Smoking a turkey breast makes it extra flavorful and juicy! This Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast is first brined to infuse it with flavor, then rubbed with herb butter before being smoked. This would be the perfect addition to any Thanksgiving table!

About this Smoked Turkey Breast Recipe

We’ve been smoking whole turkeys for years, and it’s one Thanksgiving tradition our family always looks forward to.

A whole turkey is perfect for large groups of people, but if you’ll be hosting a smaller group this Thanksgiving then smoking a turkey breast is likely a better choice for you. A smoked turkey breast delivers the same layers of smoky flavor as a whole turkey, minus the lengthy cook time and mountain of leftovers.

The smoked turkey breast recipe I’m sharing with you today is easy to prepare and requires little to no prior experience using a pellet grill or Traeger. Best of all, it works with any turkey brine and requires minimal babysitting while it cooks.

Keep reading to learn my top tips and tricks for smoking a turkey breast, including how to crisp up the skin and ensure it stays moist!

Tools You’ll Need

As with any Traeger recipe, you’ll need a few very specific pieces of equipment to successfully smoke a bone-in turkey breast.

Probe Thermometer — Is essential for taking the internal temperature of the turkey breast.
Pellet Smoker, such as a Traeger — I used my Trager, but any pellet grill may be used.
Wood Pellets — Any type may be used, but we gravitate towards apple, pecan, oak, or hickory.
Grill-Safe Baking Sheet — A disposable foil tray works, too. The turkey breast needs to rest in something so the drippings can be collected.

ingredients to make brine for smoked turkey breast

Recipe Ingredients

There’s quite a bit of flexibility with this recipe, as you can use any combination of turkey brine and compound butter you like. I’ve shared my top suggestions below:

Brine of Choice (options below)
Garlic Herb Butter
Bone-In Turkey Breast (7 to 8 pounds)

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

Your Brine Options

Use your favorite brine when smoking a turkey breast, or follow one of these recipes:

Rosemary Beer Brine — My family’s go-to brine for smoked turkey.
Simplest Turkey Brine — As traditional and no-frills as it gets. This is perfect for anyone who wants a great tasting turkey breast with minimal fuss.
Fresh Herb Citrus Brine — A citrusy brine with lots of fresh herb flavor.
Apple Cider Brine — Will infuse your turkey breast with the fragrant flavors of apple and sage.
Garlic Herb Peppercorn Dry Brine — No salt-to-water ratios to deal with here! A dry brine is a great option for anyone who’s short on fridge space or has never cooked a turkey breast before.

How to Smoke a Turkey Breast

a quick overview!

I’ve provided detailed instructions on how to smoke a turkey breast on a Traeger in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of the cooking process:

Brine the turkey breast: Remove the turkey breast from its packaging and soak in your brine of choice, per the recipe’s instructions. A turkey breast needs to brine for roughly 6 to 8 hours.
Let rest at room temperature for 1 hour: After brining, rinse the turkey breast and pat it dry. Then, let it sit at room temp for about an hour (this will shorten the cook time).
Rub with herb butter: While your Traeger or pellet grill preheats, rub the turkey breast all over with garlic herb butter.
Smoke the turkey breast: Once coated in herb butter, transfer the turkey breast to a grill-safe baking sheet. Insert a probe thermometer into the turkey breast, then shut the lid and smoke on the “smoke” setting for 3 hours.
Crisp up the skin (optional): Once the turkey breast reaches an internal temperature of 150 – 155ºF, baste it with the drippings at the bottom of the pan and then transfer it to a 425ºF oven. Roast until the skin is crispy and the internal temperature reaches 160ºF.
Let rest: Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes before carving.

The above is simply a quick summary of this recipe. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

Do I have to finish it in the oven? No, we just like to do that to create a golden brown, crispy skin that you can’t achieve in a smoker. If you don’t want to bake the turkey breast, then keep cooking at 325ºF until the internal temperature measures 160ºF.

How to Carve a Turkey Breast

My husband is the one who always carves our Traeger turkey breast because he’s a pro at it! This is the method he uses:

Place the turkey breast bone-side up on a cutting board and locate the breastbone.
Cut along both sides of the breastbone to create two boneless breasts, placing the knife blade just to the side of the breastbone.
Carefully glide the knife from one side of the turkey breast to the other, keeping it as close to the breastbone as you can. Do the same on the opposite side to create two boneless turkey breasts.
Lay the breasts skin-side up and slice across the grain into your desired thickness.
Transfer the sliced turkey to a platter and enjoy.

