This smoked turkey injection recipe leaves your turkey with a perfectly moist, flavorful taste that you just won't be able to get enough of.
Anything turkey is naturally popular around Thanksgiving time. We like to make smoked turkey year round though.
It's a healthier choice, plus there's so much you can do with the leftover turkey meat.
Jump to:
- What makes this recipe so yummy
- Groceries you'll need: Ingredients
- Recipe walkthrough: Instructions
- Recipe variations and substitute ideas
- Necessary gear: Equipment
- More turkey recipes I think you'll love
- How to store leftovers
- Mel's kitchen notes
- Frequently asked questions: FAQs
- Smoked Turkey Injection Recipe
- Fan Favorite Recipes
- 💬 Comments
What makes this recipe so yummy
- It's an easy recipe, with very few ingredients that are pantry staples.
- You'll never have to worry about a dry turkey again. Dry turkeys are for the birds (lol).
- This recipe will give you the best Thanksgiving Turkey you ever made this holiday season.
- Everything tastes better with a little smoke flavor, nobody likes a bland turkey.
Groceries you'll need: Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter
- Chicken Broth (chicken stock)
- Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Kosher Salt
- Garlic Powder
- Lemon Juice
- Honey
- + a whole turkey
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.
Recipe walkthrough: Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe steps. For more detailed instructions visit the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Melt the butter in a small mixing bowl and add all the other ingredients. Mix well with a wire whisk.
- Step 2: Using a meat injector, suck up the injection marinade and inject the turkey all over evenly and at different angles. Into the thighs and wings too. Allow injected turkey to sit an hour or two at room temperature, for best results.
- Step 3: Season outside (perhaps with dry rub). Smoke turkey as intended.
Hint: After injecting the entire turkey, pat dry with paper towels carefully so as not to push out any of the butter marinade before seasoning the outside.
Recipe variations and substitute ideas
- Olive Oil - or vegetable oil
- Worcestershire Sauce - for some added umami.
- Onion Powder - for more flavor.
- Hot Sauce - a great way to have a more spicy injection.
- Cayenne Pepper - as above.
- Orange Juice - instead of lemon juice for the citrus.
- Brown Sugar - instead of honey.
- Soy Sauce - for some umami flavor.
- Cajun Seasoning - for more kick.
- Balsamic Vinegar - for balance.
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Necessary gear: Equipment
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Obviously you'll need a meat injector, which I have an affiliate link for a couple of options in the recipe card below if you don't have one, especially for injection marinades.
More turkey recipes I think you'll love
How to store leftovers
You shouldn't have any smoked turkey injection recipe left after you've injected the turkey. If you do, you'll have to toss it as you've been dipping the point of the meat injector into the bowl with the marinade. It's not safe to keep and use on something else.
Mel's kitchen notes
Make sure you have your turkey sitting in a large foil pan during the injection process as you'll have overflow here and there and it can be messy.
I like to get my turkey ready, on a baking rack, in a foil pan, before the injection process.
Frequently asked questions: FAQs
We like to inject every turkey we cook, it just really helps avoid it drying out. Adds great flavor too, to compliment the smoked flavors.
So first, I always like to brine my turkey, so we do that overnight. Then, after I remove from the brine I allow to sit at room temperature for a couple hours. It is then that I inject. It's double brining I know, but it leads to an amazing Thanksgiving Turkey!
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Smoked Turkey Injection Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Unsalted Butter melted
- 1 Cup Chicken Broth
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and stir well until totally incorporated.½ Cup Unsalted Butter, 1 Cup Chicken Broth, 1 teaspoon Black Pepper, 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder, 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice, 2 Tablespoons Honey, 1 teaspoon Salt
- Using a large meat syringe, suck up the injection recipe and inject all over the bird, evenly, into the breast, wings, thighs.
- Continue with turkey rub and cook on the smoker.
Nutrition
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