This delicious Traeger Smoked Turkey with stuffing is incredibly juicy and flavorful! It’s the best way to make your Thanksgiving turkey with only 15 minutes of prep, and the result is moist, tender meat from a flavorful turkey stuffed with delicious apple stuffing and crispy, crunchy candied pecans.
Table of Contents
- What Is Traeger Smoked Turkey?
- Watch 🎥: How to smoke a turkey on a pellet grill
- Pellet Grill Turkey Ingredients
- CANDIED PECANS INGREDIENTS
- APPLE STUFFING INGREDIENTS
- SMOKED TURKEY INGREDIENTS
- Best pellets for smoking turkey
- How to Smoke Turkey on Traeger
- MAKE THE CANDIED PECANS
- MAKE THE APPLE STUFFING
- SMOKE THE TURKEY
- How to stuff turkey
- How long to smoke a turkey on a pellet grill
- Traeger Turkey Recipe Tips
- What to serve with a Traeger Turkey
- MORE SMOKED TURKEY RECIPES
- Traeger Turkey Recipe Recipe
- Traeger Smoked Turkey FAQs
Imagine the scene, right out of a Dickens novel: your guests gather around the table, eyes widening as you unveil a masterpiece – a flawless smoked turkey, its skin glistening with a deep mahogany hue. But the real showstopper? The aroma of candied pecans and apples from the perfectly cooked stuffing – promising a smoked turkey that knocks the classics out of the park.
We’ve combined the time-honored tradition of smoking with a stuffing with the simplicity of a pellet smoker. What you get is a turkey that’s moist and flavorful, with a stuffing so good, you’ll be tempted to make it year-round.
What Is Traeger Smoked Turkey?
Traeger Smoked Turkey is turkey cooked in a Traeger grill or smoker. We love using a smoker for this recipe because the wood pellets impart a delicious smoky flavor to the bird without overpowering it like this Smoked Whole Chicken and Smoked Beer Can Chicken. The smoker also gives the turkey a beautiful crispy skin that delivers a nice crunch with every bite. If you love a classic delicious turkey with stuffing, this one is the best smoked turkey you’re ever going to make!
Watch 🎥: How to smoke a turkey on a pellet grill
Pellet Grill Turkey Ingredients
This recipe looks complicated, but it’s really 3 quick and easy recipes in one. Trust us, it’s worth it. See our guide for The Best Wood for Smoking Turkey before you even get started to make sure the hopper is full!
CANDIED PECANS INGREDIENTS
- Pecans – Use whole pecans, not chopped.
- Water and Brown Sugar – The “candy” for the pecans. The brown sugar dissolves into the water, which then hardens around the pecans to form a sweet, crunchy exterior.
- Creole Seasoning – We use Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning Apple Stuffing.
APPLE STUFFING INGREDIENTS
- Wheat Bread – Cut into ½-inch cubes.
- Apples – Any tart apple will work. Be sure to peel, seed, and chop into small chunks.
- Butter – Used to add flavor depth and sauté the veggies.
- Onion and Celery – Sautéed with the apple to add sweetness, flavor, and texture to the stuffing.
- Garlic – We recommend using freshly minced garlic for the best flavor.
- Parsley, Rosemary, and Thyme – We recommend using fresh herbs but dry herbs will work in a pinch.
- Candied Pecans – From above.
- Fresh Parsley – More for garnish, if desired.
SMOKED TURKEY INGREDIENTS
- Turkey – You’ll need one 12 to 17-lb fresh turkey or whatever size is right for your family. Make sure it’s thawed ahead of time and no longer frozen, with the giblets removed, so you have plenty of time to cook it the day of (and make giblet gravy to go with it all). See our notes on turkey cooking time below. Be sure to save the leftover bones for homemade turkey stock.
- Injectable Marinade – We use Tony Chachere’s Praline Honey Ham Injectable Marinade.
- Oil – You can use vegetable or canola oil.
- Creole Seasoning – Again, use Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning Apple Stuffing.
- Candied Pecans, Coarse Kosher Salt, and Fresh Parsley – For garnish!
Best pellets for smoking turkey
When it comes to the best wood for smoking turkey, we love B&B Pecan Pellets or Jack Daniel’s Charcoal pellets for a perfect smoke flavor.
How to Smoke Turkey on Traeger
There are three parts to this Traeger turkey recipe, but don’t worry. They’re all easy to make!
MAKE THE CANDIED PECANS
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then toast the pecans until fragrant, stirring as needed.
- Combine the water, brown sugar, and creole seasoning in a small bowl.
- Remove the pecans from the heat and quickly pour the brown sugar mixture over them. Toss to coat.
- Pour the coated pecans onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet to cool.
MAKE THE APPLE STUFFING
- Lay the bread out on two baking sheets in a single layer for 4-6 hours to allow it to become stale.
