Cajun Smoked Boneless Turkey Breast Recipe

I usually smoke whole bone-in turkey breasts on my smoker, but when bone-in breasts are hard to find I pick up a few frozen boneless Butterball breasts instead. They were on sale recently, so I bought six — I smoked three and kept three in the freezer. These Cajun smoked boneless turkey breasts are incredibly easy to make. Because they’re already injected with a brining solution, they stay moist and tender and aren’t prone to drying out.

It’s So Easy!

I rub the breasts with my favorite seasoning or rub, let them sit in the refrigerator overnight, then place them on the smoker for a few hours. No basting, no injecting — just smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.

Perfect Turkey

I chopped two of the smoked breasts into cubes for salads — the smoky flavor is perfect for that. I portion the chunks into about five containers and freeze them; I simply thaw one in the refrigerator the night before and have smoky turkey for salads throughout the week.

For smoking I prefer fruit or nut woods unless I want a very strong smoke flavor. Pecan, apple, and cherry are my favorites; I used pecan for these breasts.

I thin-sliced the remaining breast for sandwiches. They made excellent copies of Applebee’s Clubhouse Grille and Denny’s club-style sandwiches — tender, smoky, and easy to work with.

Cajun Smoked Boneless Turkey Breast

These Cajun smoked boneless turkey breasts are simple to prepare, stay juicy, and are very tender.

Course
Main

Cuisine
American

Keyword
Cajun, smoked, turkey

Prep Time
12 hours

Cook Time
2 hours

Total Time
14 hours

Servings
8

Calories
172kcal

Author
Mike

Equipment

Smoker

Ingredients

3
pounds
Butterball breast meat roast, defrosted
Cajun seasoning, to taste

Instructions

Remove the breast from the bag and discard any included gravy pack. Keep the netting in place.
Rinse the breast and pat it very dry.
Rub the breast liberally with Cajun seasoning — don’t be shy.
Wrap the seasoned breast in foil and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors meld.
Preheat your smoker to 225°F and add a light smoking wood such as pecan or maple.
Remove the breast from the foil and place it directly on the smoker. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Remove the breast from the smoker, wrap it in foil, and let it rest for 30 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Slice thin for excellent sandwiches or cube for salads. Store portions in the freezer for quick meals.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.