A smoking temperature of 225F is necessary for the collagen in brisket and pork shoulder to break down slowly over time. Insert the probe into the thickest part of a turkey leg, avoiding touching the bone. After about another hour, or once the the smoked turkey thighs have reached 175F internally, remove them from the gas grill. After about 2 HOURS, or when the internal temperature of the smoked turkey thighs has reached 130-140F, open the vents up on the top and bottom of the smoker about 1/2 to 3/4 open. Rotate the smoked turkey thighs as needed and cook at this temperature for about another hour, or until the internal temperature has reached 175F. Preheat smoker to 225 degrees fahrenheit. This Traeger Smoked Turkey is a sure winner for your Thanksgiving dinner. Read recipe notes submitted by our community or add your own notes. Remove the turkey from the grill and let rest for 30 minutes before carving. Why Not Use One? Wood pellets, chunks, or a pellet tube smoker with pellets or a smoker box with wood chips, Instant Read and/or Leave in Probe Thermometer, Sharp narrow blade - imarku Boning Knife is made of high-carbon German stainless steel to provide maximum sharpness, edge retention, and corrosion resistance. The differences in meat texture between turkey thighs cooked to an internal temperature of 165F and those cooked to 180F are perfectly illustrated in the videos in my post on Oven-Roasted Turkey Thighs. Season your turkey thighs with salt and pepper. Sizes may vary from .75-1.5 lbs. Common poultry spice rub ingredients such as kosher salt, pepper, paprika, brown sugar, onion powder, and a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper. Flip the thigh over so the skin side is DOWN and see where the skin hangs over each edge. That looks great on Instagram photos, but the reality is that this amount of smoke will be way too much and your turkey will taste like charcoal. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'madbackyard_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_10',164,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-madbackyard_com-large-leaderboard-2-0');If youve got turkey leg quarters like we did, we recommend separating them like this and smoking your turkey thighs and legs separate rather than smoking the entire turkey leg quarter as one peice. This should take between 2 to 3 hours depending on their size. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. During the final hour of the cook, brush the thighs generously with Club House La Grille Smokehouse Maple Wet Rub every 10 to 15 minutes. (Optional Step) Inject the turkey with the marinade. In the case of smoked turkey thighs, we would opt for the pellet smoker tubesince we need longer than the 30 minutes one batch of wood chips in a smoker box will last us. If you are looking to use an easy off the shelf barbecue rub with NO SUGAR, wed recommend Bad Byrons Butt Rub. Once the sugar and salt are dissolved, add the garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and the orange zest. Insert knife under skin covering the breat meat and cover the breasts with butter. Put the turkey thighs into a large bowl and sprinkle them liberally with the Montreal Chicken Seasoning or your favorite rub. The salt from your dry rub pulls out the moisture of the turkey thigh, creating a concentrated brine that is then naturally absorbed back into the thigh over time. Follow this step-by-step guide with tips on buying, brining, rubs, smoking woods, cooking times, and recipes. Ingredients Directions Mix water, salt and sugar in a gallon bag. Turkey thighs can be tricky to tell if they are done. Dry Brine the Chicken Legs to Smoke on the Traeger After rinsing and drying, simply coat the outside of your chicken legs with kosher salt, or your favorite BBQ rub that has already salt in it. 250 F / 121 C Super Smoke 4 Insert the probe into the thickest part of a turkey leg, avoiding touching the bone. Debating whether to buy a propane or electric smoker? (12-16 lb) fresh or frozen turkey, thawed, giblets removed. This will remove any excess salts from the skin. Its not overly sweet, has just a pinch of heat, and even a little bit of citrus flavor as well that pairs very well with poultry. Instead, a smaller kitchen bowl was just the right size to keep the thighs submerged during the brining process. Log In to your account to view and add notes to this recipe.Don't have an account? the thighs should be around 180 degrees. Lay the turkey legs directly on the grill grates. On a gas grill you will likely need to use a smoker box filled with wood chips, or a pellet tube smoker filled with wood pellets. Smoke your turkey thighs at a smoking temperature of 300 degrees Fahrenheit until they reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the turkey in the smoker. Turkey thighs can have a lot of fat on them trim some of the excess off but make sure you leave a good bit of skin over the top. Actual smoking time can depend on the size of the thighs and how cold they were when they went into the smoker. Pour in the cooking liquid and stir the pot firmly