- In the skillet you used for the pecans, heat butter over medium heat and swirl to coat the pan.
- Add in the apple, onion, and celery, and sauté for 5-7 minutes. Add in garlic, parsley, rosemary, and thyme, and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Remove from heat, then fold the apple and onion mix into a large bowl with the bread.
- Add the chopped pecans and toss to make sure everything is combined. Season with creole seasoning, if necessary.
SMOKE THE TURKEY
- Prep your Traeger grill or electric smoker on the smoke setting. When the smoker setting has warmed up, set it to 200-225 degrees F.
- Pat the turkey dry with paper towels, then place it into an aluminum pan or roasting pan. Tuck the arms back behind the body and tie the legs together to leave an opening for the cavity later.
- Pour the Tony’s Praline Honey Ham Injectable Marinade into a measuring cup, fill the injector, then plunge the injector into the turkey, about ½-1″ apart each time, pressing the injection all over the whole turkey.
- Place the pan with the turkey into the smoker and smoke for 3 hours. After 3 hours, remove the turkey (in the pan), and use a baster to remove and reserve any drippings.
- Stuff the turkey with the prepared stuffing, mix oil and seasoning in a bowl and brush a quarter of it over the whole bird. Place the turkey back onto the grill and continue to smoke.
- Cook for another 3 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the remaining oil mix and removing drippings as needed. Be sure to reserve them.
- When the turkey has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F with a meat probe or digital instant-read meat thermometer, remove it from the smoker, cover it, and allow it to rest for 25-30 minutes before carving.
- OPTIONAL: make gravy from the reserved drippings and giblets, if desired.
- Serve the turkey dinner garnished with additional candied pecans, freshly minced parsley, and gravy!
How to stuff turkey
Let the turkey smoke for 3 hours before carefully removing it from the grill.
Using a turkey baster, remove any drippings from the cavity (you can set these aside to boil later for gravy).
Carefully, fill the cavity of the turkey with the stuffing and tie the legs together at the ankle to hold it in place, then continue cooking as the recipe card instructs.
How long to smoke a turkey on a pellet grill
A 12 to 17 pound turkey will take between 5 to 7 hours on a pellet smoker.
Traeger Turkey Recipe Tips
- Know your smoker. How any smoker holds and maintains heat will change the duration of this cook. Make sure you are monitoring the ambient temp when smoking and grilling.
- Skip the brine time. Turkey loves a good brine, but with quick and easy injection instructions, the brine isn’t needed.
- Reserve the drippings. Don’t forget to save any drippings you remove from the turkey. This can be used as the base for homemade gravy!
- Brush the turkey a few times with the oil and spice blend while it’s smoking to keep the skin of the turkey pretty and add a little extra flavor.
- Let the turkey rest. After the turkey is done cooking, and has temped in the thickest part of the thigh and the thickest part of the breast to a food safe 165 degrees F, be sure to let it rest for 20-25 minutes before cutting into it. This allows the juices and flavor to soak back into the meat so it doesn’t just seep out when you cut into it.
- To prep ahead of time: If you want to prep some of this recipe ahead of time, you can make the stuffing up to a day in advance and store it in the fridge. You can also make the candied pecans up to two days in advance and store them at room temperature.
- You can use a pellet grill or electric grill if you don’t have a smoker. If you do this, we recommend using pecan chips, but you could also use cherry or hickory.
- This recipe works on smaller turkeys or large birds! You just need to adjust the timing for the weight of the turkey.
What to serve with a Traeger Turkey
This delicious turkey pairs perfectly with side dishes like Smoked Cabbage, Smoked Potato Salad, and Smoked Mac and Cheese! Or go for a traditional Thanksgiving menu with homestyle mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, delicious glazed air fryer carrots, and pumpkin pie!
MORE SMOKED TURKEY RECIPES
When you dig into that beautifully smoked turkey, it’s like unlocking a treasure chest of amazing flavors and smells. The meat’s juicy tenderness wrapped up in that gentle smokiness is all about the good times of outdoor cooking and the fun of making a meal that’s anything but ordinary. If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe card and leave a comment below to help out the next reader!
Traeger Turkey Recipe
Recommended Equipment
- Pellet smoker
Ingredients
For the Quick Candied Pecans:
- 1 cup whole pecans
- 4 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 teas Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
For the Apple Stuffing
- 1 loaf wheat bread cut into 1/2″ cubes
- 2 tart apples peeled, seeded and chopped
- 8 tbsp butter
- 1 1/2 white or yellow onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp fresh Parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh Rosemary chopped
- 1 teas fresh Thyme removed from stem
- 1/2 cup Quick Candied Pecans chopped
- fresh parsley for garnish
For the Smoked Turkey
- 1 12-17 lb turkey giblets removed and patted dry
- 4 – 6 oz Tony Chachere’s Praline Honey Ham Injectable Marinade
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 – 2 tbsp Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning Apple Stuffing
- Candied pralines coarse salt and fresh minced parsley for garnish
Instructions
Make the Candied Pecans
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat
- Toast the pecans until just fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring as needed.
