Applewood Smoked Turkey Breast

Droppedstang

Tonight’s cook was a 4lb boneless turkey breast.  Due to me getting home late my wife actually started the cook in the oven.  After the “pre cook” I covered it in rub, cooked at 275 over applewood to bring it up to temp, and occasionally basted with butter.  The end result was fantastic and extremely juicy with just the right amount of smoke!  

Excellent rub for anyone who hasn’t tried it. 

johnmitchell

Welcome.. That does look juicy and sound's amazing.

mlc2013

Turkey always comes out with to much smoke for me I wonder if the start in the oven helped prevent it take on to much smoke?

Looks good!!

WeberWho

Bird looks great. Thanks for the suggestion with the rub

JohnnyTarheel

Love a turkey on the egg... that one looks nice

1911Man

@mlc2013 IME, it really depends on what type of wood you use with turkey. My primary selection is equal parts sugar maple and black cherry chunks. If I manage to get to the store and pick up some apple chunks, I'll usually make it a three way split (or as close as possible). Average of about two closed fist sized pieces of each wood (add a little more if only two types) works. 

mlc2013

@1911Man. I just got some black cherry a few days ago I never even knew it existed. I’m excited to try. I normally do hickory and or apple and use about 4-6 chunks so maybe it’s the hickory that through a off to much smoke. 

1911Man

@mlc2013 From what I can recall of hickory (and mesquite) they can go from "good" to "overpoweringcrap" in a heartbeat depending on what you're cooking. I think I started using the sugar maple and black cherry combo a decade (or more) ago and haven't looked back. Apple is typically a mild enough wood that you can use that safely too. 

I smoke a whole turkey breast section each weekend to use for sammiches the following week. I get the fresh sections since the frozen have too much salt in them. Right now, I'm buying a case at a time and freezing them (they come in hard/frozen so it's safe). It takes at least a few days in the fridge to get them thawed out for smokin. 

I also use the sugar maple/black cherry combo for everything else I smoke on the BGE. This weekend is going to be a double session (planned for Saturday). First the turkey breast section, then a beef roast cut into large sections and smoked heavily. The beef is going into a batch of chili on Sunday. 

I get the flavor wood from Maine Grilling Woods. I don't recall how I found out about them, but I'm glad I did (all those years ago).

YukonRon

1911Man said:

@mlc2013 From what I can recall of hickory (and mesquite) they can go from "good" to "overpoweringcrap" in a heartbeat depending on what you're cooking. I think I started using the sugar maple and black cherry combo a decade (or more) ago and haven't looked back. Apple is typically a mild enough wood that you can use that safely too. 

I smoke a whole turkey breast section each weekend to use for sammiches the following week. I get the fresh sections since the frozen have too much salt in them. Right now, I'm buying a case at a time and freezing them (they come in hard/frozen so it's safe). It takes at least a few days in the fridge to get them thawed out for smokin. 

I also use the sugar maple/black cherry combo for everything else I smoke on the BGE. This weekend is going to be a double session (planned for Saturday). First the turkey breast section, then a beef roast cut into large sections and smoked heavily. The beef is going into a batch of chili on Sunday. 

I get the flavor wood from Maine Grilling Woods. I don't recall how I found out about them, but I'm glad I did (all those years ago).

My go to for smoking wood:
Sugar Maple
Oak
Pecan
Peach
I really like peach for pork and fowl. Sugar Maple for fish, Oak and Pecan for beef.