Restaurant Style BBQ Turkey Breast
On November 17, 2022 (Updated November 05, 2024)
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This restaurant-style BBQ turkey breast is a simple and juicy recipe for the perfect turkey breast. It’s seasoned with a garlic and onion turkey rub and slow smoked to infuse it with additional smoky flavor.
BBQ Turkey Breast
Consider this your go-to recipe for a classic BBQ joint smoked turkey breast.
Thick and hearty wood smoke combines with a robust rub for a perfectly juicy turkey breast. Slice it thick while it’s hot and enjoy it as your main entree, then fridge the leftovers and slice thin, and pile high with Candied Jalapenos and Pickled Red Onions for the best turkey sandwiches.
Ingredients for Restaurant Style Turkey Breast
The ingredients needed for this turkey breast are simple. All you’ll need is a turkey breast and a can of avocado oil spray.
- 6-pound turkey breast
- avocado oil spray
For the BBQ Turkey Breast Rub you’ll need the following:
- 1/4 cup coarse kosher salt
- 1/4 cup coarse black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onion
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons celery seed
To make the seasoning, combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and use a fork to combine and break up any clumps. Use the seasoning immediately, or if you make it in advance, store it in a sealed glass jar until ready to use.
How to Cook a Turkey Breast on the BBQ
This turkey breast is a breeze to make. All you need is a smoker, some wood, and a few hours of your time. Here’s how to cook a turkey breast on the BBQ.
- Preheat. Fire up the smoker and preheat to 275 degrees F. I used cherry and oak for this recipe, but any hardwood will do.
- Season. Spray the turkey breast on both sides with a high-heat oil (like avocado oil), then season very liberally with the turkey breast rub (ingredients in the previous section as well as in the printable recipe card below).
- Smoke. Place the seasoned turkey breast on the smoker. Close the lid, and smoke it for 3-4 hours, or until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 155-160 degrees F.
- Spray. While the turkey is smoking, be sure to spray it with your high-heat cooking spray every 45 minutes to an hour to keep the turkey moist while it is in the smoke.
- Rest. Once the turkey reaches that target temperature, remove it from the smoker to a serving dish. Tent the meat with foil, and rest for 15 minutes.
- Serve. Slice up that gorgeous BBQ turkey breast and serve. This turkey is ready to be enjoyed as-is, or you can serve it with your favorite BBQ sauce. My Cranberry BBQ Sauce would taste incredible with this turkey!
How Long to BBQ Turkey Breast
It takes approximately 3-4 hours to fully BBQ a turkey breast on the smoker.
This time may vary depending on a number of factors, including the consistency of the temperature of your smoker and the thickness of the turkey breast. Rather than looking at the clock when making this turkey breast, use a reliable instant-read meat thermometer to gauge the doneness of the meat.
Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat for the most accurate reading. Remove the turkey breast from the BBQ when the meat is between 155-160 degrees F.
Tips for Making BBQ Turkey Breast
This process for making BBQ turkey breast is fairly easy, but to help you get the most out of your meat, I’ve compiled a few tips for you.
- Use bigger, boneless, and skinless turkey breasts. These aren’t always easy to find. Ask your grocery store butcher counter if they ever get them in stock OR if they would be willing to skin and debone the turkey breasts they sell for you. If your butcher won’t, no stress. Buy those skin-on, bone-in breasts and trim them up yourself. The skin should just peel off easily and the bones are simple to remove with the tip of a sharp knife and a few minutes of work.
- Try a different rub. Want to change up the flavors? Mix up the rub. You can use my recipe for Smoked Turkey Rub or my classic Sweet Rub to add a little more sweetness to the bird. You can also glaze with a BBQ Sauce of your choice during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Don’t skip the spritz. Using a high-heat cooking oil will keep the skin from drying out and help rehydrate the seasonings on the skin for better consistency in your final product. I like avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil, or even duck fat spray.
More Turkey Breast Recipes
The tasty turkey breast recipes keep on coming from Hey Grill Hey. If you’re looking for other delicious ways to make turkey breast, look no further than these great recipes!
BBQ Turkey Breast Recipe
Watch the video below and I’ll show you how I make at home. I’m here to help you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a backyard BBQ hero. Check out more of my smoking and grilling recipe videos on YouTube, Instagram, or our Facebook Page.
Restaurant Style BBQ Turkey Breast
Video
Ingredients
- 6 pounds turkey breast skin removed
- avocado oil spray
BBQ Turkey Breast Rub
- ¼ cup coarse kosher salt
- ¼ cup coarse black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onion
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons paprika I used sweet, but regular or smoked would be great as well
- 2 teaspoons celery seed
Instructions
- Preheat. Preheat your smoker to 275 degrees F with your favorite hardwood. I used cherry and oak for this recipe.
- Spray with oil. Spray the turkey breast on both sides with avocado oil.
- Make the seasoning. Combine the BBQ turkey breast rub in a small jar and shake until well combined, breaking up any sugar clumps. You can also mix this in a bowl, using a fork to mix and break up any clumps.
- Season. Season the Turkey breast liberally on all sides.
- Smoke. Place the breast on the upper rack of your smoker, close the lid, and cook for 3-4 hours, or until the internal temperature of the turkey reads between 155 and 160 degrees F.
- Spray with oil. While the turkey breast smokes, spray it with avocado oil every 45 minutes to an hour to keep the exterior moist and tender.
- Rest, slice, and serve. When the turkey breast reaches 155-160 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast, remove it to a rimmed plate or baking sheet and tent loosely with foil to allow for carryover cooking and some steaming to occur. Let the turkey rest like this for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Was given some fresh wild turkey. My first search was to your YouTube channel. I tried this recipe and smoked it on my Traeger to a temp of 158°. It was very juicy. The bark was a bit hot, so I’ll put less pepper in my seasoning next time.
Just had a turkey sandwich with the leftovers, and goodness, that was perfect. Not as hot, thin sliced, as it was. Thank you for the good instructions. I’ve also used your method for smoked tri-tip.
You know how to rock this slow cooking!
Thanks
I’m wanting to try this. Is this recipe for boneless or bone-in?
Tried this. now unfortunately, now it is the only way I’m allowed to cook turkey breast!
Do you need to brine 1st? If so I’ve used the brine recipe from the Best Smoked Turkey Breast in the past. Or something different and simpler because of basic seasonings of this rub?
Usually these come pre-brined from the store!
I buy directly from the butcher shop. No brine.
Can this been done one a gas grill with wood chips ?
Absolutely! https://heygrillhey.com/how-to-smoke-on-a-gas-grill/