Recipe: Smoked Turkey Breast

Thanksgiving is approaching quickly, and that means that it's time for turkey.  Maybe you don't celebrate with a huge crowd.  Maybe you're staying in and it will just be the two of you for the holiday.  Maybe you just like turkey and don't need to wait for November to cook it.  If any of the above apply to you, this turkey breast recipe is for you.  It's amazingly simple, and flavorful, and will feed up to six people. 

Sage is one of the most popular seasonings for turkey, which is why I included it.  Somehow the scent of sage seems to sum up Thanksgiving for a lot of Americans.  (The fact that it makes an excellent vehicle for the apple smoke didn't figure into the equation, I promise.)  The thyme and pepper were included to kind of round out the sage flavor. 

If you don't have a Big Green Egg, you can still cook this dish.  If you want to cook it outside using a smoker box, follow the directions below.  If you want to cook it indoors - hey, I've had Thanksgivings where we couldn't have gotten to the grill for all the snow - reduce the amount of salt in the rub, and leave the smoker box out of it.  The fire alarms don't add a whole lot of ambiance to the holiday. 

Smoked Turkey Breast (serves 6; approx. $2.50/serving)

1 turkey breast, bone-in

1 tablespoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons black pepper, preferably coarse ground

1 tablespoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons dried sage

5 tablespoons olive oil

Equipment:

• Big Green Egg (optional; see above)
• Roasting pan (if not using the Big Green Egg)

1. Unwrap your turkey breast.  If the neck is included, reserve that to make stock later. 
2. Carefully loosen the skin from the meat, without removing it. 
3. Mix the herbs, salt, pepper and olive oil together to form a paste.  Carefully rub this paste under the skin.  If you have any left (this will depend on the size of your bird), you can go ahead and put it on the outside as well. 
4. Prepare your Big Green Egg for indirect cooking with apple wood.  Heat the Egg to 350.
5. Roast the turkey until the internal temperature at the thickest part of the breast reaches 160 degrees.  This took us about two hours.
6. Remove the turkey from the Egg.  Transfer to a cutting board and tent under foil for at least ten minutes. 
7. Carve the turkey breast and serve.  Reserve the carcass with the neck and make stock later, when you need to warm up your kitchen. 

Comments

[Peter]

That's a gorgeous looking turkey...that's something only real BBQ can do.

[Darius T. Williams]

Wow...now I bet this was good!!!

-DTW
www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

[RobinSue]

Oh now that sounds so good. I have had them fried, grilled (on gas grill-so no smokey taste) and now I need to have one smoked! Great recipe!

[Fearless Kitchen]

Thanks, everyone! It's a really simple preparation and I'm sure it would come out okay in a regular oven. You wouldn't get that smoky-skinned look, though.

[How to Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey]

You cooked it very well, seems to be juicy, I will keep your tips and steps so if ever they ask me to host the turkey I will follow everything you've said.