Smoked Boneless Turkey Breast with Texas Butter

For the longest time, I thought smoked turkey was only worth making around Thanksgiving, but once I started smoking boneless turkey breast regularly, it quickly became one of my favorite things to throw on the smoker. It cooks faster than a full turkey, takes on smoke flavor incredibly well, and is much easier to manage for smaller gatherings. 

In this post, I’ll walk through exactly how to smoke a boneless turkey breast, what temperature works best, how long to smoke turkey breast per pound, and a few tricks (like my Texas butter injection) that help keep it juicy from start to finish.

Jump to:

• How to Keep Smoked Boneless Turkey Breast Juicy
• What Temperature Should You Smoked Boneless Turkey Breast At?
• How Long Does it Take to Smoke Boneless Turkey Breast at 225°F?
• Ingredients
• How to Smoke Boneless Turkey Breast
• Equipment
• Storing & Reheating Smoked Boneless Turkey Breast
• Don’t Want to Use the Texas Butter Injection? Try These Options Instead
• Recipe

How to Keep Smoked Boneless Turkey Breast Juicy

Turkey breast is naturally lean, which means it can dry out quickly if you're not careful. The good news is that a few simple techniques make a huge difference when smoking boneless turkey breast.

Pulling Your Turkey Breast at The Right Temperature

The biggest thing is avoiding overcooking. I like pulling the turkey from the smoker around 160–162°F internal temperature and letting carryover cooking bring it safely to 165°F while it rests. If you cook it all the way to 165°F on the smoker, the turkey will continue to climb in temperature during the resting period and can dry out quickly.

Using an Injection

Injecting the turkey with melted butter or a seasoned liquid also helps tremendously. In this recipe, the Texas Butter mixture I use adds moisture, richness, and flavor throughout the meat, rather than just seasoning the surface.

Using the “Texas Crutch”

Wrapping the turkey breast during the second half of the cook is another huge factor in keeping it juicy. In BBQ, this technique is commonly referred to as the “Texas Crutch” — a method where you wrap meat in foil or butcher paper partway through cooking to help retain moisture and push through the stall faster.

While turkey breast doesn’t experience a traditional stall quite like brisket or pork shoulder, the concept still works incredibly well here. Once the turkey has absorbed enough smoke flavor, wrapping it in foil with the Texas Butter mixture helps trap moisture and prevents the exterior from drying out while the inside finishes cooking.

The added butter also slowly bastes the turkey throughout the remainder of the cook, helping the meat stay tender while building even more flavor.

What Temperature Should You Smoked Boneless Turkey Breast At?

I prefer smoking boneless turkey breast on a pellet grill or smoker at 225°F. Most meats I smoke run closer to 275°F, but turkey breast cooks relatively quickly since it only needs to reach 165°F internally. Running the smoker at 225°F gives the meat more time to absorb smoke flavor while still producing juicy results. I will note that I cook boneless turkey breasts skin-off, too, so having rubbery skin doesn’t come into play here. 

If you prefer a lighter smoke flavor or want to reduce cook time, 275–300°F also works well.

How Long Does it Take to Smoke Boneless Turkey Breast at 225°F?

Boneless turkey breast usually requires about 30–40 minutes per pound when smoked at 225°F. Smaller 2–3 pound turkey breasts may finish in about 2–3 hours total, while larger 6–10 pound breasts can take 4–6 hours depending on thickness and smoker temperature. Rather than cooking strictly by time, though, concentrate on internal temperature. Pull the turkey once it reaches 160–162°F, and let it carryover-cook during the rest period to bring it safely to 165°F.

Ingredients

• Turkey Breast (Boneless & skinless): If you're making turkey for only yourself or a small crowd, a 2-3 lbs. boneless & skinless turkey breast is ideal for a smaller event or a few leftover lunches. However, I prefer the 6-10 lbs. boneless turkey breasts, but they carry a substantially heavier price tag. They're great for smoking, though. If, for whatever reason, you can only find a skin-on boneless turkey breast, just remove the skin — it doesn’t give you any major benefit for this cook. 
• BBQ Rub of Choice: I've used several different rubs, from SPG to Cajun and traditional BBQ rub. Honestly, this is based on personal preference, but I'll tell you that simple salt and pepper work just fine because of the flavor infused with the compound butter.
• Butter: The basis for “Texas Butter,” adding moisture and richness.
• Garlic & Mustard: Provide pungency and tang to balance the fat.
• Paprika & Cayenne: Bring color and gentle heat without overwhelming the flavor.
• Lemon Juice: A splash of acidity that brightens the entire flavor profile.
• Chives and parsley: Make sure you mince these finely before injecting so they don't clog the injector.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Smoke Boneless Turkey Breast

Step 1: PREP THE BUTTER MIXTURE

Melt eight tablespoons of butter in a small bowl. Stir in garlic paste, mustard, lemon juice, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, parsley, and chives. If using soon, keep it at room temperature so the butter doesn't solidify, or refrigerate if using later. 

