This smoked turkey with Cajun Spices is the perfect way to impress your guests on the Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday. This recipe was prepared on the Big Green Egg smoker, but you can use a pellet grill, such as the Green Mountain Grills or Traeger, or any other kind of smoker if you like.
The key to this recipe is a homemade BBQ rub, and Creole butter injection. The butter injection goes into the meat, providing a savory and salty goodness that’s just incredible! After all, who doesn’t like butter, beer and garlic?!
We made our own homemade Bad Byron’s Butt Rub Clone for this smoked turkey video, but you can certainly speed up the process by buying it, or using your favorite BBQ spice rub.
Inject the thawed turkey with the creole butter marinade under the skin of the breast and legs. Try not to poke too many holes or it will seep out. Then smoke the turkey for 3-4 hours, and enjoy this bad boy!
PS: If you don’t have a smoker, try my favorited brined turkey recipe!
Smoked Turkey with Cajun Spices
Recipe by Jason Hill – CookingSessions.comIngredients
- 1 turkey 10-pound or more
Butt Rub Clone
- 16 tablespoons kosher salt
- 16 tablespoons fresh cracked black pepper
- 8 tablespoons onion powder
- 8 tablespoons garlic powder
- 8 teaspoons chipotle powder
- 16 teaspoons paprika
Creole Butter Injection
- 1 pound butter
- 1 can beer
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon BBQ rub (use recipe above or your own)
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground white pepper
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Make the Cajun Spices
- Mix well and store in a Ziplock bag or Tupperware container.
Make the Butter Injections
- Melt butter, then stir in the rest of the ingredients over low heat. Let cool and use in your turkey injector.
Smoke the Turkey
- Inject the thawed turkey with the creole butter marinade under the skin of the breast and legs. Try not to poke too many holes or it will seep out.
- Apply a liberal amount of butt rub all over the turkey, patting down into the skin. Flip the bird over, breast side down, and season with more butt rub.
- Cook in the preheater smoker, breast side down, for one hour.
- After an hour, flip the turkey breast-side up.
- Cook another 2-3 hours until it reaches a temperature of 161 F. Remove from grill and let the turkey sit 15-30 minutes, until it "carry-over cooks" to 165F.
- Slice and serve.
