Smoked Turkey Sandwich Recipe
Our famous slow smoked turkey breast sliced thin and stacked high on a toasted bun. Topped with coleslaw or lettuce and pickle
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Ingredients
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Brine
Turkey & Smoking
Coleslaw
Assembly & Garnishes
Method
Brine
- 1
Make the brine
In a large pot, combine 4 cups of the water with the kosher salt and brown sugar. Warm gently over medium heat, stirring until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add bay leaves, peppercorns, smashed garlic cloves and thyme sprigs; simmer 2 minutes to bloom the aromatics. Remove from heat.
- 2
Cool and finish
Add the remaining 8 cups cold water and the ice to bring the brine down to room temperature quickly. The final brine should be cool (under 40°F / 4°C) before adding the turkey. If needed, refrigerate the brine until chilled.
- 3
Brine the turkey
Submerge the turkey breast in the cooled brine in a nonreactive container or a large resealable bag. Weight it so it stays submerged if necessary. Refrigerate and brine for 6–8 hours (do not exceed 12 hours for a 4 lb breast).
Turkey & Smoking
- 4
Remove, rinse, and dry
After brining, remove the turkey breast from the brine, discard the brine, and thoroughly rinse the turkey under cold water to remove surface salt. Pat the breast completely dry with paper towels. For best smoke penetration and bark, let it air-dry uncovered in the refrigerator for 1–2 hours if time allows.
- 5
Prep for smoking
Rub the skin and exposed meat lightly with yellow mustard — this acts as a binder (it won’t taste mustardy once smoked). Season evenly with the freshly ground black pepper. Allow to sit 15 minutes to let the binder tack up.
- 6
- 7
Smoke the turkey breast
Place the turkey breast on the smoker rack, skin side up. Smoke until the thickest part of the breast reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). For a 4 lb bone-in breast expect ~3–4 hours, but rely on an instant-read probe or leave-in thermometer for accuracy. Maintain consistent smoke and temperature; add wood as needed.
- 8
Rest the turkey
Once the internal temperature reaches 165°F, remove the breast from the smoker and tent loosely with foil. Let it rest 20–30 minutes; internal juices will redistribute and the temperature will rise a few degrees. After resting, thinly slice the breast across the grain into very thin slices for stacking.
Coleslaw
- 9
Make the dressing
In a mixing bowl combine mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, celery seed, salt and black pepper. Whisk until smooth and slightly glossy. Taste and adjust acidity or salt as desired.
- 10
Toss with cabbage
Add the bagged coleslaw mix to the dressing and toss until evenly coated. Let the slaw sit 10–15 minutes in the refrigerator to meld flavors and slightly soften the cabbage before assembling sandwiches.
Assembly & Garnishes
- 11
- 12
Assemble the sandwiches
Place the bottom bun on a board. Stack 4–6 thin slices of smoked turkey breast (about 4–6 oz of sliced meat) high on each bun until you achieve the desired mound. Top the turkey with a generous scoop (about 1/2 cup) of coleslaw, or if preferred, a leaf of lettuce instead of coleslaw. Add 2 dill pickle slices per sandwich (or more to taste). Cap with the top bun.
- 13
Serve
Serve the sandwiches warm. If desired, provide extra pickles and a side of fries or chips. Leftover sliced turkey keeps well refrigerated for 3–4 days and can be reheated gently or served cold.
