey. Instead, aim for a slight trickle of smoke.
Substitutions: Add some other classic autumn flavors to the brine like cloves, cracked peppercorn, herbs, or star anise. It is fun to mix and match the flavors for the brine.
Rest Time: Always allow 10-15 minutes for the turkey breast to rest once you take it off of the grill. If you do not do this, the juices will run out and quickly dry out. the turkey.
Temperature: Use a thermometer like the ThermoPro TP20 to make sure that you know exactly when to take the turkey breast off of the grill/smoker. The brine will give it a bit of leeway, it is best to get the turkey breast off of the heat as soon as it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
Nutrition
Calories: 395kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 8075mg | Potassium: 842mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 999IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 2mg