Smoked turkey breast is a must-have dish at family dinners. It brings people together to enjoy a delicious and festive feast. Now, there are a lot of different methods to prepare a turkey breast. But the most popular one in recent times has been smoking turkey. Smoking a turkey breast in a master built electric smoker is a very simple and common way. More overly, with a master-built electric smoker, cooking the turkey is an easy task to do. In this article, you will get a detailed guide on smoking a turkey breast in a master built electric smoker. Along, with the preparation in order to cook the most delicious, and flavorful turkey breast.
Why Smoking a Turkey Breast is Preferable Instead of a Whole Turkey?
Most people prefer to cook turkey breast in a large amount rather than cooking a whole turkey. Turkey breast is an easy-cook piece of meat as it takes less time to prepare and cook. More overly, when you are cooking for a large crowd over thanksgiving or a Sunday dinner. You will require efficiency over anything else, and turkey breast meat provides you with that.
The turkey breast is a delicious white meat that is juicy, and flavorful. Also, people want to eat delicious turkey without having trouble going a lot of bones to cut around. A turkey breast is as good as a whole turkey and cooks only under an hour or two.
Lastly, the reason for choosing turkey breast is that it is high in protein, vitamins, minerals, and low fat which makes it super healthy for you. So, you would definitely go for a turkey breast to smoke in a master-built electric smoker instead of a whole turkey.
How to Prepare the Turkey Breast?
The preparation of the turkey breast is as important as the smoking process. Following is a list of preparatory steps for a turkey breast:
- First, you will wash the turkey breast thoroughly, and pat dries it.
- Before doing anything else, make sure that the turkey is thawed. If the turkey breast is frozen, then it is much better to thaw it 48 hours before cooking.
- The next step involves injecting the turkey breast with cooking ingredients. The injection will include lemon juice, oil, water, melted butter, thyme and sage, Worcestershire sauce garlic, and onion powder.
- You want to make as many little holes as possible into the turkey breast while injecting. In this way, the marinate will spread evenly through the meat without leaving any spot.
- Lastly, you have to rub the turkey with a little bit of melted butter over and under the skin. With that, you will also have spices of your preference in the rub mixture. Make sure that the butter and spice mix is finely rubbed both under and over the skin to get the best flavors.
- Make sure to do the injection process and rub for 42 hours before smoking the turkey breast. This time will enable the spices, and marinate to perfectly soak into the meat.
Step-to-step Guide on Smoking a Turkey Breast in a Master built Electric Smoker
Smoking turkey breast is one of the most popular ways to prepare a turkey. The master-built electric smoker provides you with the technology, and efficiency to smoke the perfect turkey possible. What temperature to smoke a turkey breast in electric smoker? Here is the step-to-step guide to smoking a turkey breast, using a master-built electric smoker:
- First of all, you will preheat the master-built electric smoker at a temperature of 225 F degrees.
- Then take out the marinated turkey breast. If you do not have an already marinated turkey breast, then there is nothing to worry about. You can do the marinate injection, and rub the buttery spice mix. But make sure that the turkey breast is not frozen.
- Place the turkey breast on the middle rack of the master-built electric smoker for about 4 to 5 hours. Keep checking the turkey in between to overview the progress.
- The turkey breast will be cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F degrees.
Now, the cooking time can vary depending upon the quantity of the turkey. The thumb rule is to cook a pound for 45 minutes. So, you can estimate the time according to the quantity of turkey breast you are cooking. For further information please visit.
How to Achieve Crispy Skin While Smoking a Turkey Breast in a Master Built Electric Smoker?
Crispy turkey skin is a preference in many cuisines. While smoking turkey, sometimes inside become very tender, juicy, and soft on the other hand its outside become stiff, hard, and rubbery. This makes the whole dish unappetizing.
Smoking a turkey breast in a master built electric smoker at appropriate temperature is very important. This will help to render the fat underneath the skin thus helps to crisp the outer layer. Dry brining at the start is also very important for achieving flawless crisp turkey skin. Trust me, this is the only thing that will separate you out from all thanksgiving turkey smoking wannabes out there.
Simplest dry brining for turkey is to rub the whole meat with kosher salt. If you are using BBQ seasoning you may rub that also but simplest is always delicious. While rubbing kosher salt please do not use oil or wine. This will hinder the removal of moisture from meat.
For best results put your turkey on rest in refrigerator for overnight. This is enough time for salt to pull out all moisture from meat. This will help you attain crispy skin. for more information, please visit this blog post.
The Final Takeaway
Turkey breast is an authentic meal that makes everything feels festive. Preparation and cooking of the turkey is an elaborated and detailed procedure to go through. With the aid, of the master-built electric smoker, you can smoke a turkey breast most conveniently and efficiently. Smoking a turkey breast in a master built electric smoker is an easy and common way. All you need is the right set of instructions, and procedures to make the delicious turkey.
FAQs
Q1; Do you wrap in foil when smoking a turkey breast in a master built electric smoker?
Ans. Foiling your food with aluminum foil is a very basic step in most of the smoking or baking processes. The aluminum foil ensures rapid heating and prevents any kind of heat damage due to its thermal properties.
When you are cooking turkey breast, you first have to cook it without any foil in the smoker until golden brown. Then, you will remove the turkey breast, and place the butter and herbs on top of it. Nd finally wraps it into a heavy-duty aluminum foil to further smoke it.
Q2; How long it will take smoking a turkey breast in a master built electric smoker at 225 F?
Ans. Timing and temperature play a very crucial role when it comes to smoking turkey breast. So, you have to keep a close look at the temperature and time you are smoking the turkey.
Preheat the electric smoker to 225 F degrees. Apply a layer of oil and add a handful of wood chunks to the smoker box. The turkey will cook for about 40 minutes per pound of turkey. While the turkey is smoking, aim for an internal temperature of 165 F degrees.
Q3; Do you flip a turkey breast when it is smoking?
Ans. No, you do not have to flip the turkey breast in an electric smoker. Traditionally, the turkey cooks in a particular position without any disturbance.
In an electric smoker, you will position the turkey breast side up. Because the turkey breast cooks much faster than the meat on the legs or thighs. So, you do not have to flip the turkey in order to cook it. The heat in the electric smoker distributes evenly so that the turkey can get cooked on both sides.
Q4; At What temperature do you smoke a turkey in an electric smoker?
Ans. Temperature plays an important role in smoking a turkey breast. If the preheat temperature or the internal cooking temperature is not accurate. Then, the chances are quite high of having either an undercooked or overcooked turkey breast.
For smoking a turkey breast in an electric smoker, the preheat temperature should be around 225 to 275 F degrees. And you will cook the turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F degrees.