Quick and Easy Bone-In Turkey Breast Recipe

[Doctor Woody]

I've made it this way a few times now, because it turns out so good and is easier than using a brine.  I will take pictures the next time I make it and will update the post later.

UPDATE:  I made this again yesterday and I realized that it works best on smaller turkey breasts, like 6 lbs or so.  I had a larger bird this time and the dry rub didn't penetrate all the way to the bone.

• Wash the turkey breast and pat dry with paper towels, trimming off any hanging fat.
• Carefully peel back the skin to expose the meat.
• Coat the meat generously with non-iodized salt, garlic powder, onion powder, poultry seasoning and black pepper.
• Cover the meat back up with the skin.
• Put in refrigerator, uncovered, for 6 to 12 hours.
• Take out of refrigerator and let sit for a couple hours.
• Put in preheated, 120 degree F smoker and apply smoke for 1.5 to 2 hours using apple or hickory.  Insert your meat probe into thickest part of breast.
• Ramp up temp to 200 degrees F, or a little higher, until internal temp reaches 154 degrees F.
• Remove from smoker and tent with foil for 20 minutes.

The result is meat that is very similar to using a wet brine.  Is is also slightly less salty than if a wet brine was used.

If you try this, please come back and post your opinion.

Here are the pictures.

Trimmed, washed and dried.



Skin back, ready for the dry rub.



Dry rub applied.



Skin back in place.



A thing of beauty.



Smoked and ready to slice.



Slice it up.

[Mr Walleye]

Looks great Doc!  ;)

Even... healthy!  ;D

Mike

[pensrock]

ditto to Mikes comment.

[Doctor Woody]

Oh, I'm lined up to make a whole bunch of "not so healthy stuff".   ;D

[Tenpoint5]

Oh, I'm lined up to make a whole bunch of "not so healthy stuff".   ;D

Now that's more to my liking. Can only handle so much Healthy stuff.

[Habanero Smoker]

The breast looks good. Did you use anything to keep the skin in place, such as toothpicks?

[Caneyscud]

A thing of beauty.

Don't know ----- a DBS6  AND  a PID  -----  looks a little ostentatious to me!  Vainglorious comes to mind also!  Is my jealousy showing? 

I love the big power cord - better safe than sorry and love the reflections of the pavers in the do ---- wait, let me clear my eyes - is that ---- is that ----  it can't be! ----  It is her!  ---- LQ laying out on the curb?

Just mesmerized, daydreaming about what delicious things that smoke is doing to that turkey breast - shudder? 

Shakespeare
The Bard of Hot Air
Threadkiller Extraordinaire'

[Doctor Woody]

The breast looks good. Did you use anything to keep the skin in place, such as toothpicks?

I keep the skin intact at one end.  Then it goes back down and stays put real well.

[Doctor Woody]

Don't know ----- a DBS6  AND  a PID  -----  looks a little ostentatious to me!  Vainglorious comes to mind also!  Is my jealousy showing? 

I love the big power cord - better safe than sorry and love the reflections of the pavers in the do ---- wait, let me clear my eyes - is that ---- is that ----  it can't be! ----  It is her!  ---- LQ laying out on the curb?

Just mesmerized, daydreaming about what delicious things that smoke is doing to that turkey breast - shudder? 

Shakespeare
The Bard of Hot Air
Threadkiller Extraordinaire'

Ah yes.  The passion that the smoking gadgets bring out...

Have to confess that the big cord you see is actually a quick connect natural gas line.  It goes to my BBQ Grill.  I also have three electric patio heaters and two nat gas patio heaters, for those icy 50 degree nights in the Winter.   ;D

I have 16 lbs of Pork Loin brining.  Soon some beautiful Canadian Bacon will be born, from the loins of the pork loin.

[cowgirl]

Doctor Woody, thanks for sharing your recipe .... looks great!!

[Doctor Woody]

Doctor Woody, thanks for sharing your recipe .... looks great!!

You're welcome, Cowgirl.  I was already thinking that a "smear" of spicy pork sausage would be nice to use under the skin, based on your recipe where you use cut up sausage.

[stillsmoking]

Hey Doc, looks great!  I just picked up a turkey breast at the grocery store and think I will give your method a shot.  I have put stuff under the skin on whole turkeys but for some reason never thought to do what you have demonstrated with the breast.  Thanks much for the pictures and the idea!  It might take me a bit to get to this but I will respond as you have asked.  I have never used poultry seasoning but imagine I will put a bit of sage and maybe some brown sugar into the mix.

[Doctor Woody]

Hey Doc, looks great!  I just picked up a turkey breast at the grocery store and think I will give your method a shot.  I have put stuff under the skin on whole turkeys but for some reason never thought to do what you have demonstrated with the breast.  Thanks much for the pictures and the idea!  It might take me a bit to get to this but I will respond as you have asked.  I have never used poultry seasoning but imagine I will put a bit of sage and maybe some brown sugar into the mix.

Sounds like sage and brown sugar will also be great things to put under the skin.  I hope you like it and I hope your bird is small enough for the salt to penetrate and do it's job.

I smoked salmon today and will be smoking Canadian Bacon tomorrow.  The house wreaks with smoky goodness.   :D

[Doctor Woody]

Update:  Today, I am using this recipe, but using Tender Quick Salt instead of non-iodized.  I will see if there is better penetration of spices and smoke into the meat.  I've been resting it for 24 hours.

[Gizmo]

Please be advised that Tender Quick is a cure not a salt, although the nitrite is carried in salt.  It should not be view as a substitue for non-iodized salt.  Quantity would be different as well.