Fellow Traeger owners, who is smoking a Turkey for thanksgiving?
I'm taking the plunge this year. any tips or tricks?
1nbatopshotfan
Traeger Crew - Turkey Day
27
Can never go wrong with cajun.
I'm thinking of doing a spicy citrus this year. Haven't made up my mind 🤔
I'm thinking of doing a spicy citrus this year. Haven't made up my mind 🤔
I also love pecan or cherry pellets. 🔥
I'm on my way!
same
I couldn't talk my husband into using the Traeger for the bird (so I can have the oven - boo). He's too much of a traditionalist.
Enjoy! I'm sure it will be fine!
Enjoy! I'm sure it will be fine!
Dude. Get a turkey breast and put it on the Traeger so you can show him the light.
I would veto his suggestion on the oven and do it in the traeger. So much better on the smoker and you are cooking it at a high enough temp that it doesn't get a super smoky taste to it.
I pick my battles. He wants to roast the turkey, roasted it is. I think it’s a missed opportunity, but I’ll praise his efforts.
No friendly competition to make it spicy?
Lol, not this time. Got my hands full with Mac and cheese and amazing Yukon Gold Mashed potatoes. He can cook the turkey however he likes.
Sounds delicious. I'll be smoking on the Traeger and making Lebanese. We always do half American half Lebanese at the holidays.
@Sunbunny31you smoking that mac and cheese on the traeger?
STOP I can only handle so much talk of delicious food.
This is the way, friendly competition. Blind taste test, loser does the dishes.
Lol @Mobi85 no. It’s a quick stovetop to bake dish. But it is GOOD.
@CuriousFox that sounds delicious! What Lebanese dishes will you be preparing?
Lamb and rice stuffed grapeleaves, tabouleh, mujadara, spinach fatayer.
Note to self: Invite Fox to dinner next year.
Sounds absolutely divine.
Sounds absolutely divine.
This is a discussion for some other night, but wow - I need to learn to pick my battles wisely hahaha!
Is that spicy minty sauce (Zhoug?) Lebanese. I love that stuff.
Spatchcock it. It’ll cook faster and more evenly. If you don’t know how to spatchcock, YouTube will teach you. Everyone who’s anyone is spatchcocking their birds
Spatchcocking is a great word and even better advice.
Following.
Our turkey day is long past but planning on doing this for Christmas
Our turkey day is long past but planning on doing this for Christmas
We are done smoking one in Can. Have a great time 🥂
my suggestion is to give it more time than you think haha. nothing worse than waiting on the turkey on thanksgiving.
This is good advice. You can always turn the Traeger down to slow the process down. This’ll save you so much anxiety as you won’t have to constantly check your probe temp and wonder why it isn’t rising. It also cooks faster if you spatchcock it first
yeah...big fan of spatchcoking....👀
everyone is all about that spatchcocking
Separate the skin from the meet, then cram butter, herbs, and spices all up in there
damn, I think we are writing the same things more or less on the turkey.
Can’t believe you savages didn’t roast me for using a homophone here.
Guess this group would have rather have a “meet” than “meat” anyway
Guess this group would have rather have a “meet” than “meat” anyway
Traeger has a "turkey blend" that contains the pellets and a brine for the bird itself. I used that last year and it held really good flavor all around.
I would highly recommend also spatchcocking the bird and then go about separating the skin from the breast meat itself. It will allow smoke to better penetrate the meat and will also make the skin nice and crispy.
I would highly recommend also spatchcocking the bird and then go about separating the skin from the breast meat itself. It will allow smoke to better penetrate the meat and will also make the skin nice and crispy.
I am not doing a full turkey this year but just doing 2 turkey breasts. Letting them marinate in buttermilk, salt, pepper and a small amount of paprika overnight. Before I throw them on the smoker I am doing a lattice wrap of bacon and cooking at 275 until temp gets up.
Have done it a few times previously and the bacon adds enough fat into it so the turkey doesn't dry out and the buttermilk enzymes break down the meat.
Have done it a few times previously and the bacon adds enough fat into it so the turkey doesn't dry out and the buttermilk enzymes break down the meat.
Awesome advice. Thanks for the details!
Good Luck , Just try to spatchcock it first, that's the best way I know!!
Eying this post for christmas, hoping to snag that Traeger on black friday.
Doing the same but I've already got it. Need this massive amount of snow to melt so I can season the grill and get 'er going - hopefully this weekend.
Always a risky move trying something new on a Thanksgiving Day Turkey!
Good luck!
Good luck!
low and slow
@BmajoRyou are a master griller give your input here 🔥
I’m not a Traeger owner yet but I’m spatchcock’n one in the oven and smoking one on my grill. Oven bird is traditional, and the one I’m smoking will be stuffed with lemon and rosemary smoked with hickory chips. 🤌🏻
I prefer Clark Griswold's approach.
There’s a great recipe i found on YouTube years ago and have done a few times with my own twist now. It’s the best turkey I’ve ever had every time.
24 hour bring then leave it exposed in the fridge for at least 6 hours to dry the skin out, 12 hours preferred.
Inject the bird with 1:1 mix of melted butter and maple syrup and 2tbsp of your Turkey rub. Fucking plump that bird up.
Stuff the bird to reduce cooking time. Herbs, onion, carrots, celery, lemon, and sliced orange
Drizzle oil on top before cooking. Don’t put butter on the skin before cooking. There’s water in butter and it won’t crisp as well.
18ish pound bird at 300 for about 4.5 hours
Brush with melted butter/syrup/ rub mixture with 30 minutes left on the cook. The syrup caramelizes on the skin but some worry there’s so much salt it’s not sweet.
Make sure you have a drip pan underneath it filled with some veggies, herbs, and a little white wine. You’ll want those dripping for your gravy.
24 hour bring then leave it exposed in the fridge for at least 6 hours to dry the skin out, 12 hours preferred.
Inject the bird with 1:1 mix of melted butter and maple syrup and 2tbsp of your Turkey rub. Fucking plump that bird up.
Stuff the bird to reduce cooking time. Herbs, onion, carrots, celery, lemon, and sliced orange
Drizzle oil on top before cooking. Don’t put butter on the skin before cooking. There’s water in butter and it won’t crisp as well.
18ish pound bird at 300 for about 4.5 hours
Brush with melted butter/syrup/ rub mixture with 30 minutes left on the cook. The syrup caramelizes on the skin but some worry there’s so much salt it’s not sweet.
Make sure you have a drip pan underneath it filled with some veggies, herbs, and a little white wine. You’ll want those dripping for your gravy.
wish i could save this.
Same, the best we can do is take a screenshot and save it as a note
Update: got the turkey breasts all rubbed down, injected, duck fat, granny smith apples and onions. Will report later this afternoon. 🔥
Good luck!
Would love to see the final products posted.
End result.
🔥🔥🔥
I'm jealous. Those Traegers look nifty.
Please DM me pictures of your turkeys -_-
Spatchcocked turkey prepped for tomorrow along with a prime rib both will be going on the Traeger. Injected with a compound butter and in the fridge now to crisp the skin.
I really want to be in the US for thanksgiving one day. Seems awesome!
This is some WR elitist stuff 🤣
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