This Juicy Smoked Cajun Turkey with that bold Cajun flavor that is sure to impress everyone at the table. It’s easy to make and doesn’t take up valuable oven space that is needed for all your other side dishes.
What you’ll need for making this Juicy Smoked Cajun Turkey.
WHOLE TURKEY | Frozen or fresh whole turkey works for this. If you get a frozen turkey, make sure to fully thaw it over 2-3 days depending on the size of your bird. Before adding your seasonings, make sure to dry of any excess moisture on the skin before spraying with cooking spray to help bind the spices to the skin.
CAJUN RUB SEASONING | A bold blend of smoked paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, rubbed sage, celery salt, and salt + black pepper.
CAJUN COMPOUND BUTTER | An easy to make Cajun flavor infused butter that is versatile to use it on so many other dishes other than a whole turkey. It consists of 2 sticks of softened
COOKING SPRAY | I use cooking spray since it’s easier to use, but you can brush the skin down with a light coat of olive oil to help bind the seasonings if you do not want to use cooking spray.
WOOD/ELECTRIC SMOKER | I use an electric smoker, cause let’s be honest, I’m not too savvy with grills or smokers. So, an electric smoker is perfect for me. It runs like an oven, you just set the temp and it maintains it for you.
MEAT INJECTOR | I love my OXO meat injector as it’s easy to use and clean afterwards. The syringe needles come in two different gage sizes, and I used the larger gage for this recipe.
- Spatchcock the turkey, which basically means you will remove the back bone and press down on the breast of the turkey so it’s flat. This helps with faster and more even cooking, which makes it even better for you when you have a million other things going on in the kitchen at once.
Start with preheating your Smoker to 250F.
Spray the whole top of the turkey with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix the Cajun Rub Seasoning ingredients and cover the entire top of the turkey with the rub seasoning and massage it into the skin.
Take 3/4 of the Cajun compound butter and slice into 1/2-inch slices. Gently use your hand to separate the skin from the meat of the breast and thighs on the turkey. Place several slices under the skin throughout the breast and thigh areas.
In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the remaining butter. Then using a meat injector, inject the melted butter directly into a few areas along the breast, thighs, and drumstick meat.
Place your seasoned turkey on the rack in your preheated smoker along with a large aluminum tray pan underneath the rack to catch the drippings from the turkey to use in dressings or gravy.
Typically for an 8.5lb turkey like I used, it takes about 4 hours to fully cook. This time will vary some depending on the size of your turkey. You want the internal temp to be 165F in the thickest part of the breast meat.
I used my beloved Meater+ Smart Meat Thermometer to keep track of the internal temperature of the turkey to make sure it was not going to overcook. It gave me a little sense of peace during the rush of cooking all day knowing I didn’t have to keep checking on the turkey and it alerted me when to take it out of the smoker to rest.
Once your turkey is done, cover with aluminum foil and let it rest for 20-25 minutes.
Serve with your favorite sides, like:
Oven-Roasted Green Beans with Almonds
Brown Butter Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Maple Pecan Candied Sweet Potatoes
And, of course, some Carrot Cake with Vanilla Cream Frosting for dessert!
Equipment
- Electric or Wood Burning Smoker
Ingredients
- 8-10 lb Whole Turkey thawed and innards removed
- Cooking Spray to bind spices to skin
Cajun Rub Seasoning
- 2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1½ tsp garlic powder
- 1½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp celery salt
- ½ tsp rubbed sage
Cajun Compound Butter*
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks softened
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper more or less to your desired spice level
- ½ tsp dried thyme
Instructions
Cajun Compound Butter
- Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
- Get a large piece of plastic food wrap. Form a log with the butter mix on the wrap and twist up the ends to secure the log shape.
- Stick in the fridge for 2-3 hours or overnight until firm.
Cajun Seasoning
- Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside to season the whole turkey.
Smoked Turkey
- Preheat your smoker to 250F.
- Spray the spatchcocked turkey with cooking spray to bind the spices to the skin. Sprinkle on the Cajun rub seasoning and massage into the skin to fully coat the top.
- Slice 3/4 of the cajun compound butter into 1/2-inch thick slices. Gently pull the skin away from the meat of the breast and thighs of the turkey. Place the slices of butter in various areas along the breast and thigh meat.
- In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the remaining butter. Then using a meat injector, inject the melted butter directly into a few areas along the breast, thighs, and drumstick meat.
- Place the seasoned turkey in your preheated smoker and place a drip pan under the meat to collect the drippings for a dressing or gravy.
- Let cook until the internal temp in the thickest part of the breast meat reads 165F. Usually, it should take 4 hours for an 8-8.5 lb turkey, but this time varies depending on the size of your bird.