Smoked Turkey on the Traeger Timberline: A Step-by-Step Guide

Hi everyone, I’m Chef Tony Matassa with BBQGuys.com. Today we are making smoked turkey on the Traeger Timberline, and I’ll show you how to do it from start to finish. Let’s get to it!

To begin, let's mix together the marinade that we'll use to inject the turkey with. In a mason jar, either add a half cup of your favorite seasoning blend or add a little black pepper, oregano, a little orange zest, some lemon zest, honey, a little Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, granulated sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, dried rosemary, paprika, a little cayenne pepper, dried sage, ground coriander, fennel seed powder, and white pepper. Now we'll finish it off with a splash of brandy, and finally, we'll let these complex flavors steep and meld together with some hot water. You'll want to let this infuse for at least an hour, but if you have the time, I like to let the flavors meld overnight.

Once the marinade is ready, I like to strain it through a coffee filter to make sure none of the dry spices clog the injection needle. Once strained, just blend in some olive oil and a little melted butter. Now it's time to inject this bird! Just work your way around adding the marinade in several spots. This will act as an internal brine for the turkey, so you'll want to inject it the day before you plan on smoking it, so that the bird gets a chance to marinate overnight in the fridge.

I'll go ahead and fill my Timberline with some pellets, so it's ready to go when the time comes. You can find pellets in pretty much any wood you prefer, I like cherry best for turkey. Inside the grill, I have a drip pan set on a wire baking rack. This will allow it to sit underneath the cooking grids so the vegetables we will be roasting can collect some flavorful drippings from the turkey while it roasts.

In the drip pan, I'll add some white potatoes, sweet potatoes, chopped bell pepper, a little celery, some yellow onion, carrots, and a head of garlic. I'll season this with my homemade poultry seasoning. If you want to make the one I'm using today, I'll have the recipe in the description. Next up, add some Worcestershire sauce, a drizzle of olive oil, some chicken stock, and a generous pour of your favorite red wine.

Now that we have our vegetables ready, let's mix up some compound butter to coat it with. To a bowl of softened butter, add a couple tablespoons of poultry seasoning, half a bunch of fresh chopped parsley, some fresh sage, and rosemary. Mix this together well, and finish it off with a little olive oil and some fresh squeezed lemon juice.

We'll rub the turkey with some olive oil and poultry seasoning, and I'll add the compound butter under the skin of the turkey and inside the cavity. This will allow it to self-baste while roasting, keeping it juicy while providing tons of flavor. Set the bottom rack in your Traeger and it's time to get this bird on the grill! I'll put the temperature probe in the thickest part of the breast so that we can keep an eye on the progress.

For the easiest part, we just need to ignite the pellets with the push of a button and set our target temperature. The grill will handle the rest! The Traeger Timberline can even be controlled remotely from their app. I'll set the target temperature to 325 for today's cook. You can also set your target probe temperature from right here in the app.

The great thing about using a pellet grill for a cook like this is the auger will keep the right amount of wood pellets burning in the firepot, and the convection fan will circulate the smoke evenly. Now let it cruise until it hits 165 internal, then I'll temp it in a few areas to be sure it's cooked through.

Once we hit the mark, we'll let it rest about 20 minutes with the grill turned off and the lid closed. Finally... It's time to dig in! Nice, looks like it turned out really tender. And for the best part... The taste test! That was excellent! The combination of the flavored butter, with the injection, and then that hint of smoke that comes off the pellets.

