Smoked Jerk Turkey Recipe

There's nothing wrong with a classically prepared and roasted turkey. It's the kind of recipe that has endured through the years because of how delicious and popular it is. But sometimes you're just looking for something new, a way to freshen up a traditional food.

Look no further than this inventive jerk turkey recipe. It pairs the savory deliciousness of turkey with the sweet, fiery, fruity notes of jerk seasoning.

Gather up your spices, set up your smoker, and use high-quality knives, all in preparation for breaking down that delicious turkey. Your taste buds won't be disappointed.  

Method

Your first step will be preparing the brine and using it on your turkey.

INGREDIENTS

• Approximately 12lb turkey
• About 2 cups of Spiceology Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
• Taste of Inspirations Caribbean Inspired Jerk Sauce
• 1 cup sugar
• 1.5 cups salt
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 Lemon
• 1 Lime
• 1 Orange

DIRECTIONS

1. Halve and then quarter: lemon, lime, and orange.

2. Add lemon, lime, orange, thyme, sugar, salt, and 1 cup of jerk seasoning to 2 gallons of water.

3. Bring water to a boil, set aside, and cool.

4. Once thoroughly cooled brine turkey for 24 hours.

5. After resting in the brine for 24 hours, remove the turkey, pat it down, and coat it with butter. 

6. Once the turkey is coated with butter, season with more jerk seasoning until you've achieved an even application.

7. This is where the jerk sauce will come into play! You'll inject the sauce into your turkey's thighs and breast meat.

8. Set your smoker to a temperature of 275°F for 45 minutes.

9. To finish the turkey, turn the smoker up to 375°F and finish off at 165°F

Notes

Finishing It Off

This turkey should serve about 8 people with some leftovers for later, if everyone doesn't eat it all! You can add a little extra sweetness to your smoking process by adding the fruit from your brine to the grill while your turkey cooks.