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. This is why I have come up with resourceful ways to make things we love using all my other appliances as often as I can. Like making our holiday turkey in the pellet grille.
You won’t want to miss our Applewood Smoked Ham too!
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.
Don’t miss our Smoked Boneless Leg of Lamb for an easy holiday main dish!
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 donโt 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
Ingredients for Applewood Smoked Turkey…
- turkey
- butter – softened
- beer
- teriyaki sauce
- apple
- Traeger Pork & Poultry rub
- applewood pellets
Be sure to pair this with these awesome side dishes
- Turkey Gravy
- Smashed Potatoes
- Easy Cranberry Sauce Recipe
- Duchess Potatoes
- Bacon and Garlic Green Beans
- One Hour Dinner Rolls
- Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes
- Loaded Green Bean Casserole
- Traditional Deviled Eggs
- Easy Sausage Stuffing
- Roasted Fall Vegetables
Products I love when making this turkey…
This Applewood Smoked 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 youโre 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 โ this is definitely it!
traeger turkey no brine
If you love this applewood smoked turkey recipe, youโre 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!
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 โ 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.
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Woooow…..Homemade!!! Itโs the only thing that taste good! And so easy to doโฆ
I think I will look for these and try your recipe this weekend. Thank you for sharing!
Dang Thai from Embeya!
Can you still make gravy from the drippings?
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.
Could you make this recipe with stuffing in the cavity?
I suppose you can – but it will increase the cooking time. If you were to stuff it, I would recommend doing it only to enhance the flavor of the turkey and not serve that stuffing as it would now be contaminated. Stuffing is porous, and during the cooking process, juices from the turkey that may contain bacteria drip down and are absorbed by the stuffing. Additionally, when checking the temperature, many people neglect to check the temperature of the stuffing, which also needs to be cooked at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. As a result, bacteria remain in the stuffing, which can cause guests to get sick and puts them at risk for salmonella poisoning. Any stuffing that contains meat juices must be cooked to the same minimum internal temperature as the meat itself in order to ensure any bacteria is killed during the cooking process.
Was there any basting in the process with the teriyaki and beer in the pan?
No โ we didnโt baste at all. The moisture in the pan sort of steams the turkey while it smokes โ keeping it moist.
is there basting in the process with the beer and teriyaki sauce from the pan and if so how often is it recommended?
No – we didn’t baste at all. The moisture in the pan sort of steams the turkey while it smokes – keeping it moist.
Are you saying that the ENTIRE cooking time for your was about 5 hours? Just trying to figure out how long my 16 1/2 lb. turkey will take. Thanks!
So, when cooking in a conventional oven the general rule for cooking an unstuffed turkey (as in this one isnโt packed full of traditional stuffing) is about 15 minutes per pound. This will be about the same, you will need to watch the temp to know for sure – but by that calculation your 16.5-pound turkey x 15 minutes = 247.5 minutes = 4.125 hours. But again – this would be a guideline for a traditionally oven-roasted turkey. Always go by the internal temp to check for doneness.
Do you use a thawed or frozen turkey in the Traeger?
Always cook a thawed turkey. The only time you can really cook from frozen is with an Instant Pot – but even if you could fit it inside one- the time it would take to cook something that size would not yield a good result.
Could you use coke instead of the beer? Or another suggestion instead of beer.
Sure – that will work fine.
I used apple beer–turned out great!
Would this recipe work for a 23 lb bird? So tired of oven turkey! >:(
I don’t see why not. Just make sure to calculate your time based on the size. When cooking in a conventional oven the general rule for cooking an unstuffed turkey (as in this one isnโt packed full of traditional stuffing) is about 15 minutes per pound. This will be about the same, you will need to watch the temp to know for sure.
You said to cook uncovered. Does this mean you donโt put foil over the Turkey? You do close the Traeger lid correct?
Yes – that means that you don’t put foil over the top of the turkey. You will definitely need to close the lid for the Traeger to maintain the correct temperature – it will basically work like your oven.
Do you put the roasting pan inside the traeger? Or just the turkey itself? Thanks!
The whole roasting pan goes in there so it can be cooked in the juices.
What kind of beer did you use?
Any kind you have on hand will work.
Did you brine the turkey before?
Nope – not at all.
Breast up or down?
Breast up.
Yum! We made 2 turkeys, brined one and they both turned out moist. We split a can of beer between both of them and had them in roaster pans elevated out of the juices.
Any recommendations for the beer type? Ale, Lager, IPA etc?
That is really a personal choice – we make it with whatever we have on hand. But that tends to be varieties we already prefer. So go with what you already like.
Whatโs a good seasoning to use on the bird?
I have the Traeger Pork & Poultry rub called for in the recipe card or you can try my turkey rub found here https://www.kleinworthco.com/turkey-rub/