Smoked Turkey with BBQ Gravy

Recipe courtesy The Neelys

Show: Down Home with the NeelysEpisode: It's a Neely Thanksgiving

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (12)

Cook Time:
8 hr 0 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
12 servings

Times:

Prep: 35 min
Inactive Prep: 7 hr 20 min
Cook: 8 hr 0 min
Total:: 15 hr 55 min

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Ingredients

Rub:

2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons ground sage
1 1/2 tablespoons thyme
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon Neelys Seasoning, recipe follows

Turkey Brine:

1 gallon water
2 cups salt
3 cups apple juice
1 cup bourbon
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 (22-pound) turkey
Olive oil
4 cups hickory wood chips, soaked in water for 60 minutes
BBQ Gravy, recipe follows

For the rub:

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and reserve.

For the brine:

Mix the water, salt, apple juice, bourbon, peppercorn, and sugar into a 5-gallon bucket lined with a resealable bag. Stir until the salt and sugar is dissolved. Add the turkey into the bag with the brine. In a garbage bag-lined ice chest filled with ice, place the bucket in and surround with ice. Keep in a cool place and let brine 6 hours or overnight. Turn the turkey after 3 hours. Remove turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.

Rub the turkey with olive oil and massage the rub onto the Turkey.

Soak wood chips for 1 hour prior to cooking the turkey and drain well. Fill the chimney starter with charcoal and light. Burn until they ash over. Place the burned coals to 1 side of the grill. Place wood chips on top of coals. Line a standard size loaf pan with aluminum foil and fill 2/3 with water. Place in the grill opposite the coals.

Take the turkey and place on the grill over the pan of water. Insert a probe thermometer in the thigh to keep a check on the temperature as it cooks. Place the lid on the grill with the vent open.

The temperature should remain constant at 225 degrees F. You may need to add more coals and chips every few hours.

After 1 hour check the turkey, if the skin is golden brown cover with foil. Continue cooking for 4 to 6 more hours or until a probe thermometer reaches 160 degrees F.

Remove from the oven and let rest 20 minutes before you carve. Serve with BBQ Gravy.

Neelys Seasoning:

3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups paprika
3 3/4 tablespoons onion powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an air tight container for up to 6 months.

BBQ Gravy:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Drumstick, from turkey
Neck, from turkey
1 large onion, sliced
8 cups turkey stock or chicken stock
1/4 cup BBQ Sauce (recommended: Neelys BBQ Sauce)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add the drumstick and neck and sear until brown. Remove from pan and reserve.

Lower heat and saute the onions. Add the stock, scrapping up the fond on the bottom of the pan. Add the drumstick and neck into the saucepan. Cover and let simmer until it comes to a boil; about 1 hour. Sauce will reduce down greatly. Remove turkey parts. Add BBQ sauce to pan and whisk together. Gravy will thicken. Season with salt and pepper.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Smoked Turkey with BBQ Gravy
Nicole Springfield, VA 08-30-2009
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Almost a year later, and they can't stop talking about this turkey!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made followed the recipe to brine and smoke this turkey for Thanksgiving last year (2008), and it's almost a year later and... everyone is still talking about how good the turkey was. That was the first time I have ever smoked anything, and it turned out so moist and flavorful. I'm already planning to do it again this year... except this year, I'm going to swap the apple juice for peach juice. Thanks Pat & Gina! No need for leftover turkey recipes in our house!!Read more
recipe Smoked Turkey with BBQ Gravy
Roman Arizona City, AZ 12-27-2008
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"A PERFECT BRINE AND RUB FOR A PERFECT SMOKED TURKEY."
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I wanted to give a stab at using a brine for my Christmas turkey and I came across this recipe. I never smoked any meat... before either but I just love BBQ and the combination of the two was something I needed to take on. I used an actual smoker with the hickory chips and this bird came out picture perfect and was the moistest most flavorful bird I've ever tasted. My family usually fries a turkey but after taking them a piece of this bird we all agreed on smoking for the following year. My wife's family was able to enjoy the most of this bird. In the meantime I'll continue using this recipe throughout the year. I don't think I can ever get enough. Thank you!!Read more
recipe Smoked Turkey with BBQ Gravy
LaShaurne Dothan, AL 12-22-2008
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The best smoked turkey ever
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I like smoked turkey and caught the recipe while channel surfing it was the best smoked turkey i've ever had. A certified... non turkey eater had a sample and had seconds and thirds. Thanks for making smoking a turkey so easy i brought a bigger turkey 2 smoke for ChristmasRead more
recipe Smoked Turkey with BBQ Gravy
Clarnell Northport, AL 12-11-2008
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You deserve10 stars!!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

All I have to say is you guys SHOULD be on TV. This recipe was the best. The moistest bird I've had in all my 42 years of... living. I brined my turkey overnight like Pat said they normally would have done and OH MY WORD. This is my brine of choice. I cooked this for Thanksgiving and the entire family enjoyed it. My daughter said she could taste everything put in the brine. Thank you so much. Keep up the good work. May God continue to bless you. Read more
recipe Smoked Turkey with BBQ Gravy
VELMA DALLAS, TX 12-04-2008
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THE BEST TURKEY RECIPE EVER
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have used brines before, but this is my all-time favorite. I watched my family's face as they took their first bite of... turkey, and there was BIG smiles all around the table. Everyone said how moist and flavorful the turkey was. Thanks Pat and Gina for sharing this wonderful recipe. Read more
recipe Smoked Turkey with BBQ Gravy
Sharmel San Jose, CA 12-03-2008
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Love The Neely's!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I am only reviewing the gravy. We always bbq our birds, we just do it a little different. I am always looking on ways to... perfect gravy however; you don't get as many drippings doing it on the grill. I made the gravy but w/a few changes. They are as follows. I bought a package of smoked Turkey legs and used the whole thing (there were 2 or 3), browned those along w/the neck. I did the onions as stated but I DID NOT add the bbq sauce. I had made a Southern cornbread dressing w/sage sausage. I had cooked up the celery & onion, then added the sausage and browned that in a cast iron skillet. After adding that to the dressing mixture I set the skillet aside. When I was ready to make the gravy, I melted butter in that same skillet, added flour and made a roux, scraping up all the brown bits, etc. I added the broth from the Smoked turkey legs, a little broth from the giblets, and some of the drippings from the bbq turkey. This was the best gravy I have ever made in my life. Everyone raved!! It was that good. I will always always always make my gravy like this!! Thanks so much to The Neely's ~~Read more