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Smoked Wild Turkey Breast
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5 from 6 votes

Smoked Wild Turkey Breast

Moist delicious smoked wild turkey breast!
Prep Time12 hours
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Resting Time30 minutes
Total Time14 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, BBQ
Keyword: BBQ, Smoked, Turkey, Wild Turkey
Servings: 2 breasts
Author: Sophie May

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 turkey breasts skinless, boneless, with the tenders removed
  • 1 stick unsalted butter melted

Turkey Brine

  • 3/4 C kosher salt
  • 1/3 C sugar
  • 1 large garlic clove smashed
  • 1/4 lemon sliced
  • 1 apple quartered
  • 4 bay leaves

Turkey Rub

  • Duke's mayo enough to coat the breasts
  • Salt/Pepper/Garlic rub (equal parts of each) or favorite BBQ Rub enough to coat the breasts

Instructions

Turkey Brine Instructions

  • Place all of your brine ingredients into a stockpot with 4 C of water.
  • Bring the pot to a boil.
  • Reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionaly, until the salt and sugar have fully dissolved.
  • Remove from heat and add 8 cups of cold water.
  • Allow the brine to cool to room temperature so you do not cook the turkey breasts.
  • Submerge the turkey breasts in the brine and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to a day. The longer you brine, the juicier the meat will get, but also saltier.
  • Wash the brine off of the breasts in cold running water, when you are done.

Turkey Rub Instructions

  • Pat your turkey dry and then lather it in mayo. You don't want it too thick just enough to act as a binder to hold the seasoning on.
    Mayo Binder
  • Season with your favorite SPG or BBQ rub and work into the breast. You don't want a liberal coating, just enough to cover thoroughly.
    BBQ Seasoning
  • Let rest while you get your smoker up to temperature

Smoking Instructions

  • Get your smoker up to 275°F.
  • I used a competition blend style of pellets, but hickory would also work here.
  • Put your breasts on the smoker. I use a temperature probe to watch the internal temperature of the meat closely.
  • At an internal temperature of 120°F I baste the top of the breasts with melted butter. This took ~30 minutes to get to, but wild game will vary.
  • Remove at an internal temperature of 160°F and let rest for ~15 minutes. This took an additional ~45 minutes-1 hour. Again times will vary.
  • Slice your turkey thin and ENJOY!