Smoked Turkey on a Kamado Joe Grill Recipe
smoked turkey
There is no holiday food more traditional than a turkey. If you’re looking to change things up, consider smoking your turkey on a kamado Joe smoker. Kamado Joe smoker are the most versatile type of grill on the market; they grill, smoke, sear, roast, and bake. Smoking your holiday turkey on a Kamado Joe smoker is a great way to impress your guests and provide a delicious main course for the crowd. Below, find our favorite recipe for how to cook a turkey on a Kamado Joe smoker.
SMOKED TURKEY ON A KAMADO JOE SMOKER RECIPE
Ingredients
- Whole turkey (12-16 lbs)
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion cut in two halves
- 1 handful of celery tops
- ½ bottle of dry white wine
- DRY RUB INGREDIENTS:
- ½ cup salt
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. black pepper
- 1 tbsp. garlic salt
- 1 tbsp. onion salt
- 1 tbsp. Cumin
- 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp. chili powder
Directions
Slide your hand gently between the breast and the skin of the turkey to separate the skin, being careful to not tear the skin. Apply a gentle sprinkling of the rub under the skin and all over the exterior of the turkey, to ensure that you’re getting flavor into both the breast meat and the crispy skin.
After applying the dry rub, load the turkey onto the rack, and place a drip tray underneath. Within the drip tray, you’ll have the white wine, carrot, onion halves, and celery tops.
Set your Kamado Joe up for indirect cooking by placing heat deflector stones between the fire and the cooking grates. Take advantage of a higher cooking grate if you already have a Kamado Joe smoker for indirect cooking. Don’t forget to make sure your wood chips and charcoal are ready to go before putting in your heat deflector plates if using them.
Stabilize the cooking temperature at 170°C or 350°F and smoke your turkey over the maple wood chips for approximately 12 minutes per pound. Use a temperature probe to check the bird's temperature in both the breast and the thigh, you need a reading of 75°C or 165°F.
After this, make sure to let your turkey rest for a couple of hours before carving so that it continues to absorb the flavors and juices. You can use the white wine and vegetables from the drip tray as gravy if you’d like.
Carve, serve & enjoy your Kamado Joe-cooked smoked turkey!
WHAT IS A KAMADO JOE GRILL?
Kamado Joe smokers are excellent at smoking because they’re crafted using premium ceramic that locks smoke inside the smoker. The smoke produced by the lit charcoal and wood chips then infuses the food with rich, juicy, and smoky flavor—sure to be your tastiest holiday turkey yet!
KAMADO JOE
When it comes to kamado smokers, most people are only familiar with Big Green Egg. While they are an extremely popular brand of kamado grill, there are other premium kamado brands that take kamado cooking to the next level with quality construction and excellent features. Kamado Joe is a well-known brand in the world of kamado grilling and reigns supreme in the world of ceremic grills. A key to kamado cooking is to grill on different levels, allowing certain food to receive a much more direct flame than others.
LOOKING FOR MORE EASY GRILLS RECIPES?
Looking for more game-day recipes? For an extra special take on Thanksgiving dinner, consider these three easy grill recipes for turkey.