This easy-to-make dry Smoked Turkey rub infuses your bird with bold flavors of smoked paprika, garlic, rosemary, and sage for a caramelized crust & tender, smoky perfection.
It's perfect for smoking your turkey, chicken, or other poultry on a grill.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Loads of flavor! The combination of flavors creates a truly delicious and unique crust on your turkey.
- Easy to make. The rub only takes a few minutes to mix together, and it can be stored in an airtight container for later use.
- Perfect for smoking. The smoke from the Traeger grill will enhance the flavors of the rub and create a truly mouthwatering turkey.
- Versatile. This dry rub for smoked turkey is delicious used on other meats as well, such as chicken, pork, or even salmon.
Ingredients You'll Need
This turkey rub recipe is a tasty way to kick up your turkey game a notch this year. Rub straight on the turkey skin after buttering or oiling it for a gorgeous color, crispy skin, and flawless flavor!
This turkey seasoning blend is easy to make, and you probably already have the ingredients in your pantry!
- Smoked Paprika - Swap the Paprika for Poultry Seasoning if you prefer a lighter golden brown smoked turkey.
- Coarse Sea Salt - You can also use Kosher salt.
- Black pepper - Ground medium fine, not too coarse.
- Thyme - Dried.
- Rosemary - Dried.
- Sage - Dried.
- Garlic powder - Or, garlic granules.
- Onion powder - Or, onion granules.
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make Turkey Rub Seasoning
This smoked turkey rub is perfect for any time of year, but it's especially popular during the holidays.
Whether you're smoking a turkey for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or anytime this dry turkey rub adds the perfect flavor.
Measure Spices and Seasonings
- Measure all the seasonings out into a bowl. The paprika can be omitted if you prefer a more light golden brown smoked turkey.
Mix Ingredient Until Blended
- Use a whisk, and blend all the spices together until they are uniformly blended. If you're making a Cajun variation, add half the cayenne, do a taste test with a pinch and decide if you need more cayenne.
- Transfer this Smoked Turkey Dry Rub in spice jars, mason jars, or any air tight container. Store in a cool, dark pantry location.
Tips for Success
- To get a crispy skin on your turkey, brush it with melted butter or oil before seasoning and smoking it.
- Smoke low and slow so you have juicy, tender turkey breast or turkey.
- Mix a small portion of dry turkey rub seasoning into the basting butter to give some extra flavor.
- Let the turkey or turkey breast rest for 15 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are a few delicious variations using this smoked turkey rub recipe:
- For Cajun smoked flavor, add ½ teaspoon of dried cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoon of Louisiana Cajun Seasoning to the rub.
- For Mexican smoked flavor, add 1 teaspoon of ground Cumin and 2 teaspoons of Chicken Taco Seasoning blend to the turkey rub recipe.
- If you don't have smoked paprika, you can use regular paprika.
How To Use This Turkey Rub Seasoning
To use smoked turkey rub, simply rub it all over the surface of your turkey. You can also use it to season other meats, such as chicken, pork, or salmon in the same manner.
If you're smoking your turkey on a Traeger grill, smoke it at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for 3-4 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Some terrific sides to serve with roasted or smoked turkey are:
- Roasted Rainbow Carrots
- Smoked Turkey Stuffing
- Instant Pot Bob Evan's Mashed Potatoes
- Baked Sweet Potato Slices
- Garlic Vermicelli Rice Pilaf (DIY Rice a Roni)
- Duchess Potatoes
- Jiffy Cornbread Stuffing
Storage Options
- The dry rub for smoked turkey can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 months.
Related Recipes
- Dutch Oven Turkey Breast
- Traeger Smoked Chicken Breasts
- Air Fryer Frozen Turkey Burgers
- Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
- Air Fryer Turkey Breast
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Below are some of my favorite pieces of equipment that I use when making rub for smoked turkey dry rub.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey. The turkey is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
It will take about 3-4 hours to smoke a turkey at 225 degrees Fahrenheit. If you want a crispy skin, baste the turkey with butter or oil every hour or so.
You can smoke your turkey in a smoker or even in your oven (fill a baking dish with some water and wood chips on the lower oven shelf). Just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
More Delish Ideas
Smoked Turkey Rub
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon Smoked Paprika
- 2 tablespoon Coarse Sea Salt
- 2 tablespoon Black pepper
- 2 tablespoon Thyme
- 2 tablespoon Rosemary
- 2 teaspoon Sage or poultry seasoning
- 2 tablespoon Garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne optional, for a more Cajun flavor
Instructions
- Measure all the seasonings out into a bowl. The paprika can be omitted if you prefer a more light golden brown smoked turkey. Replace it with poultry spice or rubbed sage.4 tablespoon Smoked Paprika, 2 tablespoon Coarse Sea Salt, 2 tablespoon Black pepper, 2 tablespoon Thyme, 2 tablespoon Rosemary, 2 teaspoon Sage, 2 tablespoon Garlic powder, 2 tablespoon Onion powder
- Use a whisk, and blend all the spices together until they are uniformly blended. If you're making a Cajun variation, add half the cayenne, do a taste test with a pinch and decide if you need more cayenne.1 teaspoon Cayenne
- Transfer this Smoked Turkey Dry Rub in spice jars, mason jars, or any air tight container. Store in a cool, dark pantry location.
Notes
- Swap the Paprika for Poultry Seasoning if you prefer a lighter golden brown smoked turkey.
- To get a crispy skin on your turkey, brush it with melted butter or oil before seasoning and smoking it.
- Smoke low and slow so you have juicy, tender turkey breast or turkey.
- Mix a small portion of dry turkey rub seasoning into the basting butter to give some extra flavor.
- Let the turkey or turkey breast rest for 15 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute.
Leave a Reply