with a wooden or plastic spoon to loosen any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pot. 1 Tablespooncrushed allspice berries (optional). Use a fireplace poker to stir the charcoal around and get more oxygen flow to the briquets. Once combined, fill the barrel of your injector with it and you're good to go! They're big on flavor with a crusted outside and juicy turkey inside. If you're looking for a piece of Turkey to smoke that will turn out juicy, delicious, and beautiful, give the Thighs a try. The darker meat makes it difficult to tell if it is fully cooked or not. Beer Brine Kosher Salt and Brown Sugar are the working agents of the brine. After brining, remove thighs and pat dry. Making a whole, Preheat the wood pellet smoker to 225 degrees fahrenheit; Place the, Use your favorite sauce Them legs! ** Set the smoker temperature to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. For a gas grill, turn off the center burners. Put thighs directly on the grate with the skin side down (or bone side up if they're skinless. The turkey legs I usually see in the regular grocery stores are small, almost like chicken legs. Put the turkey legs on a tall wire rack set in a deep roasting pan. Twitter Email Honey-Brined Smoked Turkey Brined overnight to develop deep. Hardwood or a hardwood blend is my choice of pellet for this recipe. Alternatively, you can pull the smoked turkey thigh meat and use it in a smoked turkey soup or even make smoked turkey sandwiches from it, just like we used smoked chicken thighs for our smoked pulled chicken sandwich! Dry Brine Traeger Turkey 4.4 Jeffrey Potts gave his winning 2015 Meat Madness turkey the royal treatment by dry brining it overnight for a super tender interior with a flavorful, toasted shell on the outside. Brine them, smoke them, and enjoy one of the best bites that BBQ can produce. All rights reserved. I always purchase a smaller turkey. It makes the meat more presentable and the legs tend to cook faster than the thighs anyways, so you can remove them from the smoker on their own schedule! Mix thoroughly until the sugar and salt are dissolved and let cool. Your email address will not be published. If your turkey thighs are already separated from the legs, feel free to skip down to the next section! The legs will visibly puff up and get bigger. Turkey Thighs in Brown Sauce View Recipe Minnesota Mama "Turkey thighs are pan seared and then cooked in a sauce of canned soup and broth with onions, mushrooms, garlic and a little sherry wine," according to recipe creator Elizabeth . Watch as the temperature rises to around 275-300F and then start closing the vents down again back to 1/2 way open (or os open as needed) until maintaining a temperature of 325F in the smoker. Once your chicken is looking good and at the right temp, remove them from the smoker. The collagen and connective tissue in these much larger animals (a steer can easily weigh over 1200lbs and a pig over 300lbs) support a lot of weight and are denser and harder to convert into gelatin. Cut the lemon and orange and add all ingredients to a large bowl. Required fields are marked *. Season the thighs. This smoked turkey thigh recipe couldnt be any easier! Increase the grill temperature to 350 and continue cooking until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165F, 3 1/2-4 hours more. Carefully cut through and separate the leg from the thigh. Step Three: Add the turkey thighs and arrange them to make sure that they are fully submerged. Now you know we love smoking turkey at Mad Backyard, especially our world famous Pellet Grill Thanksgiving Turkey, our fool proof Spatchocked Turkey, a Cajun Butter Injected Smoked Turkey Breast, caveman inspired Pterodactyl Smoked Turkey Wings and of course the show stopping Trash Can Turkey! Step One: To prepare the brine, cut the lemon and orange into slices and add all of the remaining ingredients to the bowl. Slow smoke it for 25 minutes, then flip it over for another 25 minutes. Add wood chips to your smoking wood tray and once the smoker is up to temperature, put the seasoned turkey thighs in, SKIN SIDE UP. SMOKED TURKEY THIGHS with butter injection, on the Traeger pellet grill sound good to you? How to Smoke Turkey on the Traeger Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Step One: Set your grill to indirect heat at 275 degrees. Prep your electric smoker for 350-F, as per the manufacturer's instructions. Smoked New York Strip Roast: A Step by Step Recipe. Place thermometer in bird. Use a instant read thermometer or other device for reading this. Adjust it to keep the temperature constant at 220 F. Oil up the racks with a paper towel to keep the turkey thighs from sticking. Season the entire turkey and rub the spices into the skin. After brining for approximately 8-10 hours, remove the turkey thighs and let them rest in fresh, cold water for 15 minutes. Change the temperature to 350 degrees and cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Here are four popular methods of cooking Thanksgiving turkey. Smoking. 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