I hope you'll give it a shot. Thank you for watching today. I'm Chef Tony Matassa... and remember, at BBQGuys.com, we smoke the competition!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHi, I’m Chef Tony Matassa with BBQGuys.com.Today we are making smoked turkey on the TraegerTimberline, I’ll show you how to do it fromstart to finish.Let’s get to it!Let’s start off by mixing together the marinade,which we’ll use to inject the turkey with.In a mason jar, either add a half cup of yourfavorite seasoning blend or add a little blackpepper...oregano...a little orange zest..Some lemon zest… honey..A little Worcestershire sauce… kosher salt…granulated sugar..Garlic powder..Onion powder..Dried rosemary..Paprika… a little cayenne pepper..Dried sage… ground coriander…fennel seed powder..Some thyme leaves… and white pepper.Now we’ll finish it off with a splash ofbrandy.. and finally we’ll let these complexflavors steep and meld together with somehot water.You’ll want to let this infuse for at leastan hour……..but if you have the time…...I like to let the flavors meld overnight.Once the marinade is ready, I like to strainit through a coffee filter to make sure noneof the dry spices clog the injection needle.Once strained, just blend in some olive oil…and a little melted butter.Now it’s time to inject this bird!Just work your way around..adding the marinadein several spots.This will act as an internal brine for theturkey, so you’ll want to inject it theday before you plan on smoking it, so thatthe bird gets a chance to marinate overnightin the fridge.I’ll go ahead and fill my Timberline withsome pellets so it’s ready to go when thetime comes.You can find pellets in pretty much any woodyou prefer, I like cherry best for Turkey.Inside the grill, I have a drip pan set ona wire baking rack.This will allow it to sit underneath the cookinggrids so the vegetables we will be roastingcan collect some flavorful drippings fromthe turkey while it roasts.In the drip pan, I’ll add some white potatoes..sweet potatoes…chopped bell pepper..A little celery..Some yellow onion..Carrots…some chopped shallots..And a head of garlic.I’ll season this with my homemade poultryseasoning, if you want to make the one i’musing today i’ll have the recipe in thedescription.Next up, add some Worcestershire sauce…a drizzle of olive oil..Some Chicken stock… and a generous pourof your favorite red wine.Now to finish getting the turkey ready forthe grill, let’s mix up some compound butterto coat it with.To a bowl of softened butter, add a coupletablespoons of poultry seasoning… half abunch of fresh chopped parsley..Some fresh sage.. and rosemary.Mix this together well, and finish it offwith a little olive oil & some fresh squeezedlemon juice.Now we’ll rub the turkey with some oliveoil and poultry seasoning.And I’ll add the compound butter under theskin of the turkey and inside the cavity,this will allow it to self baste while roasting…..keepingit juicy while providing tons of flavor.Set the bottom rack in your Traeger & it’stime to get this bird on the grill!I’ll put the temperature probe in the thickestpart of the breast so that we can keep aneye on the progress.Now for the easiest part, we just need toignite the pellets with the push of a button& set our target temperature…the grill will handle the rest!The Traeger Timberline can even be controlledremotely from their app.I’ll set the target temperature to 325 fortoday’s cook.You can also set your target probe temperaturefrom right here in the app..I’ll set itto 165°F.The great thing about using a pellet grillfor a cook like this is.. the auger will keepthe right amount of wood pellets burning inthe firepot, & the convection fan will rollthe smoke evenly over the turkey..All you have to do is sit back & relax.Alright, we’re about 2 hours into the cook,let’s check it out!Oh yeah…...we’re looking good!Let’s go ahead and baste the turkey witha little melted butter, because why not!The internal temp is reading 160, so it won’tbe long now!This was about a 15lb.Turkey…What’s nice about using a drip pan withwine & broth like we have today is.. the steamrising not only keeps the turkey juicy, italso makes for a quicker roasting process.This bird is getting some beautiful colorfrom the smoke & it’s smelling great outhere!I’ll let it cruise until it hits 165 internal,then I’ll temp it in a few areas to be sureit’s cooked through.Once we hit the mark, we’ll let it restabout 20 minutes with the grill turned off& the lid closed.Finally…..I think it’s time to dig in!Nice.. looks like it turned out really tender.And for the best part…..The taste test!That was excellent!The combination of the flavored butter, withthe injection.. and then that hint of smokethat comes off the pellets..I hope you’ll give it a shot.Thank you for watching today.I’m Chef Tony Matassa... and remember, atBBQGuys.com.. we smoke the competition!\n"