Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast

Recipe Ingredients 

There’s quite a bit of flexibility with this recipe, as you can use any combination of turkey brine and compound butter you like. I’ve shared my top suggestions below: 

• Brine of Choice (options below)
• Garlic Herb Butter 
• Bone-In Turkey Breast (7 to 8 pounds) 

Does a turkey breast need to be brined before being smoked? 

Always brine a turkey breast before smoking! A brine will not only infuse the meat with flavor, but it will also help prevent the turkey from drying out as it smokes on the pellet grill. 

Special Equipment You’ll Need

• Probe Thermometer — Is essential for taking the internal temperature of the turkey breast. 
• Pellet Smoker, such as a Traeger — I used my Trager, but any pellet grill may be used. 
• Wood Pellets — Any type may be used, but we gravitate towards apple, pecan, oak, or hickory. 
• Grill-Safe Baking Sheet — A disposable foil tray works, too. The turkey breast needs to rest in something so the drippings can be collected. 

How to Brine and Smoke a Turkey Breast 

1. Brine the turkey breast. Remove the turkey breast from its packaging and soak in your brine of choice, per the recipe’s instructions. A turkey breast needs to brine for roughly 6 to 8 hours.
2. Let rest at room temperature for 1 hour. After brining, rinse the turkey breast and pat it dry. Then, let it sit at room temp for about an hour (this will shorten the cook time).
3. Rub with herb butter. While your Traeger or pellet grill preheats, rub the turkey breast all over with garlic herb butter.
4. Smoke the turkey breast. Once coated in herb butter, transfer the turkey breast to a grill-safe baking sheet. Insert a probe thermometer into the turkey breast, then shut the lid and smoke on the “smoke” setting for 3 hours.
5. Crisp up the skin (optional). Once the turkey breast reaches an internal temperature of 150 – 155ºF, baste it with the drippings at the bottom of the pan and then transfer it to a 425ºF oven. Roast until the skin is crispy and the internal temperature reaches 160ºF.
6. Let rest. Like any other large cut of meat, a turkey breast must rest for at least 10 minutes after being smoked. This gives the juices time to redistribute throughout the breast and makes for a juicier cut of meat. 

Do I have to finish it in the oven? No, we just like to do that to create a golden brown, crispy skin that you can’t achieve in a smoker. If you don’t want to bake the turkey breast, then keep cooking at 325ºF until the internal temperature measures 160ºF.

What to Serve with Your Traeger Turkey Breast

• Appetizers — Roasted Cranberry Salsa, Balsamic Roasted Portobello Mushrooms, Stuffing Balls. 
• Sides — Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes, Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes, Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash, Turkey Gravy, Red Wine Cranberry Sauce. 
• Desserts — Caramel Apple Crisp, Bourbon Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Bundt Cake, Pumpkin Pecan Pie. 
• Cocktails — Pumpkin Martini, Cranberry Rosemary Shrub, Cranberry Orange Whiskey Sour, Creamy Chai Cocktail. 

Storage Instructions 

Let leftovers cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Leftover turkey can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. 

You can add leftover smoked turkey breast to dishes like turkey tetrazzini, turkey vegetable soup, curried turkey soup, turkey sandwiches, and more! 

You can also freeze leftover turkey. It will last up to 3 months.