Herb Smoked & Roasted Turkey

This was by far the best turkey we have ever made! The star of any Thanksgiving meal is the turkey. We used a 16 lb. frozen turkey.
We finished the turkey in the oven for the even color
We have made this several times now and it comes out great every time.
The brining must be done the day prior
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Prep Time 12 hours
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Smoke 2 hours
Total Time 16 hours 30 minutes
Course Dinner, Entertaining, Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 14
Calories 767 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Smoker We have a Kamado Joe
  • 1 Dutch Oven You can also use a sturdy baking pan
  • 1 Roasting Pan with a Rack
  • 1 Turkey Baster
  • 1 Large Stock Pot For Brining You can also use a cooler filled with ice water and a thermometer see notes
  • 1 Small Pot

Ingredients
  

  • 18-20 lb Turkey

Brine

  • 2 Gallons Water
  • 18 oz Vegetable Stock
  • 1/3 Cup Sea Salt
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1 Apple sliced
  • 1 Onion rough cut
  • 1 Rosemary Sprig
  • 1 Thyme Sprig
  • 1 Sage Sprig

Steam Pot For Smoker

  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1 Apple sliced
  • 1 Onion rough cut
  • 1 Rosemary Sprig
  • 1 Fresh Thyme Sprig
  • 1 Sage Sprig
  • 18 Oz Vegetable Stock
  • 1-2 Carrots cut into quarters
  • 1-2 Celery Stalks cut into quarters

For the Turkey Rub 

  • 6 Tbs Butter
  • 1/4 Cup Thyme Fresh removed from stem
  • 1/2 Cup Rosemary Minced no stems
  • 3/4 Cup Sage Minced no stems

Instructions
 

For the Brine

  • Add all brine/marinade ingredients to a large pot or oversized bowl.
  • ( I made a quasi brine that was more like a marinade so no need to boil and cool or to rinse the next day).
  • Soak the turkey overnight in the refrigerator. You can also use a cooler that is equipped with thermometer and fill it with ice water as long as you keep the temp between 38-40 degrees F
  • Pull the turkey from the brine after 12 hours and pat completely dry with paper towels. (This is an important step for the skin to cook properly in the smoker).

For the Rub

  • Rub the butter with your hands all over the dry turkey , then apply all the herbs
  • Reserve some for basting in a small pot on the stove.

For the Steam Pot

  • Add in all the ingredients and once your smoker has been lit and the smoke is the right color, set the steam pot down into the grill, right on the reflector plates and then place your grill racks over it.

For the Grill

  • I made a little foil packet of the fresh herbs, sealed it well and poked 3 tiny holes in it and set it down right on the coals (optional)
  • I placed a small piece of applewood in the smoker for a mild smoke flavor.

For the Turkey

  • Place the turkey on the racks in the grill for 2 hours at 350 degrees F.
  • At 1 hour and 40 minutes, preheat your indoor oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Remove the turkey and place it in a roasting pan. Baste it with the extra mixture of butter and herbs.
  • Transfer it to your oven. Baste one more time over the next hour.
  • Tent it with a piece of aluminum foil if the skin appears to be getting too dark before the temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
  • When the temp is 165 degrees F pull the turkey from the oven and wrap it in aluminum foil completely and let it sit for 45 mins to an hour before carving.

Notes

Note: (Nutritional Value is Skewed in this recipe based on Brine and Rub)
I removed it from the frozen Turkey from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw on Saturday to be ready on Thursday.  If you are ever unsure as to how long it takes to fully thaw you can visit the Butterball website they post these instruction very clearly. 
It is important to brine the bird for moisture, so we will start with those ingredients. We made my brine more of a marinade than a traditional brine. (A traditional brine calls for more salt and you have to rinse it down before cooking). 
We planned to smoke my turkey using a steam pot in my smoker to hold in even more moisture and infuse additional flavor. (We used our blue dutch oven to put in the smoker under the bird) We used mostly all the same ingredients as your see above.  I applied an herb rub to the turkey. 
We smoked it for 2-3 hours  to infuse that smokey flavor and then moved it inside to the oven to finish it ensuring that even coloring
We had a little fun while getting the butter on the turkey 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 767kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 105gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 363mgSodium: 4107mgPotassium: 1181mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1580IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 5mg
Keyword Smoked, Thanksgiving, Turkey
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The star of the Thanksgiving meal is the turkey. I used a 14.5 lb. frozen turkey. I removed it from the freezer to the refrigerator on Saturday to be ready on Thursday.  It is important to brine the bird for moisture, so we will start with those ingredients. I made my brine more of a marinade than a traditional brine. (A traditional brine calls for more salt and you have to rinse it down before cooking).  I planned to smoke my turkey using a steam pot in my smoker to hold in even more moisture and infuse additional flavor. I will share that also below. Lastly, I rubbed the turkey. This was by far the best turkey I have ever made! 

Brine

  • 2 Gallons of Water
  • 18 Ounces of Vegetable Stock
  • 1/3 Cup of Sea Salt
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1 Apple (sliced)
  • 1 Onion (rough cut)
  • 1 Sprig of Fresh Rosemary 
  • 1 Sprig of Fresh Thyme
  • 1 Sprig of Sage

 Steam Pot
(I used my blue dutch oven to put in the smoker under the bird) I used mostly all the same ingredients as above. 

  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 1 Apple (sliced)
  • 1 Onion (rough cut)
  • 1 Sprig of Fresh Rosemary 
  • 1 Sprig of Fresh Thyme
  • 1 Sprig of Sage
  • 18 Ounces of Vegetable Stock
  • 1-2 Carrots (cut into quarters)
  • 1-2 Celery Stalks (cut into quarters)

For the Turkey Rub 

3/4 of a Stick of Butter

1/4 Cup of Fresh Thyme (removed from stem)

1/2 Cup of Minced Rosemary (no stems)

1/2 Cup to 3/4 Cup of Minced Sage (no stems)

 

For the Brine

  1. Add all brine/marinade ingredients to a large pot or oversized bowl. 
    (remember I made a quasi brine that was more like a marinade so no need to boil and cool or to rinse the next day).
  2. Soak overnight. 
  3. Pull the turkey from the brine after 12 hours and pat completely dry with paper towels. (This is an important step for the skin to cook properly in the smoker).

For the Rub

  1. Mix all the ingredients with a food processor or immersion blender
  2. Apply the rub with your hands all over the dry turkey before smoking it.
  3. Reserve some for basting in a small pot on the stove. 

For the Steam Pot

  1. Add in all the ingredients and once your smoker has been lit and the smoke is the right color, set the steam pot down into the grill, right on the reflector plates and then place your grill racks over it. 

For the Grill

  1. I made a little foil packet of the fresh herbs, sealed it well and poked 3 tiny holes in it and set it down right on the coals (optional) 
  2. I placed a small piece of applewood in the smoker for a mild smoke flavor. 

For the Turkey

  1. Place the turkey on the racks in the grill for 2 hours at 350 degrees F.  
  2. At 1 hour and 40 minutes, preheat your indoor oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. Remove the turkey and place it in a roasting pan. Baste it with the extra mixture of butter and herbs.
  4. Transfer it to your oven. Baste one more time over the next hour.
  5. Tent it with a piece of aluminum foil if the skin appears to be getting too dark before the temperature reaches 160 degrees F. 
  6. When the temp is 160 degrees F pull the turkey from the oven and wrap it in aluminum foil completely and let it sit for 45 mins to an hour before carving.

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