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[stickjiggler]

The wife wants me to smoke a 8lb turkey breast for Thanksgiving on my Dave Crockett.
I have been lurking and learning from you all for quite a while now but I'm fairly new to smoking. Only butts and chucks so far.
Any advice on time, temp, brine, and pellets is greatly appreciated.
We will also be making a whole turkey in the oven so all won't be lost if I'm a complete failure but I'm pretty confident with your help we can pull this off.

Thanks in advance and have a safe and happy Thanksgiving all.

[Free Mr. Tony]

Oil, salt, and pepper. Cook at 250 until internal is around 135. Put in a foil pan and add 6 tablespoons of butter over the top and cover with foil.  Cook until internal is 158 or so. Let it rest a bit. Slice and spoon the butter from the pan over the slices.

That's how I do mine.

[Kristin Meredith]

I would brine.  If you go to the recipe section we have a topic called "Rubs/Sauces/Brines".  Several brine recipes to choose from.  Chefpeppers posted one just for turkey, so just read and see which one sounds like a good one to you.

[BigDave83]

Most seem to brine, I have never done that so maybe I need to try it.

Most store bought turkey is kind of already brined/pumped with a solution, that is probably why I have never tried.

I will sometimes inject with a mix of garlic butter, and some other seasoning. Depending on what you use you will get tracks.

I am assuming this will be a bone in breast, I would lave it uncovered in the fridge over night to dry the skin some. I would then rub with a mix of melted butter and olive oil with salt, pepper and what ever other seasonings you prefer.

I have a DC I know mine cooks a fair amount hotter than the temp setting, I never temped it so not sure how much. I would not cook over 160 internal a little less would be better as you will leave it rest some before slicing.

[pmillen]

I can't add much to the previous comments, except that I'm all-in on brining fowl.  Additionally, it seems to me that chicken and turkey take on smoke easier/more than than red meats, so the typical mild smoke flavor from a pellet pit is just about perfect for my family.

[Bentley]

He is seeking advice here.  You direct him to another site.  I guess you would have to run a site to know how that hurts. I am sorry we do not offer you good advice regarding cooking on this site.

I also want you to know how a post like this makes me feel with out blowing up and becoming nasty!

There is a good you tube video from Meat Church on smoking a whole turkey breast. I followed his method last week and it came out great. He has a bunch of turkey videos out there, so make sure you look for the one for just the breast. Good luck!

[NorCal Smoker]

Understood.

[hughver]

I would no make the finished IT higher than 145°. Breast tend to be dry at higher temps.

[stickjiggler]

Isn't 145 IT a little low?
I always thought poultry had to be cooked to 165+
I understand it will rise some during the rest, just not sure how much.
I am leaning towards brining overnight.

Thanks for all the advice so far.

[stickjiggler]

Looks to be a little chilly out that day as well.
Not sure how much time that will add to the cook.
Around 15 degrees at the start of the cook with a high of 25. Brrrrrrr

[Hank D Thoreau]

I have done a couple lately and plan to do more for Thanksgiving.

I had difficulty with tough skin when doing turkey in a smoker at low temperature. I changed to normal oven temps in the mid 300's and they are now turning out great.

That is the same temperature range that I cook whole turkeys on my Weber charcoal grill.

I cook to 160 or thereabouts and let it raise to a healthy temperature. Last time I had a cold spot in the breast and had to flip it. I was using a Thermapen MK4 and probing at varying depths.

Even with the higher IT they turned out nice and moist. I sliced them thin with my Dalstrong 12 inch slicer.

I usually do a whole turkey on my Weber for Thanksgiving, but this year turkey breasts were suggested. I may put a rib roast in the smoker or Weber to go with the turkey.

I avoid brining since I don't want the extra salt.

[Canadian John]

 Admin; If this is inappropriate, please delete.

 This article on chicken temperatures should help explain things.

 https://blog.thermoworks.com/chicken/chicken-internal-temps-everything-you-need-to-know/

[hughver]

I've posted this chart before, but it's what I use to determine food safety.

[Bentley]

You would need to be at 145° for at least 15 minutes according to the chart.

[elenis]

I will second what Hank does. I typically spatchcock a whole turkey rather then just doing a breast, but I have found with both turkey and chicken if I want them moist and a good crispy skin I need to cook it at like 325. I actually start skin side down so the fat under the skin renders quickly and then flip it over and cook the rest of the time bone side down. That seems to get the skin nice and crisp. I used to run into rather unappetizing skin which is so sad when it is seasoned well. This might sound odd to others, but for chicken and turkey the seasoning I like best was kind of an accident. My wife's parents gave it to me because they found it to have too much salt for their liking, but it works wonderfully well on turkey and chicken. It is from a Greek restaurant from Yorkville, NY called Symeon's. You do have to be careful not to over season because it would be salty, but just hitting what was the inside of the bird a bit and the skin makes for incredibly flavored poultry. I also pull it around 160 for the breast and typically in the legs your looking for around 180ish for a really nice mouth feel. I don't brine because I buy the cheap turkey's that for all intensive purposes have already been pumped full of salt solution. When I bought a nice fresh turkey one year that cost me like $85 and I thought it tasted pretty much the same as the kind they give you for free with a large purchase I decided I was not doing that again.