Best 5 Honey Smoked Turkey Recipes

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Indulge in the savory and succulent flavors of Honey Smoked Turkey, a culinary masterpiece that marries the richness of turkey with the sweet smokiness of honey. This dish showcases three tempting variations: the Classic Honey Smoked Turkey, a timeless recipe that delivers a perfectly balanced smoky flavor; the Honey Bourbon Smoked Turkey, where the addition of bourbon lends a hint of warmth and complexity; and the Honey Chipotle Smoked Turkey, a tantalizing blend of sweet heat that will leave your taste buds craving more. Each recipe provides step-by-step instructions, ensuring that you achieve a mouthwatering turkey that's tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor. Get ready to impress your family and friends with this exceptional dish that's perfect for special occasions or everyday gatherings.

Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!

CITRUS HONEY BRINED SMOKED TURKEY



Citrus Honey Brined Smoked Turkey image

Wonderfully moist and tender turkey!

Provided by Mary Jane Brown

Categories     Meat and Poultry Recipes     Turkey     Whole Turkey Recipes

Time 12h30m

Yield 20

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 gallon hot water
1 pound kosher salt
2 quarts vegetable broth
2 (8 ounce) jars honey
1 cup orange juice
1 (7 pound) bag of ice cubes
1 (15 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into large chunks
1 stalk celery, cut into chunks
1 small onion, cut into chunks
1 orange, quartered

Steps:

  • Mix hot water and kosher salt in a 54-quart cooler, stirring until the salt dissolves. Mix in vegetable broth, honey, and orange juice. Pour in the ice cubes, place the turkey into the brine with breast side up, and close the cooler lid. Place the cooler in a cold place and let the turkey marinate overnight or up to 12 hours. Brine temperature must stay colder than 40 degrees F (4 degrees C).
  • Remove turkey from brine, discard brine, and dry the turkey thoroughly with paper towels. Mix vegetable oil with poultry seasoning in a bowl, and rub the turkey with the mixture. Place apple, celery, onion, and orange pieces into the cavity of the turkey.
  • Preheat an outdoor grill to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for indirect heat and lightly oil the grate. Build a 'smoke bomb' by placing about 1 cup of hickory or cherry wood chips into the middle of a 12x12-inch doubled piece of aluminum foil. Gather up the edges of the foil to make a pouch and leave the pouch open at the top. Set the smoke bomb directly onto the coals if grilling with charcoal, or onto the flame bar of a gas grill.
  • Set the turkey onto the grill in position for indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the turkey breast, not touching a bone, and close the grill. Set the probe thermometer for 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
  • Grill turkey for 1 hour and check the bird; if skin is already golden brown, cover the breast, legs, and wings with aluminum foil. Replace the smoke bomb with a new one; close cover and continue to grill until probe thermometer registers 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), 2 to 3 more hours. Remove the fruit and vegetable pieces from the cavity, cover turkey with aluminum foil, and let rest for 1 hour before carving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 656.7 calories, Carbohydrate 31.8 g, Cholesterol 200.7 mg, Fat 26.8 g, Fiber 0.9 g, Protein 69.5 g, SaturatedFat 7.4 g, Sodium 9444.1 mg, Sugar 30.1 g

HONEY SMOKED TURKEY



Honey Smoked Turkey image

Sweet and light, this is the easiest way to cook a big bird! It will be the best turkey you have ever had. The breast is moist and juicy, and the honey makes a great thin sauce. I hope you enjoy it as much as my friends and family do when I make it. I never have any leftovers! Enjoy!

Provided by ABAYIFO

Categories     Meat and Poultry Recipes     Turkey     Whole Turkey Recipes

Time 3h45m

Yield 16

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 (12 pound) whole turkey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons celery salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (12 ounce) jar honey
½ pound mesquite wood chips

Steps:

  • Preheat grill for high heat. If you are using a charcoal grill, use about twice the normal amount of charcoal. Soak wood chips in a pan of water, and set next to the grill.
  • Remove neck and giblets from turkey. Rinse the bird and pat dry. Place in a large disposable roasting pan.
  • In a medium bowl, mix together sage, ground black pepper, celery salt, basil, and vegetable oil. Pour mixture evenly over the turkey. Turn the turkey breast side down in the pan, and tent loosely with aluminum foil.
  • Place the roasting pan on the preheated grill. Throw a handful of the wood chips onto the coals. Close the lid, and cook for 1 hour.
  • Throw about 2 more handfuls of soaked wood chips on the fire. Drizzle 1/2 the honey over the bird, and replace the foil. Close the lid of the grill, and continue cooking 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C) in the thickest part of the thigh.
  • Uncover turkey, and carefully turn it breast side up in the roasting pan. Baste with remaining honey. Leave the turkey uncovered, and cook 15 minutes. The cooked honey will be very dark.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 647 calories, Carbohydrate 25.3 g, Cholesterol 228.5 mg, Fat 28.8 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 68.9 g, SaturatedFat 7.9 g, Sodium 776.3 mg, Sugar 24.6 g

HONEY BRINED SMOKED TURKEY



Honey Brined Smoked Turkey image

This is the best Thanksgiving turkey you could possibly imagine. The first time my husband cooked it he was concerned about it getting done, left it on the grill a little longer than suggested, and it literally fell off the bone when we moved it to the serving plate, but I hardly had any leftovers to put away! We have also stuffed the turkey with sweet onion while smoking and it turned out wonderfully.

