How to make the PERFECT Holiday Turkey!

Smoked Turkey

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Pecan Smoked Turkey!!!

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 3 – 4 Hours | Servings: 16 – 18

Special Equipment Used:

Instant Read Thermometer
Electric Smoker
Foil Drip Pan

Ingredients:

1 – Turkey – 16 to 18 lbs
2 – cups of wood chips of your choice
4 – 8 tbs of Organic Olive Oil
4 – 8 cups of water
Smoked Salt and Pepper to taste

Pre-heat the smoker to 275 degrees and add the first cup of wood chips before putting the turkey in.

Turkey Top View

Preparation:

Step 1 – Remove turkey from the packaging and be sure to remove anything from the internal cavity. Pat dry with paper towels and place on a large cutting board or platter.

Step 2 – Coat the turkey with olive oil and season with smoked salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3 – Place turkey into smoker with a foil drip pan underneath and add 4 cups of water to the pan.

Step 4 – Check on the turkey after 2 hours, add the second cup of wood chips and water to the drip pan as needed. Cook for an additional 1 – 2 hours, using an internal read thermometer to check for doneness.

The turkey is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, so be sure to pull it out of the smoker when an internal temperature of 155 is reached. Allow to rest for 15 minutes on a platter or cutting board, and lightly tent with foil to hold in the heat. It will gradually continue cooking and come up the temperature during that time. Slice, serve and enjoy!

If you don’t have a smoker, you can pick them up pretty cheaply these days. I used an electric smoker and it really takes all of the work out of watching the temperatures, it really is kind of set it and forget it!

Turkey Complete Meal

The complete Holiday Meal consists of the Pecan Smoked Turkey, Smashed Sweet Potatoes, Southern Style Green Beans, homemade cranberry sauce, and a Warrior Buckeye Cream Pie!!! Stay tuned for the recipes and videos of the sides in upcoming blog posts! Hope you enjoyed this month’s guest blog post! Stay tuned for next month’s post for more great recipe tips and tricks!

Photos and recipe by Seven Sons and “The Food Guy”.

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