Best 4 Smoked Turkey Breast Brine Recipes

SMOKED WHOLE TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Preheat a smoker to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Drain wood chips and place in smoker chip pan. Add water according to manufacturer recommendations.
• Unwrap turkey breast and pat dry with paper towels.
• Combine butter, salt, steak seasoning, smoked paprika, onion powder, and black pepper in a bowl to create a seasoned butter.
• Gently separate skin from muscle of the turkey breast and rub seasoned butter between the skin and the muscle, keeping the skin intact. Use about 1/4 of the seasoned butter on each side, and rub the remaining seasoned butter all over the outside of the turkey breast.
• Place prepared turkey breast directly on a smoker rack, and place the disposable drip pan on the rack below, if recommended by the manufacturer. The drip pan should not rest on the chip pan or the water pan.
• Close and secure the smoker, lower thermostat to 225 degrees F (105 degrees C), and smoke 3 1/2 to 4 hours, adding wood chips and water as needed.
• Use a meat thermometer to check internal temperature. Smoke until turkey registers 155 to 161 degrees F (68 degrees C to 71 degrees C). Wrap turkey breast in heavy-duty aluminum foil, then wrap in several layers of thick towels, and allow to rest for about 45 minutes. The residual heat will finish cooking the turkey breast to a safe temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees F).
• Slice and serve warm.

BRINED HICKORY-SMOKED TURKEY BREAST

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients of the brine solution, in a large bowl. Whisk the solution until all of the salt dissolves.
• Place the breast into a 1 to 2-gallon size zip-top bag. Pour the brine solution over the meat. Make sure the meat is submerged completely. If you do not have enough to cover the meat, then make another batch.
• Seal the bag squeezing as much air out of the bag as possible. Place the bag inside a bowl (to ensure no messy leaks inside the refrigerator).
• Refrigerate and brine for 1 hour per pound of meat, but no longer than 24 hours.
• Preheat the grill or smoker for indirect cooking at 250 degrees F. Fill a pan with warm water and place it below where the turkey will sit on the grate above.
• Remove the turkey breast from the brine solution and rinse it under cold water. Pat the skin dry with paper towels.
• Place the turkey breast-side up onto the smoker over the water pan.
• Plan on smoking the turkey breast for about 30 minutes per pound at 250 degrees F.
• Place turkey breasts in the smoker with 1 to 2 hickory chunks on top of the hot coals. Close the lid and smoke the turkey, keeping a close watch on the smoker to ensure it stays as close to 250 degrees F as possible. Resist the temptation to open the lid unless you need to add more charcoal or wood to maintain temperature and smoke.
• Smoke until the turkey breast has an internal temperature of 160 to 165 degrees F, about 2 to 3 hours for a 5-pound turkey breast.
• The carryover heat will finish cooking the meat.
• Remove the turkey breast from the smoker and transfer it to a carving board. Allow the turkey breast to rest tented with foil for at least 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

OUT OF THIS WORLD TURKEY BRINE

Steps:

• In a food-grade large bucket or container large enough to hold your turkey, mix together the water, salt, garlic, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Store in a refrigerator, and soak turkey for 2 days before smoking or roasting.

SMOKED TURKEY WITH BRINE RECIPE

Steps:

• Skin the garlic cloves and use a knife to crush each clove.
• In the clean 5-gallon pail, add all the brine ingredients together and mix well with a large wooden spoon.
• Clean your turkey and make sure the giblets are removed.
• Submerge the turkey in the pail of brine. Do your best to make sure the turkey is completely submerged.
• Store in your refrigerator for 48 hours, turning the turkey 180 degrees after the first 24 hours.
• After the 48 hour brine is complete. Remove your turkey from the brine, rinse and pat dry with paper towel and store in the fridge for 1 hour. The brine process is complete.
• Mix all the rub ingredients together and set aside for later.
• Fire up your smoker to 300F.
• Take your brined turkey out of the fridge and prep it for the smoker. Move the wings behind the body of the Turkey as shown.
• Tie the legs together with butcher twine.
• Apply the turkey rub liberally to the entire turkey. Then lightly brush some of the peanut oil over the entire turkey.
• Once the smoker hits 300F, place your turkey in the smoker and attach your meat probe into the breast of the turkey.
• After the first 1.5hrs, I'll check in on the turkey and see how it looks. I'll baste it with melted butter now and then. I'll sometimes spritz the turkey with a 50/50 mixture of apple cider vinegar as well. It helps attract the smoke to the skin.
• Once the Turkey reaches about 160F, I will remove it and quickly wrap in foil. The Turkey will keep climbing in temperature and reach the 165F while it is covered in foil. Let the turkey rest a minimum of 20 minutes under the foil. The longer it rests, the better.
• You are done and ready to carve the turkey. Enjoy.