Provided by wendypindy

Categories     Meat and Poultry Recipes     Turkey     Whole Turkey Recipes

Time 17h10m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 gallon hot water
1 pound kosher salt
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 pound honey
1 (7 pound) bag of ice cubes
1 (15 to 20) pound turkey, giblets removed
¼ cup vegetable oil, or as needed
1 cup wood chips

Steps:

  • Combine hot water and salt in a 54-quart cooler; stir until salt dissolves. Stir vegetable broth and honey into the water. Add ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine with the breast facing up; cover with cooler lid. Brine overnight to 12 hours.
  • Remove the turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towel; rub vegetable oil over turkey to coat. Discard brine.
  • Put 1 cup wood chips in the center of each of two large sheets of aluminum foil. Wrap edges around wood chips to form small pouches, leaving small openings at the top.
  • Preheat an outdoor grill to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and lightly oil the grate. Place 1 pouch of wood chips directly over the flame beneath the grate.
  • Set the turkey over indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast, and set the alarm for 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Close the lid and cook until the turkey's skin is golden brown, about 1 hour. Remove and discard first pouch of wood chips; replace with remaining pouch.
  • Cover turkey with aluminum foil, return cover to grill and continue cooking until the turkey is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 3 hours more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).
  • Remove the turkey from the grill, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 1 hour before carving to serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1308.2 calories, Carbohydrate 34.5 g, Cholesterol 446.7 mg, Fat 57.9 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 153.9 g, SaturatedFat 16.2 g, Sodium 15829.4 mg, Sugar 33.1 g

HONEY BRINED SMOKED TURKEY



Honey Brined Smoked Turkey image

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2004 See this recipe on air Tuesday Nov. 13 at 12:00 AM ET/PT. Show: Food Network Specials Episode: All Star Thanksgiving

Provided by Punkinfaery

Categories     Whole Turkey

Time 4h15m

Yield 10-12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 gallon hot water
1 lb kosher salt
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 lb honey
1 (7 lb) bag ice
1 (15 -20 lb) whole turkey, with giblets removed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for rubbing

Steps:

  • Combine the hot water and the salt in a 54-quart cooler. Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey. Add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours.
  • Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub the bird thoroughly with the vegetable oil.
  • Heat the grill to 400 degrees F.
  • Using a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil, build a smoke bomb. Place a cup of hickory wood chips in the center of the foil and gather up the edges, making a small pouch. Leave the pouch open at the top. Set this directly on the charcoal or on the metal bar over the gas flame. Set the turkey over indirect heat, insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast meat, and set the alarm for 160 degrees F. Close the lid and cook for 1 hour.
  • After 1 hour check the bird; if the skin is golden brown, cover with aluminum foil and continue cooking. Also, after 1 hour, replace wood chips with second cup.
  • Once the bird reaches 160 degrees F, remove from grill, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 1 hour. Carve and serve.
  • Recipe Summary.
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Inactive Prep Time: 13 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 hours
  • Yield: 10 to 12 servings.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 958.9, Fat 42.7, SaturatedFat 11.6, Cholesterol 338.6, Sodium 17943, Carbohydrate 37.4, Fiber 0.1, Sugar 37.3, Protein 101.8

HONEY BRINED SMOKED TURKEY



HONEY BRINED SMOKED TURKEY image

Categories     turkey     Thanksgiving     Quick & Easy

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 gallon hot water
1 pound kosher salt
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 pound honey
1 (7-pound) bag of ice
1 (15 to 20-pound) turkey, with giblets removed
Vegetable oil, for rubbing turkey
Hickory wood chips

Steps:

  • Combine the hot water and the salt in a 54-quart cooler. Stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the vegetable broth and the honey. Add the ice and stir. Place the turkey in the brine, breast side up, and cover with cooler lid.. Brine overnight, up to 12 hours. Remove the turkey from the brine and dry thoroughly. Rub the bird thoroughly with the vegetable oil. Set the smoker to 300 degrees F and smoke with hickory wood chips until the Turkey reaches 160 degrees F. Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the breast meat. Due to the smoking process, the Turkey will be darker than you may be used to. Don't worry, this is normal. Once the bird reaches 160 degrees F, remove from grill, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 1 hour. Carve and serve.

Tips:

  • Brining the Turkey: Brining the turkey helps keep it moist and flavorful. Use a mixture of water, salt, sugar, and spices for the brine, and let the turkey soak for at least 12 hours, or up to 24 hours.
  • Smoking the Turkey: Smoke the turkey over indirect heat at a temperature between 225°F and 250°F. This will ensure that the turkey cooks evenly and doesn't dry out. Use a smoker box filled with wood chips to generate smoke.
  • Basting the Turkey: Basting the turkey with a mixture of melted butter, honey, and spices helps keep it moist and adds flavor. Baste the turkey every 30 minutes or so during the smoking process.
  • Checking the Temperature: Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey. The turkey is done when the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the breast and 175°F in the thigh.
  • Resting the Turkey: Once the turkey is done, let it rest for at least 30 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the turkey, resulting in a more tender and flavorful bird.

Conclusion:

Honey-smoked turkey is a delicious and impressive dish that is perfect for special occasions. By following the tips and instructions provided in this article, you can easily create a mouthwatering turkey that your family and friends will love. The combination of the smoky flavor from the wood chips and the sweet and savory glaze makes this turkey a truly unforgettable dish. So next time you're looking for a special way to prepare turkey, give this honey-smoked turkey recipe a try!

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