Pit Barrel Cooker Recipes Turkey Recipes

Texas-Pecan Smoked Turkey with Bourbon-Sage Honey Glaze

November 07, 2017 0 Comments

In today’s recipe we are smoking a Texas-Pecan Turkey with a Bourbon-Honey glaze on the Pit Barrel Cooker.

We’re cooking this turkey today on the Pit Barrel Cooker, but you can easily make it on the Masterbuilt or with the indirect, 2-zone method on a grill. My Pit Barrel Cooker runs around 300 degrees F, so your cook time will vary depending on your specific smoking temperature.

Texas Pecan Smoked Turkey with Bourbon & Sage-Honey Glaze

This turkey recipe starts with a dry brine overnight, followed by the cook and glaze. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas of when you just want some turkey!

Brine Ingredients

6 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 tablespoons Baking Powder

Protein Ingredients

1 whole turkey, 12.7 lbs used in this recipe
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
2-4 tablespoons of Texas Pecan BBQ Rub

Bourbon-Honey Glaze Ingredients

1 cup Texas 1835 Bourbon
½ cup Sage Honey (or your favorite honey)
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
½ stick butter

Procedure

Remove the giblets and any other gravy packs, etc. that came with the turkey.
The day before your cook, rinse the turkey and pat dry with paper towels.
Place the turkey on a raised grate in a baking pan. This allows air to circulate around the turkey for a crisper skin.
Mix the Kosher salt and baking powder together and then apply to the turkey using your hand. For a 12.7 lb turkey, you will have extra salt/baking powder mixture. Discard the remaining salt/baking powder mixture.
Place the turkey in the refrigerator (uncovered) overnight.
The next day, wipe any excess salt from the turkey using paper towels.
Start the Pit Barrel Cooker and add some Pecan wood chunks.
Hang the turkey on the Pit Barrel Cooker hanging-turkey accessory and place in the PBC.
After 2 hours check the temperature and insert your remote digital thermometer probe if you plan to use one. My turkey was at 147 degrees F.
When the turkey reaches approximately 140-145 degrees F, start the glaze. Suggest you start the glaze after 1 hour and 45 minutes of cook time. I started at 2 hours and it turned out okay, but I was a bit rushed.
To make the glaze, melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the apple cider vinegar and then carefully add the bourbon. Bourbon is flammable, so use CAUTION.
Simmer and stir the glaze until it is reduced by half. This took about 23 minutes. When reduced remove from the heat and stir in the honey.
Glaze the turkey 1 to 2 times before the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees F. The thigh temperature can reach 175 degrees F.
Remove the turkey from the Pit Barrel Cooker and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
Slice and serve!