EASY SMOKED TURKEY BREAST RECIPE (2024)

Published by Jessica on November 9, 2018

Easy Smoked Turkey Breast recipe made with just 4 ingredients! Simple method, no brining & results in moist & flavorful smoked turkey.

Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast recipe

This Easy Smoked Turkey Breast recipe is sponsored byTraeger.All opinions are 100% mine. When I got my Traeger electric smoker, to be honest, turkey wasn’t high on my list of foods I was anxious to make. On a whim I decided to smoke a turkey breast to go alongside some tri-tip I was taking to a get-together. You know what? The turkey breast disappeared first and everyone raved about it! My not-so-secret method? Wrapping the turkey breast in BACON. The bacon traps moisture and gives the turkey an absolutely amazing flavor. I’m actually adopting this method for smoking my whole Thanksgiving turkey this year too. It’s THAT good.

We got ourTraeger Electric Smokerseveral months ago and we LOVE it. I thought learning how to use the Traeger would be difficult, but it was actually really easy. Since it’s an electric smoker, you choose the temperature (just like an oven!) and the attached temperature probes keep you informed at what temperature your meat is at. Traeger includes a handy cookbook that has been super helpful figuring out what pellets to use, how long certain meats need to smoke and what temperature they’re fully cooked. We use our Traeger around once a week and I usually smoke very basic foods. It’s been a really fun & delicious process to learn.

How to Smoke a Turkey Breast

You’ll need a defrosted boneless turkey breast about 3lbs in size. You can most definitely smoke a larger turkey breast, just know that you’ll need more bacon and it will take longer. Brush the turkey with olive oil and sprinkle on the all-purpose seasoning, as well as a bit of salt & pepper. Do your best to coat all sides- sometimes boneless turkey breasts fall apart a bit. Grab 3 strips of bacon and wrap it around the middle of the turkey breast. I usually place a piece around the very middle, then one on either side. Turn your turkey breast and wrap 3 slices of bacon around the turkey going the other direction. By this point you should have the turkey pretty well covered, but feel free to use the 2 remaining strips of bacon to cover any parts left exposed.

Fire up your smoker and set the temperature to 250 degrees F. Insert wood pellets in the hopper. I like to use cherry wood or the “Gourmet” blend from Traeger.Place your turkey breast on the grill grate and insert the temperature probe into the center of the thickest part.

Smoke for 3-4 hours, until the internal temperature reads 160 degrees F. To know when your meat reaches the right temperature, your best tool is going to be a meat thermometer. My all-time favorite meat thermometer is the Thermapen. It’s super fast and incredibly durable. Another great meat thermometer is the ThermoPop which is a more basic version that works just as well!

Transfer to a baking dish and cover with foil. Place turkey somewhere where it can maintain a warm temperature and rest for at least 45 minutes, but preferably an hour. I suggest placing the turkey in a warm oven or even in a cooler. I use a cooler most often- I just place a towel inside the cooler, folded over so that the turkey is surrounded top and bottom with the towel.

Remove the bacon and throw away. Trust me, it does not taste good at this point! Slice turkey and serve with a side of gravy and cranberry sauce. Honestly though, this turkey tastes incredible on it’s own!

How long to smoke a turkey breast

The length of time it takes to smoke a turkey breast depends on several variables. I highly recommend using an internal temperature probe to keep track of cooking temperature so that you don’t overcook it. I use 3-lb boneless turkey breasts and they smoke at250 degrees F in about 3 hours. If your turkey breast is bone-in, you’ll need to add another 1-1.5 hours. Along the same lines, if your turkey breast is 4.75lbs instead of 3 lbs, you’ll likely need to add an additional 1.5-2 hours of cooking time. To cook your turkey a bit faster you can also increase the cooking temperature to 275 degrees F.

Smoked Turkey Breast recipe ingredients

• 1 3-lb boneless turkey breast
• 2-3 TBSP olive oil
• 2 tsp all-purpose herb seasoning (salt-free)
• 8 slices raw bacon
• salt & pepper

Smoked Turkey Breast recipe instructions

1. Brush the turkey with olive oil and sprinkle on the all-purpose seasoning and salt & pepper. Coat all sides, turning as needed.
2. Use 3 strips of bacon and wrap it around the middle of the turkey breast. I usually place a piece around the very middle, then one on either side. Turn your turkey breast and wrap 3 slices of bacon around the turkey going the other direction. Use the 2 remaining strips of bacon to cover any parts left exposed.
3. Turn on your smoker and set the temperature to 250 degrees F. Insert wood pellets. I like to use cherry wood.
4. Place your turkey breast on the grill grate and insert the temperature probe into the center of the thickest part. Smoke for 3-4 hours, until the internal temperature reads 160 degrees F.
5. Transfer turkey to a baking dish and cover with foil. Let turkey rest somewhere warm for at least 45 minutes, but preferably an hour.
6. Remove the bacon and throw away. Slice turkey and serve with a side of gravy and cranberry sauce, if desired.

How much smoked turkey breast per person?

Our 3-lb turkey breast generally serves 8-10 people. However you may want to adjust this serving if you’re feeding big eaters or if you don’t plan to have many side dishes.

What turkey breast to buy

I prefer to but boneless turkey breasts so that they cook faster. If you use a bone-in turkey breast, you’ll need to add about 1.5-2 hours additional cooking time, depending on how big the turkey breast is. You can find boneless turkey breasts year-round in the freezer section of your grocery store.