Make Thanksgiving EASY with this Applewood Smoked Turkey for Traeger! This practically effortless turkey recipe on a pellet grill is so juicy & delicious. You’ll never bake a turkey in the oven again.
My friends, have I got the ULTIMATE turkey recipe for you today. For over 2 decades we have been making a traditional turkey in the oven. While it is super delicious & I have streamlined the process to make it crazy easy – sometimes I like to change it up.
Boy am I glad we did. The other day we were preparing for a camping trip & I wanted to cook things ahead of time to keep meals easy while we were gone. Making a turkey was the perfect idea & making it on the Traeger was easier than I ever thought possible.
I love using the Traeger whenever possible. Not only does it keep the mess out of my kitchen, but it frees up my oven for so many other things. I mean, really, you can’t make all those great holiday side dishes in the oven when you have a big ol’ bird roasting in there, now can you?
We may have a professional range, but it is still a single oven. So baking more than one thing at a time just can’t happen. Which is why I have come up with recourceful ways to make things we love using all my other applicances as often as I can. Like making our holiday turkey in the pellet grille.
traeger turkey
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Another thing I love about our Traeger is that it doesn’t really matter what the weather is doing for it to work. Since it is electric, it will keep going even if there is a blizzard outside.
Unlike with our gas grill, we don’t have to worry about keeping the flame going or having it blow about, keeping our food from cooking. We can set the temp & the Traeger does the work.
It is also really great that I can pick the type of pellets I want, which defintely has an effect on the flavor of the meat. Using Applewood for this turkey recipe, I could really taste that sweet, smokey flavor in every bite of this turkey.
Growing up I remember my mom getting up at some crazy time of the morning to do all the holiday prep. We are talking, prepping the bird, getting stuffing going & whatever else she was doing.
I could never figure out why holidays required that sort of prep, or what exactly required starting the day at that time of the morning. But never have I spent that kind of time in the kitchen for a holiday.
But now, with this Traeger turkey recipe, I literally spend just a few minutes prepping the bird & I have the rest of my day to wrap up whatever else we will be serving along with it. So freaking easy my friends! You will LOVE IT!
Here are some commonly asked questions
What Traeger model is needed for this recipe?
I would say that most standing Traeger models can handle roasting a turkey. We have the Pro 34 in blue & we take out the swinging rack from the lid when we make large things like a turkey. I don’t think we could make this recipe on our portable Ranger model that we use for camping because the lid doesn’t give it enough space.
What is the best way to store leftover turkey?
After serving, place leftover turkey in an shallow airtight container. Be sure to label with the date before refrigerating. This recipe should keep for up to 3-4 days if not left out for too long. As with most things, it is important to get food into the refrigerator within 1 hour after serving to prevent bacteria growth.
Why use a shallow container to store the leftovers?
Well, when the container is shallow, the contents chill faster than if you were to use a large, deep container. Ideally, you don’t want it to take too long for the leftovers to get to their chilled/stored temperature. As I mentioned, if the food remains above about 35 degrees for more than 1 hour after cooking, the bacteria starts to grow.
So, if the deep container of food takes several hours to finally get to that 35 degrees, the bacteria has been growing in your leftovers for those several hours. Not exactly what you want to happen.
How many can this serve?
This will depend greatly on portion sizes & the appetites of your crowd. This recipe feeds our family of 5 with enough for seconds, sometimes thirds & leftovers too. This is great for your holiday feast or for those busy weeks when you don’t have a lot of time to cook. We like to make this on a Sunday & it keeps our nights simple when the week gets going.
traeger turkey recipe
Can this recipe be doubled?
Yes, if you have one of the larger grills, you can put 2 birds side-by-side if you like. That would be a great way to season them differently for different preferences depending on your guests.
What pan works best for this recipe?
So, you CAN use a disposable pan when making this turkey. Just make sure you are putting some sort of baking sheet under it to give it support. Otherwise the pan will collapse under the weight when tryin to move it & you will have a big ol’ hot mess & a ruined dinner on your hands.
