Smoked Maple Turkey (Sweet, Smoky, and Incredibly Juicy)
Looking for something different to serve at your next holiday feast? This smoked maple turkey is a fun twist on the classic roasted bird. Brined with honey and injected with a maple butter blend, it turns out unbelievably juicy with a subtle sweetness that pairs perfectly with smoky flavor.If you’ve never tried turkey on the smoker, this recipe is a great place to start. The prep is a little more involved than throwing a bird in the oven, but the payoff is huge. Between the brine, the injection, and cooking it spatchcocked, this ended up being one of the best turkeys I’ve ever made.
Ingredients
Turkey
- 12 lb Turkey not pre-brined if possible
- 1/4 cup Heath Riles Chicken Rub or favorite poultry rub
Brine
- 1 gallon Water
- 1 1/2 cups Kosher salt
- 2 cups Honey
- 8 cups Vegetable broth
- 8 lbs Ice
Maple Injection
- 1/2 cup Maple syrup
- 1/2 cup Butter
Instructions
- Heat water, salt, honey, and broth until salt dissolves.1 gallon Water, 1 1/2 cups Kosher salt, 2 cups Honey, 8 cups Vegetable broth
- Add ice to cool brine completely.8 lbs Ice
- Submerge turkey and brine 1–2 days, kept under 40°F.12 lb Turkey
- Melt butter and mix with maple syrup; cool to room temp.1/2 cup Maple syrup, 1/2 cup Butter
- Remove turkey from brine and pat completely dry.
- Remove backbone and flatten turkey (spatchcock).
- Inject maple butter into breasts, thighs, and wings.
- Coat skin with chicken rub.1/4 cup Heath Riles Chicken Rub
- Preheat smoker to 225°F using hickory or maple.
- Place turkey on smoker with drip pan underneath.
- Smoke for 1 hour.
- Increase heat to 350°F and spritz skin with butter.
- Cook until breast hits 165°F and thigh hits 175°F.
- Rest 10 minutes before carving.
- Use drippings to make gravy.