Start your next family gathering off with a bang with Chef Tom's mouth-watering Smoked Cajun Turkey! This recipe puts a delicious twist on the traditional holiday bird, with a dry brine that accentuates the succulent flavor.
Smoked Cajun Turkey
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 11 users
Category
Entree
Cuisine
American
Servings
14
Prep Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours 15 minutes
Calories
341
Chef Tom fires up the Kamado Joe Classic III ceramic charcoal grill for a dry brined, spatchcock Smoked Cajun Turkey. This recipe is a great way to put a twist on your holiday bird, but you’ll want to eat this turkey year round!
Ingredients
- 1 (14 lb) turkey
-
1/2 cup Cattleman’s Grill Butcher House Brine
-
1/4 cup Cattleman’s Grill Cajun Fusion Rub
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
-
1/2 cup Cattleman’s Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce
-
1 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Cajun Fusion Rub
-
Smoked Cajun Turkey
For the cajun butter injection:
Get the kit for this recipe
Directions
- Prepare the turkey in the spatchcock style, cutting out the backbone with poultry shears.
- Loosen the skin of the turkey from the flesh, without tearing or removing the skin.
- Combine the 1/2 cup Cattleman’s Grill Butcher House Brine and 1/4 cup Cattleman’s Grill Cajun Fusion Rub. Mix well. Rub all over the flesh and skin of the turkey.
- Place the turkey skin side up on a wire rack over a sheet pan. Transfer to the refrigerator, uncovered, and allow the turkey to dry brine for 48 hours.
- Remove the turkey from the refrigerator.
- Build a hot charcoal bed in the Kamado Joe Classic III ceramic charcoal grill. Set up for smoking/indirect grilling and stabilize the temperature at 300° F.
- Combine the melted butter with the Cattleman’s Grill Pit Fire Hot Sauce and Cattleman’s Grill Cajun Fusion Rub. Load the mixture into a pistol grip injector.
- Inject the turkey in a grid pattern, filling the breasts, then moving on to the thighs and legs.
- Rub the excess Cajun butter over the skin of the turkey, then dust the skin with a little more Cattleman’s Grill Cajun Fusion Rub.
- Place the turkey directly on the grill grates of the Kamado Joe.
- Smoke the Cajun Turkey until the internal temperature reaches 145° F in the deepest part of the breasts, about 90-120 minutes. Then, open the airflow at the top and bottom of the grill wide-open. Allow the temperature of the grill to climb while the turkey continues cooking.
- Cook until the internal temperature reaches 155° F in the deepest part of the breasts. Remove the Smoked Cajun Turkey from the grill and allow the turkey to rest for 20-30 minutes before carving.
Recipe Note
You might also enjoy: Cajun Grilled Oysters
Nutrition
Nutrition
- Serving Size
- 4 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 341
Amount/Serving
% Daily Value
- Carbs
- 2 grams
- Protein
- 37 grams
- Fat
- 19 grams
- Sodium
- 1165 milligrams