- Meanwhile, combine the water, brown sugar andTony’s Original Creole Seasoning in a small bowl.
- Remove the pecans from heat and quickly pour the brown sugar blend over them. Toss to coat.
- Pour out onto a wax paper lined baking sheet to cool.
- The pecans can be prepped 2 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container until ready to use.
Make the Apple Stuffing
- Lay the bread out on two baking sheets in a single layer for 4 to 6 hours, allowing the bread to become stale.
- In the same skillet you used for the pecans, heat the butter for the stuffing over medium heat. Swirl to coat the pan.
- Sauté the apple, onion and celery until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, parsley, rosemary and thyme and cook 30 seconds longer.
- Remove from heat and fold the apple and onion mix into a large bowl with the bread.
- Add the chopped pecans and toss to make sure everything is thoroughly combined and the bread is all coated in butter. Season with a dash of Tony’s Original Creole Seasoning if necessary.
- The stuffing can be prepped a day ahead of time and stored in a the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to use.
Smoke the Turkey
- Prep your electric smoker on the smoke setting. Use apple pellets if possible. See additional directions for traditional smoking.
- When the smoker setting has warmed up, set the smoker to 200 to 225 degrees.
- Pat the turkey thoroughly dry. Place into an aluminum pan or other rimmed pan.
- Tuck the arms back behind the body and tie the legs together, leaving an opening for the cavity for later.
- Pour the Tony’s Praline Honey Ham Injectable Marinade into a measuring cup and fill the injector.
- Plunge the injector into the turkey, about 1/2 – 1″ apart each time, pressing the injection into the turkey.
- Place the pan with the turkey in the smoker and smoke for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, carefully remove the turkey. Using a baster, remove and reserve any drippings.
- Stuff the turkey with the prepared Candied Pecan and Apple Stuffing.
- Mix the vegetable oil and seasoning in a bowl and brush a quarter of it over the turkey.
- Cook for an additional 3 hours, or until the turkey safely temps at 165 F, basting every 30 minutes with the remaining oil mix and remove the drippings as needed, being sure to reserve them for later.
- When the turkey has reached an internal temp of 165, carefully remove from the smoker, cover and allow to rest for 25 to 30 minutes before carving.
- Garnish with additional candied pecans and freshly minced parsley.
- Meanwhile, make gravy from the reserved drippings and giblets, if desired.
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Traeger Smoked Turkey FAQs
You’ll add the stuffing to the turkey halfway through the cook time. So the turkey will cook on its own for 3 hours; you’ll add the stuffing, then it will cook for the final 3 hours.
If the stuffing were cooked for the full 6 hours with the turkey, it would dry out.
If you opt to cook the stuffing outside of the turkey, place it in a shallow baking dish and cook it in the pellet grill for 3 hours to heat through.
My favorite answer to this question is to use whatever smoking wood you have on hand. However, if you are going shopping for wood anyway, we recommend using sweet wood like cherry, apple, or pecan.
You can use hickory or mesquite, but the flavor is pretty intense, especially after 6 hours of cooking.
We use charcoal pellets with out Traeger pellet smoker, and add wood chunks to the back corner for added smokey flavor. But you can use the wood pellets of your choice.
This depends on the size of your turkey, but for the 12 to 17-pound turkey we use in this recipe, it takes about 6 hours! A general rule is 30 minutes per pound of turkey. Adjust the total cook time accordingly.
TIP: Use a meat probe or thermometer to verify that the internal temperature of the turkey is at least 165 degrees F before serving. This may mean your dark meat (turkey legs) got to 170 degrees F, but that’s totally ok.
Normally, we would say soaking the turkey in a cold saltwater solution or a brine is the key to a moist turkey. And in most cases, that’s true!
However, since we’re using Tony’s Praline Honey Ham Injectable Marinade, there’s no real need to brine the turkey. The injectable marinade adds moisture and flavor like a brine would but without the extra time.
Additionally, since the turkey is cooked low and slow in the Traeger smoker, there is less of a concern about it drying out.
Comments from people who have tried it?
Hi Marsha, there are comments from people who have tried this in the comment section. Hope you give it a try!
Tried your recipe…my family loved it!
Thank you!
Our turkey is being smoked by a local restaurant but I want to use this stuffing recipe. What are your recommendations for baking it on its own?
Hi Jahna, make the stuffing (with the candied pecans and apples) as per the recipe and place it in a glass baking dish, or casserole dish (whatever you happen to have on hand) melt a little extra butter and drizzle it over top just to keep things moist, and bake it at 325F for 50 minutes to 1 hour. You may want to place foil over the top for the first 30 minutes or so, to avoid an extra crispy top on the stuffing.
Enjoy that turkey!