Smoking a turkey is a fantastic way to infuse rich, smoky flavors into your Thanksgiving centerpiece. While selecting the right wood and managing the smoker are crucial, one often overlooked step is injecting your turkey with a flavorful marinade. This simple smoked turkey injection recipe is here to elevate your holiday feast.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chicken broth or vegetable stock
• ½ cup butter, melted and cooled
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried sage, finely ground
• 1 12-pound whole turkey

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Flavorful Injection:

• In a medium bowl, combine the chicken broth, melted and cooled butter, fresh lemon juice, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and dried sage. Whisk these ingredients together until well combined.

2. Load Your Meat Injector:

• Fill your meat injector with the turkey injection marinade. This handy tool will allow you to infuse the turkey with the flavorful liquid, ensuring that every bite is bursting with taste.

3. Inject the Turkey:

• Place your 12-pound whole turkey in a large baking pan or marinade bag to contain any potential mess.
• Using the meat injector, make 1-2 teaspoon injections of the turkey marinade into various spots throughout the turkey’s body. Aim for about 12-15 injections in total. Pay extra attention to the drier parts of the bird, especially the turkey breast.
• Refill the marinade injector as needed to ensure each injection is packed with flavor.

4. Massage and Rest:

• After injecting the marinade, gently massage the turkey all over to evenly distribute the liquid and spices, ensuring they penetrate the meat.

5. Refrigerate and Rest:

• Cover the turkey with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours, or if time allows, let it marinate overnight before smoking.
• About an hour before you’re ready to smoke the turkey, remove it from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature.

Injecting your turkey with this flavorful marinade not only infuses it with a delicious combination of seasonings but also keeps the meat tender and moist during the smoking process. This extra step takes your Thanksgiving turkey to a whole new level of taste and is sure to impress your guests. Enjoy your beautifully smoked and deeply flavorful Thanksgiving turkey!