Whole Smoked Turkey with Beer Injection
November 24, 2020
Smoked Turkey With Beer!
I never get tired of using my smoker to make new and different things, but I also enjoy the classics like cooking an entire turkey. This easy to follow recipe will show you how to slow smoke your bird all day and keep it moist, tender and delicious and drunk I mean, full of beer.
Tip: Using a small amount of Mesquite along with Cherry wood makes a great blend of smokey goodness for your fine un-feathered friend.
(Serves about 10 people)
15 pounds Big Honking Turkey
1 1/4 cups Beer
3 ounces Turkey Fixin’s Herb/Butter Marinade
1/8 cup Butter
1 ounce Seasoned Salt
3 ounces EVOO
1.) Place your (defrosted) turkey in a large aluminum container for prep work… it will help keep the mess you are about to make, somewhat contained and Make sure the cavity of the turkey is empty because we will be putting good things in there.
2.) In a small mixing bowl or big measuring cup, add seasoning packet to beer.
Beer injection marinade
3.) I used Turkey Fixin’s Herb/Butter marinade mix. It’s a real good one if you just replace the word “water” with “beer” on the instructions and then you are good to go! Alternatively you can make your own homemade Beer N Butter marinade like the one I have posted here
4.) Now inject your newly mixed beer-liquid goodness into the thickest points of the turkey. For best results, insert needle at different angles through the same hole while very slowly pulling out while injecting the marinade. Make sure to inject the legs, thighs and multiple places on the breast. Inject all but 1/5 of the marinade (we will use that in just a bit).
Injecting the beer is much faster than teaching the turkey to drink it.
5.) Put 1/2 stick of butter inside the turkey… no really, trust me, it’s important.
butter is important
6.) Pour 1/2 packet of dry stove-top stuffing into the inside of the turkey. The butter will melt and try to find it’s way back out of the turkey while cooking and in so doing will infuse the stuffing. Yum! Pour that last remaining bit of marinade over the top of the stuffing. Putting the turkey up on end makes this easier.
Pour that last remaining bit of marinade into the bird
7.) Next cover the entire bird with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). This will enhance your birds beautiful golden color once it has cooked and also give the seasoning something to stick to.
cover your turkey with extra virgin olive oil – not that slutty been-with-everyone olive oil
8.) Now lightly sprinkle the entire top and bottom of the turkey with seasoned salt
Sprinkle with Seasoned Salt
9.) Load your smoker with wood chips. I like to use 4/5 cherry wood and 1/5 Mesquite for turkey.
10.) Place the turkey directly on the middle rack and cook at 190 degrees for 12 hours.
Place Turkey Breast Up
11.) At the 11 hour mark test the thickest part of the breast for temp. Your goal is to get the internal temperature up to least 165F. Raise the temp of your smoker up to 300 for the last hour if necessary.
12.) Remove from smoker and allow to rest for 30 minutes then carve and enjoy and don’t forget to send us a photo. 😉 or better yet, invite us to your tailgate!
Beer Injected Smoked Turkey
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Bacon Recipes | Tailgating Checklist | Grilling Recipes | More Turkey Tailgate Tips
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11-21-2012
