Smoked Turkey or Smoked Whole Chicken
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 – 40 Minutes Per Lb. at 225° F;
longer if lower temperature is utilized.
Selection:We find whether frying or smoking your turkey, smaller birds work best as this avoids undercooking deep inside and overcooking the outside. We recommend a 12-14 lb. Turkey or a large (4 lbs. & above Chicken.)
Ingredients:
- 1 (12lb. – 14 lb. ) Turkey, thawed (We don’t recommend larger)
or a 4-5 lb. Whole Chicken - 1.5-ozs. Per lb. Cajun Injector® Brining Solution
or Cajun Injector® Jalapeno Butter Marinade - 2 cups Apple Juice
- Cajun Shake
- Cajun Injector® Oak or Pecan Smoker Pellets – 2-Usages
or Wood Chips of choice
Peparation:
Allow turkey to thaw in refrigerator according to manufacturer’s directions. Once thawed, remove from packaging, remove the neck, giblets, etc. from the cavity and rinse the turkey with water and pat dry. Inject the turkey with 1.5-oz of Cajun Injector Jalapeno Butter Marinade or Brining Solution per pound of bird. Tie turkey legs together and brush with vegetable oil. Sprinkle liberally with Cajun Shake. Set the Cajun Injector smoker temperature to 225° F and. Allow for 35-40 minutes per pound of smoking time or until a minimum internal cooking temperature of 175° F registers on a thermometer in the turkey’s thigh (don’t let thermometer touch the bone.). Note that dark meat takes longer to cook than White Meat. Pour the apple juice into the pan and place the turkey in the smoker. Put a single usage of pellets as directed in the smoker. Once the pellets start to smoke, commence timing the smoking process. After the first hour, check the wings and leg segments. If any parts are browning too quickly, cover them with aluminum foil.
Smoked turkey has a different color than baked turkey (it often looks pinker.) This is normal and is caused by the turkey meat’s reaction to the smoke. As long as the turkey registers an internal temperature of 165° F in the breast and 175° F in the thigh your turkey is done and completely safe to eat.