Step 2: INJECT & SEASON THE TURKEY

Pat the turkey breast dry to remove any residue from the original packaging. Inject the turkey at several points with half the butter mixture (or skip if you prefer no injection).

Generously sprinkle BBQ rub, making sure the surface is thoroughly coated. Tuck it into the fridge for 2–3 hours to let those flavors sink in. If you don't have that kind of time, letting it sit for 15-30 minutes also works fine. 

Step 3: SMOKING THE TURKEY

Preheat your smoker to 225°F. For most cuts of meat, I like to smoke around 275°F. Place the turkey breast on a wire rack for easy handling. Let it cook until the meat thermometer shows 130–140°F, typically around 1½–2 hours. At that point, the turkey has already developed good smoke color and flavor.

Step 4: FOIL & BUTTER WRAP

Remove the turkey from the smoker. Lay out a large foil sheet and fold the edges to catch juices. Place the turkey presentation-side down and pour the remaining butter mixture (or half if you didn’t inject earlier) over the turkey. Placing the turkey in the foil this way, to a large extent, is purely for aesthetics, not for function, but it gives you an excellent presentation at the end. Wrap tightly and return to the smoker.

Step 5: FINISH COOKING

Continue smoking until the internal temp hits 160–162°F. Let the turkey rest wrapped for at least 20 minutes, allowing the protein fibers to reabsorb juices. During this time, carryover cooking will push it to 165°F during the rest period, making sure it’s safe to eat.

Step 6: SLICE & SERVE

Carefully unwrap the foil and drizzle with any leftover Texas Butter. Let the turkey reach a safe handling temperature before slicing. That means letting it get to ~140°F, right above the temperature danger zone, so you can still reduce the chance of bacterial growth, but low enough that the meat has had a chance to cool and the juices so they can redistribute throughout the poultry for the juiciest bite.

A Note on Slicing Boneless Turkey Breast

When slicing, only cut what you need at that meal, meaning "slice to serve." Larger chunks of meat reheat better, stay more tender, and provide better flavor than cutting the entire thing into smaller pieces. In layman’s terms, it helps prevent your turkey leftovers from coming out dry down the road. 

Equipment

• Smoker
• Meat Injector: You find these in a variety of qualities, from really good and durable to extremely flimsy. Over the years, I’ve decided to go the durable route, and here. is the one that I use: SpitJack Meat Injector
• Wire Rack & Foil
• Meat Thermometer
• Plastic Wrap and a Heavy-Duty Freezer Bag or a Vacuum Sealer

Storing & Reheating Smoked Boneless Turkey Breast

REFRIGERATION

Whenever I have leftover smoked turkey breast, I try to get it into the refrigerator within about two hours of cooking. Once it cools slightly, I transfer it to an airtight container or wrap it tightly to help lock in moisture and keep bacteria exposure to a minimum.

Properly stored, smoked turkey breast will usually last about 3–4 days in the refrigerator at 40°F or below. For a deeper dive into how I recommend storing turkey breast, you can check out my post here.

FREEZING

If I know I’m not going to finish the turkey within a few days, I’ll go ahead and freeze it. Freezing smoked turkey breast will generally maintain good quality for about 2–6 months. Personally, vacuum sealing is my favorite method because it does the best job preserving flavor and texture while helping prevent freezer burn. If I’m using freezer bags instead, I press out as much air as possible before sealing.

REHEATING

When it comes time to reheat the turkey, I prefer doing it in an oven or air fryer at 350 degrees until it’s warmed through (ideally 140 degrees if you have a thermometer). 

Don’t Want to Use the Texas Butter Injection? Try These Options Instead

• Thanksgiving Brown Gravy
• Alabama White Sauce
• Hot Honey BBQ Sauce
• Cherry Molasses BBQ Sauce

Recipe