Smoked Turkey Recipe: Delicious Thanksgiving Turkey

Ingredients

• 1 (10 pound) whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons seasoned salt
• 0.5 cup butter
• 2 (12 fluid ounce) cans cola-flavored carbonated beverage
• 1 medium apple, quartered
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups hickory wood chips, or more as needed

Instructions

1. Preheat your smoker to a temperature between 225 and 250 degrees F (110 to 120 degrees C).
2. Thoroughly pat the turkey dry, both inside and out, using paper towels. This step eliminates excess moisture, promoting crispy skin during the smoking process.
3. Rub crushed garlic all over the turkey's exterior, then sprinkle with seasoned salt. Place the turkey in a disposable roasting pan.
4. Stuff the turkey cavity with butter, cola, apple, onion, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Loosely cover the turkey with aluminum foil.
5. Following the manufacturer's instructions, add wood chips to the smoker. Position the roasting pan inside the preheated smoker. Smoke the turkey, basting it every 1 to 2 hours with the accumulated juices from the pan's bottom, for a duration of 5 hours.
6. If desired, add more wood chips for enhanced smoky flavor. Continue smoking and basting until the turkey is fully cooked, with clear juices and no pinkness near the bone, approximately 4 to 5 additional hours. A meat thermometer inserted into the thigh's thickest part, close to the bone, should register 180 degrees F (80 degrees C). Take the turkey out of the smoker, loosely tent it with foil, and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving.

Nutrition

• Calories: 625 kcal
• Fat Content: 32 g
• Fiber Content: 1 g
• Sugar Content: 8 g
• Sodium Content: 1185 mg
• Protein Content: 71 g
• Cholesterol Content: 225 mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 10 g
• Saturated Fat Content: 12 g
• Unsaturated Fat Content: 0 g