Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion, cooking for a group, or have a frozen bird that needs to be cooked, you can’t go wrong with a smoked turkey.
These noble birds deserve justice – food smoking justice. Smoking creates a more tender and flavourful dish than one that is fried or oven roasted. And when you combine the savory smoke flavour with the complex flavourings of a good recipe, you’ll end up with a dish so irresistible, you’ll pick every last minuscule of meat off the bones.
Smoked Beer Can Turkey Recipe
People are always on the hunt for a good turkey recipe to try. And when it comes to eating a lot of meat, flavour is key. We stumbled across this zesty recipe by Agustin at The Smoker King we think you’ll enjoy. It calls for a 14 lb turkey and suggests a promising brine and rub.
Ingredients
The Brine
- 3 Cups Kosher Salt
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Lemons, cut and squeezed
- 2 Oranges, cut and squeezed
- 1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Bottle Apple Juice
- 5 Bay Leaves, crumbled
- Palm full of Thyme
- Palm full of Pepper
- 4 Tablespoons Honey
The Dry Rub
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh Cracked Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Ground Thyme
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Sage
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Chile Powder
Mix ingredients together with cold water until salt and sugar have dissolved. Submerge whole turkey in brine and let refrigerate for 24 hours.
Directions
One Hour Before Cooking
The Dry Rub –
Preheat your Bradley Smoker to approximately 225°F. We recommend using any Bradley fruit wood Bisquettes for best results.
Remove turkey from brine and rinse off with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and let air dry for a moment.
Next, rub olive oil on outside of turkey. Then apply rub generously in-between the skin and the meat, inside the cavity and outside the turkey skin.
Open a can of your favorite beer and pour yourself a tall, cold glass and enjoy! Now take the empty can and cut off the top portion with heavy duty scissors. Then fill it half-way up with chicken broth. Include a few bay leaves, fresh sage, 1 cut and squeezed lemon, and fresh cracked pepper.
Smoking Method
Place can inside smoker and carefully lower the turkey on top of the can so that the can is completely inside the cavity of the turkey. This is one way to keep the turkey moist, by putting steam inside the cavity while it cooks. The turkey needs to be stable. Make sure it is able to stand on it’s own. You can use metal rib racks to help stabilize it.
Cooking will take 6 to 8 hours, or until the inside temperature of the turkey reaches 165°F. Be sure to check the thighs.
Remove from smoker, let stand and eat! Enjoy!
