In Texas, Thanksgiving means Cowboys football and turkey off the pit. Dallas has hosted a Thanksgiving game nearly every year since 1966, and smoked turkey breast sits next to the brisket on barbecue menus across the state. Smoking just the breast frees the oven for the sides and puts sliced turkey on the board by the early game. Headed to Arlington instead? Leave the fryer home: AT&T Stadium bans deep fryers and oil cooking, but charcoal and gas grills are fine, and reheating a pan of sliced turkey fits inside that.
At the lot: Smoke and slice the breast the day before, then reheat the slices in a covered pan with a splash of broth on the cool side of the grill and stack them on rolls before kickoff. Homegating: Smoke it in the backyard on Thanksgiving morning while the oven handles the sides, then slice it thin across the grain onto butcher paper and set out white bread, pickles and onions so people build their own, the way Texas barbecue joints serve it.
Home gear: a smoker, or a kettle or gas grill set up for indirect heat, a probe thermometer, a cutting board and a long slicing knife
OVERNIGHT
Dry brine
3½ HR
Smoke at home
20 MIN
At the lot
Ingredients
Turkey
- 1 bone-in turkey breast, 6 to 7 lb, thawed
- 1 tbsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal; 2 tsp if Morton)
- 1 tbsp coarse black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter, melted
Wood
- A few chunks of pecan or oak
Hold and reheat
- 1 cup chicken broth
Serve, Texas style
- White sandwich bread or slider rolls
- Dill pickle chips
- Thinly sliced white onion
- Barbecue sauce, on the side
Steps
The day before
- Pat the turkey breast dry. Mix the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika, then rub it all over, working some under the skin.
- Set the breast on a rack over a sheet pan and refrigerate it uncovered overnight, up to 24 hours. The salt seasons the meat and the skin dries out so it can crisp.
Thanksgiving morning
- Heat the smoker, or a grill set up for indirect heat, to 275°F and add the wood chunks.
- Rub the oil over the skin. Set the breast skin side up on the cool side and put a probe in the thickest part, not touching the bone.
- Smoke until the probe reads 150°F, about 2½ to 3 hours. Go by the thermometer, not the clock.
- Brush on the melted butter and raise the heat to 325°F. Cook until the thickest part reads 165°F and the skin is browned, about 20 to 30 minutes more.
- Tent it with foil and rest it 20 minutes, then slice it across the grain about ¼ inch thick.
Homegating
- Serve it right away, or hold the slices in a covered pan with ½ cup broth in a 200°F oven, at 140°F or above, through the early games.
At the lot
- Smoke and slice it the day before. Chill the slices in shallow containers within 2 hours, then pack them in a covered foil pan in the cooler.
- Set the pan on the cool side of the grill, add ½ cup broth, cover and heat until the slices read 165°F, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stack them on bread or rolls with pickles and onion.
Pack for the lot
More mainsMore from the Cowboys guide
Lot notes
- Cool it fast: slice the turkey soon after it comes off the smoker and spread it in shallow containers in the fridge.
- Leftovers: the rest goes into Thanksgiving leftover sliders for the weekend games. Cooked turkey keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
What temperature should smoked turkey breast be?
165°F in the thickest part, away from the bone (USDA safe temperature chart). Breast meat dries out fast past that, so watch the probe in the last half hour.
How long does it take to smoke a turkey breast?
At 275°F, about 25 to 30 minutes a pound, so 2½ to 3½ hours for a 6 to 7 lb bone-in breast, plus a short, hotter finish to crisp the skin. Every smoker runs a little different, so go by the thermometer, not the clock.
What wood do you use for smoked turkey?
Pecan or oak, the Texas pair. Both give steady, medium smoke that suits poultry. Apple and cherry are milder. Go light on mesquite, which turns bitter on turkey over a long cook.
Can you smoke a turkey breast the day before?
Yes, and it's the move for a lot or a busy Thursday. Smoke it, slice it and chill it in shallow containers. Reheat the slices once, covered with a splash of broth, on the cool side until they're hot through. The holding rules are in how to keep food hot at a tailgate.
The full Thursday-to-Saturday plan: our Thanksgiving football menu.
Not cooked by us yet.