I like to use this roasting pan, which has a little rack in the bottom to keep the bird out of most of the juices. This allows for a bit of airflow & keeping the bottom of the turkey from getting soggy. Plus it has handles, making it easier to carry it.
Now- if you super-love your braising pan- just know that putting it in the Traeger will leave a layer of smokey soot on it. It wipes off with a wet washcloth & will definitely wash off with soap & water. Don’t freak out. It won’t permanently harm your pan.
HOW TO SMOKE A TURKEY ON A TRAEGER?
- Place the turkey in a shallow roasting pan.
- Pour beer & teriyaki sauce into the bottom of the pan.
- Rub softened butter all over the turkey.
- Liberally coat the buttered turkey with seasoning & rub in.
- Cut an apple in half & place inside the turkey.
- Preheat the grille to 225 degrees.
- Once heated, place the prepared turkey on the grill, uncovered at 225 degrees.
- Cook until internal breast temperature reaches 110 degrees.
- Turn the grille up to 350 degrees & continue to cook the turkey until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
- This should take approx 5 hours, depending on the size of your turkey & the ambient temperature around your grille.
- Once it has reached 160 degrees, remove the turkey & let sit for 15 minutes before carving.
Do I have to use applewood pellets?
Nope. If you decide that hickory or maple are more to your liking, by all means, use those. We loved the sweet flavor that the applewood gave the turkey without having to add any additional seasonings.
Can you freeze turkey?
Yes you can freeze turkey. Just portion out whatever you aren’t going to use & place in a shallow, airtight & freezer-safe container. Label with the contents & the date before placing in the freezer. I like to use a zip-top bag for this & portion it out into a “per-day” amount so that we are only thawing what we can reasonably use which cuts waste.
traeger smoked turkey recipe
To make this recipe you will need…
- turkey
- butter – softened
- beer
- teriyaki sauce
- apple
- Traeger Pork & Poultry rub
- applewood pellets
Products I love when making this turkey…
This Traeger turkey recipe is so EASY and delicious – and if you’re like me, then you probably already have most of these items on hand! OR maybe you have never made a turkey on a Traeger grille before, & you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love the how easy & delicious this dinner is. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this awesome dinner.
- Traeger/pellet grille
- this roasting pan
- disposable pan
- teriyaki sauce
- Traeger Pork & Poultry Rub
- Traeger applewood pellets
If you are looking for the easiest turkey recipe for your holiday – this is definitely it!
Scroll to the bottom for the Printable Recipe
traeger turkey no brine
If you love this turkey recipe, you’re going to love these other delicious side dish recipes to go with it too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Instant Pot Bacon Mac and Cheese
3-Minute Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
30-Minute Garlic Parmesan Dinner Rolls
Heavenly One Hour Dinner Rolls
cooking a turkey on a traeger
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Applewood Smoked Turkey for Traeger
Ingredients
- 1 turkey 13-15 lbs
- 1/2 cup butter – softened
- 12 ounces beer
- 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
- 1 apple
- 1/3 cup Traeger Pork & Poultry rub
- applewood pellets
Instructions
- Place the turkey in a shallow roasting pan.
- Pour beer & teriyaki sauce into the bottom of the pan.
- Rub softened butter all over the turkey.
- Liberally coat the buttered turkey with seasoning & rub in.
- Cut an apple in half & place inside the turkey.
- Preheat the grille to 225 degrees.
- Once heated, place the prepared turkey on the grill, uncovered at 225 degrees.
- Cook until internal breast temperature reaches 110 degrees.
- Turn the grille up to 350 degrees & continue to cook the turkey until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
- This should take approx 5 hours, depending on the size of your turkey & the ambient temperature around your grille.
- Once it has reached 160 degrees, remove the turkey & let sit for 15 minutes before carving.
embeya.com says
Woooow…..Homemade!!! It’s the only thing that taste good! And so easy to do…
I think I will look for these and try your recipe this weekend. Thank you for sharing!
Dang Thai from Embeya!
Noelle says
Can you still make gravy from the drippings?
Gina Kleinworth says
I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to do that. The end result is just like any other turkey in that regard.