A New Family Favorite: Smoked Wild Turkey Breast Recipe
Carefully follow this recipe and it will soon rank right up there with brisket and pulled pork at your next BBQ.
Print RecipeThere are few things in the world that I wish time would move quicker for, but opening day of spring turkey season is certainly one of them. The sound of light gobbles echoing through the hollers and hills at dawn stirs an excitement in me that feels almost childlike. Like a kid rushing down the stairs to find the presents under the tree that he’s been thinking about for months, that’s opening day for me! It’s a time when I can finally sit my back against a hardwood tree and hope and pray that the Good Lord delivers a gobbler wanting to play ball. I set it in my calendar and daydream, practicing my calls and picturing it in my head, as if it ever works exactly the way we planned — but one can only hope!
I love turkey hunting — I love everything about it. I got spoiled on my very first turkey hunt, tagging out on a double-bearded Kansas Rio eight minutes after legal shooting light on our first day at camp. I thought turkey hunting was easy! What a spoiled and nonrealistic introduction into what I’d come to know as one of my new favorite obsessions.
I’m grateful because I remember that feeling and I chase it every time in the woods — a connection that I never knew I needed so badly. I spent three years after killing that bird in Kansas before I ever had a chance on another bird. I will say that the Eastern’s we have in Tennessee are a whole different kind of bird to hunt, but that’s a story for another day.
This recipe is from my 2025 turkey I killed here in Tennessee. I’m so grateful for this big guy. He was over 25 pounds, so the cuts I butchered from him were perfect for smoking. It’s one of my favorite ways to prepare a wild turkey breast.
The Spoils
Smoke. What’s not to love about it? Eat it on a sandwich, in a taco, or in this case piled high on a plate next to your favorite BBQ sauce. Everybody loves fried turkey nuggets, but trust me, follow this recipe to a “t” and you can rank it up there with brisket and pulled pork. Yeah — it’s that good, especially for wild game!
The brine is everything in this recipe, so make sure to get at least 12 hours in there and you’ll have delicious, moist wild turkey coming out every time. There’s no rules on seasonings either, so have at it! Find your favorite BBQ seasoning at the store or make your own. This bird only takes an hour and a half to two hours on the smoker, so you don’t need to worry about brown sugar burning or anything like that. Have fun with it — just try not to eat the whole thing before your family and friends can try!
Ingredients
-
- 1 wild turkey breast, washed, cleaned and trimmed of any fat
- 2 quarts water
- 1/2 cup of kosher salt
- 1/4 cup of sugar
You can add anything else you’d like here — peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic, chili flakes, etc., or your favorite BBQ seasoning. I used a special edition Leupold blend by the Bearded Butchers Yellow mustard as a binder.
Preparation & Directions
- Season roast generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle it with flour and massage it into the meat.
- Add salt, sugar and anything else you’d like to add.
- Wait until salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature completely. If you don’t let it cool, it will start to cook the turkey and you’ll have a rough and tough turkey to smoke.
- Add the brine to a non-reactive bowl, dish or container and add the turkey.
- Let brine for 12-24 hours.
- Start your smoker and set temperature to 250 degrees.
- Remove the turkey from brine and pat dry with paper towel.
- Spread a very light amount of mustard all over the turkey. Cover generously with BBQ seasoning.
- Place into smoker for about an hour and a half or two hours or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
- Remove from smoker and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
- Slice and serve alongside your favorite BBQ sides and sauces or enjoy it in a taco or sandwich.
Justin Adams is a wild-game chef, writer and avid outdoorsmen. He hunts not for the antlers, but the opportunity to provide wild-game meat for his family. He loves to share his knowledge of butchering, processing and cooking game so that others can do the same. It is when life is honored on the table that makes the hunt complete. Nothing is wasted. You can find more of Justin’s recipes on Instagram: @JustinAdamsCountry