For cleaner slices, use a sharp knife and slice from top to bottom rather than sawing back and forth. Here’s a tutorial on how to sharpen your knives before the big day.

Tips for Making This Recipe

Make sure you’ve correctly thawed your turkey breast! Before getting started, head over to my How to Thaw a Turkey tutorial where I share the safest (and easiest!) ways to thaw a turkey breast as well as one way you should NEVER thaw a turkey.
Always brine your turkey breast. A brine will not only infuse the meat with flavor, but it will also help prevent the turkey from drying out as it smokes on the pellet grill.
Cook according to internal temperature, not by the clock! I’ve provided general cook times for a smoked turkey breast in the recipe card below. However, your turkey breast won’t be the exact same weight as mine, which is why you’ll need a probe thermometer to test the doneness of the meat! Also, if it’s cold or windy outside, your Traeger might be running on the cold side, so take that into account as well.
Do NOT lift the lid of your Traeger. Trust in your digital probe thermometer and let the turkey breast smoke, undisturbed, for 3 hours before lifting the lid.
Crisp up the skin in the oven. This step is optional but highly recommended if you love that golden brown, crispy skin.
Let it rest. Like any other large cut of meat, a turkey breast must rest for at least 10 minutes after being smoked. This gives the juices time to redistribute throughout the breast and makes for a juicier cut of meat.

woman making herb butter for smoked turkey breast

Recipe FAQs

Got questions about how to make this recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.

How long does it take to smoke a turkey breast?

The general rule of thumb is to smoke a turkey breast for 30 to 35 minutes per pound. However, I always advocate cooking your turkey breast until it reaches the correct internal temperature — don’t judge based on time alone!

The Traeger’s “Smoke” setting preheats the grill to a temperature of 160ºF. My recipe asks you to smoke the bone-in turkey breast on the “Smoke” setting for 3 hours. Then, you need to increase the temperature to 325ºF. Keep cooking the turkey breast until it reaches an internal temperature of 150ºF, then finish it off in a 425ºF oven.

What internal temperature does a turkey breast need to reach?

The thickest part of the turkey breast must reach an internal temperature of 160ºF.

Can you smoke more than 1 turkey breast at a time?

Yes, as long as there is plenty of room between them for air circulation. We have easily smoked two turkey breasts at a time in our Traeger with no impact on the overall cook time.

Does a turkey breast need to be brined before being smoked?

Yes! Brining the turkey breast is essential. The brine flavor the meat and also helps it draw in extra moisture, which keeps it nice and juicy as it smokes.

How do you smoke a turkey breast without drying it out?

By brining it for 6 to 8 hours before smoking it, and by using a digital probe thermometer to track the internal temperature.

A smoked turkey breast is done cooking when it reaches a temperature of 160ºF. After that point, it’s considered overcooked and will likely become dry and tough.

smoked turkey breast on a platter at the table

What’s the best wood for smoking a turkey breast?

Use your favorite wood pellets! You can use one kind or a blend. Some favorites include:

Apple – mild and sweet
Pecan – rich, sweet, and nutty
Oak – medium flavor, not overpowering
Hickory – mellow smoky flavor, not overpowering, very versatile
Mesquite – a very intense, strong flavor with earthy notes

Can this recipe be made using any pellet grill?

Yep! I used my Traeger, but you can smoke a turkey breast on any pellet grill.

smoked turkey breast on the table next to a bottle of wine

Storage Instructions

Let leftovers cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Leftover turkey can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

You can also freeze leftover turkey. It will last up to 3 months.

What to Serve with Your Traeger Turkey Breast

Serve your moist smoked turkey breast with your favorite Thanksgiving recipes!

Appetizers: Roasted Cranberry Salsa, Balsamic Roasted Portobello Mushrooms, Stuffing Balls.
Sides: Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes, Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes, Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash, Turkey Gravy, Red Wine Cranberry Sauce.
Desserts: Caramel Apple Crisp, Bourbon Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Bundt Cake, Pumpkin Pecan Pie.
Cocktails: Pumpkin Martini, Cranberry Rosemary Shrub, Cranberry Orange Whiskey Sour.

woman setting a platter of smoked turkey breast on the table

Try Smoking a Turkey Breast This Year!

If you’re interested in smoking a turkey breast on a pellet grill this year, give this easy recipe a try!

