It’s funny, sometimes you get so addicted to using your smoker that you’ll literally be looking for every chance to use it!
Cheese in the fridge? Throw it in the smoker. Leftover chicken? Throw it in the smoker. You know the drill.
But, if you’ve got a precooked turkey and you’re wanting to add that mind-blowing smokiness to it, you may be wondering how well it would turn out in the smoker.
You’ve come to the right place.
Here’s whether you can smoke a precooked turkey, how to do it without drying it out, double smoking turkey, and all about reheating turkey in the smoker!
There are many reasons you may want to smoke a precooked turkey. One, you’re dying for that top-tier smoked turkey flavor, or two, you’re looking for yet another excuse to use your smoker!
No matter your reasons, you can smoke a precooked turkey. But, the method needs to be adapted a bit to avoid simply drying out the turkey.
Basically what you’re aiming to do is infuse smokiness into the turkey while reheating it in the smoker – no need for further cooking.
With this in mind, we recommend smoking it between 300°F – 325°F, maximizing the smokiness.
Smoking a whole precooked turkey at 300°F – 325°F takes about two hours, whereas smoking a precooked turkey breast at this temperature only takes about half an hour.
How To Smoke A Precooked Turkey
The key to smoking a precooked turkey is keeping it moist and not overcooking it!
Remember, it’s already cooked so you don’t need to bring it up to crazy high temperatures. You’ll only need to smoke your precooked turkey up to at least 165°F which is both food-safe and an ideal warmth for consumption!
Here’s how to smoke a precooked turkey, keeping it moist and delectable:
- Blot the turkey dry with a paper towel, particularly on any exposed turkey skin. This helps keep the skin dry and crispy, avoiding rubbery turkey skin.
- Optionally add an oil or butter binder if you’re going for a crispy skin.
- Preheat your smoker to 300°F – 325°F and get the smoke rolling nicely.
- Allow your turkey to come up to room temperature before placing it in the center of a rimmed smoker-safe pan or aluminum foil try and place it into your smoker.
- Let your precooked turkey smoke for one to two hours, or until it reaches an internal temp of 165°F – 170°F. If it’s a spatchcocked turkey it should only take an hour.
- Once it’s reached at least 165°F take it off your smoker and let it rest and cool slightly before serving.
- Enjoy your reheated and smoked turkey!
This smoking method works whether you’ve bought a precooked turkey from the store or its one that you’ve cooked yourself.
Remember, this process will inevitably draw extra moisture out of the meat, so it’s best to serve it with a sauce so it’s not too dry!
Can You Double Smoke A Turkey
What about smoking a turkey that’s already been smoked? A.K.A the double-smoked turkey.
Sure, it’s entirely possible to double-smoke a turkey.
Simply use the same method as above to re-smoke it, adding additional smoky flavor to it.
Just remember, turkey is a rather delicate taste already so you might lose out on some of the true taste of turkey if you over-smoke it! After all, turkey is relatively expensive so you don’t want to ruin it!
Can You Reheat A Turkey In A Smoker
The process of smoking a precooked turkey and reheating a turkey in the smoker is almost one and the same.
However, you can change your approach slightly depending on whether you want to maximize smoky flavor or maximize moisture and tenderness.
To add additional smoky flavor while you reheat your turkey you can place it uncovered in a smoker at 300°F – 325°F until it reaches 165°F or higher.
But, if you want to maximize tenderness and retain as much moisture as possible, you can place it on an aluminum tray covered in foil in your smoker at 300°F.
Covering your turkey with foil prevents evaporative cooling. Things tend to heat up quicker, and all the moisture is locked in.
If you want to go the extra mile you can add some broth or stock to the aluminum pan before covering your turkey too! This will infuse extra flavor and moisture into the turkey as it reheats.
Can You Smoke A Precooked Turkey Breast
Turkey breast is one of the leanest parts of the turkey.
Whenever you are cooking, recooking, or reheating turkey breast your main goal should be to retain as much moisture as possible.
When it comes to smoking a precooked turkey breast, you want to allow the smokiness to infuse into the turkey without overcooking it – otherwise, it can become tough!
To smoke a precooked turkey breast, preheat your smoker to 300°F – 325°F and place your turkey in the best spot in your smoker.
This process should only take roughly 30-45 minutes to reach 165°F. It’s best to remove it from the smoker at this point to avoid any excess moisture loss.
Viola, a smoked, precooked turkey breast! This same process can be done with a turkey thigh or leg too!
Mild smoking woods like maple or apple tend to work best when smoking turkey!
Summary
So there you have it.
You absolutely can smoke a precooked turkey, whether it’s whole or broken down into its various cuts.
Whenever you’re smoking turkey, whether it’s precooked or not, the key focus remains the same: keep it moist!
Smoking a precooked turkey at 300°F – 325°F tends to yield the best smokiness. Cooking up to an internal temperature of 165°F – 170°F and no further will also help retain moisture in the turkey too!
The result? Absolutely delicious.