Did you love how flavorful and juicy the turkey breast came out? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought.

On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see a photo of your smoked bone-in turkey breast!

Recipes to Make Using Any Leftover Turkey:

You made it through Thanksgiving, but now you have a ton of leftover Turkey to deal with. Wondering what to do with leftover turkey? This guide has you covered!

Turkey Curry Soup is ready in about an hour and is so easy to make and has so much flavor!

Green Chile Turkey Tetrazzini takes this traditional Thanksgiving turkey leftover recipe to the next level. This turkey casserole is loaded with flavor thanks to the addition of green chiles, poblano peppers, and spicy pepper jack cheese.

Don’t see what you’re looking for here? You can always head over to check out the recipe index to look for more recipes.

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Smoked Turkey Breast

Yield: 8

Brine Time: 6 hours

Cook Time: 4 hours

Rest Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 10 hours 20 minutes

Smoking a turkey breast makes it extra flavorful and juicy! This Traeger Smoked Turkey Breast is first brined to infuse it with flavor, then rubbed with herb butter before being smoked. This would be the perfect addition to any Thanksgiving table!

Ingredients

Brine of Choice* (see notes)
Garlic Herb Butter
7- to 8-pound Bone-In Turkey Breast

Instructions

Preparing the Turkey

Prepare your desired turkey brine.
Unwrap the turkey breast from the packaging it came in and transfer it to the brine. Brine for 6 - 8 hours.
Rinse and pat the turkey breast dry after the brine time.
Optional: Before you begin smoking your turkey breast, let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Starting with turkey straight from the fridge will take longer to smoke because the meat is colder to start with.

Prepping the Traeger

Set the Traeger temperature to “smoke.” Make sure to follow Traeger manufacturer preheating instructions before adding meat to the grill. Preheat for 15 minutes.

Smoking the Turkey Breast

While the Traeger preheats, loosen the skin over the turkey breast. Then, rub 2 tablespoons of the herb butter under the skin on each side of the breastbone.
After that, use an additional 1 - 2 tablespoons of herb butter to coat the exterior of the turkey on all sides.
Transfer the turkey breast to a grill safe baking sheet or disposable foil tray. Then, place the turkey breast in the smoker, insert the probe of a digital meat thermometer that is safe for BBQing into the thickest part of the breast, and smoke using the “smoke” setting for 3 hours.
After 3 hours, Increase the temperature to 325ºF. Continue to cook until the meat thermometer registers 150ºF in the thickest portion of the breast.

Crisp the Turkey Skin

When the turkey reaches 145 - 150ºF, preheat your oven to 425ºF. At the turkey temperature of 150 - 155ºF, remove the turkey from the Traeger.
Baste the exterior of the turkey with drippings that are in the pan, then transfer the turkey to the oven (make sure you are using an oven safe roasting pan).
Roast at 425ºF on the lower rack to crisp and brown the skin until the temperature probe inserted turkey breast reaches 160ºF.

Let Rest

Remove the turkey breasts from the oven and transfer it to a large cutting board.
Tent it loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 - 20 minutes before slicing.

Carving the Turkey Breast

Place the turkey breast bone-side up on a cutting board and locate the breastbone.
Cut along both sides of the breastbone to create two boneless breasts, placing the knife blade to the side of the breastbone.
Carefully glide the knife from one side of the turkey breast to the other, keeping it as close to the breastbone as you can. Do the same on the opposite side to create two boneless turkey breasts.
Lay the breasts skin-side up and slice across the grain into your desired thickness.
Transfer the sliced turkey to a platter and enjoy

Notes

Brine Options:

Rosemary Beer Brine — My family’s go-to brine for smoked turkey.

Simplest Turkey Brine — As traditional and no-frills as it gets. This is perfect for anyone who wants a great tasting turkey breast with minimal fuss.

Fresh Herb Citrus Brine — A citrusy brine with lots of fresh herb flavor.

Apple Cider Brine — Will infuse your turkey breast with the fragrant flavors of apple and sage.

Garlic Herb Peppercorn Dry Brine — No salt-to-water ratios to deal with here! A dry brine is a great option for anyone who’s short on fridge space or has never cooked a turkey breast before.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 681Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 367mgSodium: 461mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 137g

GoodLifeEats.com offers recipe nutritional information as a courtesy. This provided information is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although GoodLifeEats.com makes every effort to provide accurate information, these figures are only estimates.