Mmmm…it’s almost that time of year again – Turkey Day! This is certainly an appropriate nickname for Thanksgiving since many, many families across the U.S. will be cooking and enjoying a big bird. After all, they graced the table at the first Thanksgiving!

If you bake or roast your turkey in the oven every year…why? A smoked turkey is much juicier and more flavorful. And besides, it leaves your oven free for casseroles, cakes, pies, and rolls. We smoke a turkey every Thanksgiving, along with frying one or two. Some family members prefer the fried, while others prefer the smoked. Everyone, however, prefers either of these cooking methods to turkey baked in the oven.

We use an electric smoker. The heat is more consistent than that provided by a charcoal smoker, and it’s just a lot easier all the way around.

Here’s how to smoke a turkey that your Thanksgiving guests will rave about:

The day before you plan to smoke the turkey, you need to gather a little wood. Pecan twigs give the fowl the best flavor, in my opinion. If you don’t have access to pecan wood, use apple wood or peach wood. If you don’t have or can’t get either of these, purchase some hickory chips. Soak the twigs or chips in water overnight.

You can use any size turkey, just make sure it’s completely thawed. Remove the package of giblets and the neck. Rinse the turkey well with cool water – especially the cavity. Sprinkle the cavity with garlic salt – Lowry’s is best. Make a paste of sage, garlic salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. To give the seasoning a little bite, add red pepper and/or tobacco sauce. Rub the turkey all over with the paste. Inside the cavity, place an onion and an apple that have both been cut in half.

Fill the smoker’s water pan with apple juice. Place the twigs or chips on the burner.

Place the turkey on the bottom rack of the smoker. For the best results, place a fattier piece of meat on the top rack. A smoked ham or fresh pork roast work great. As the meat cooks, the fat that cooks out of the pork will drip onto the turkey, constantly basting it.

Put the lid on the smoker and begin smoking. After about six hours, add more apple juice, if needed. You’ll also need to add more wood occasionally – the more wood, the more smoke. The more smoke, the more flavor.

We usually smoke out turkeys for about twelve hours. You don’t have to worry about the turkey getting too dry because the heat in the smoker is moist due to the water pan. Electric smokers are very forgiving, so exact timing is not crucial to success.

We place our turkey on the smoker before we go to bed on Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve, and we take it off about thirty minutes before serving the next day. This is also a great turkey to serve for Easter dinner - or anytime! Sometimes hubby and I smoke a breast on the weekends, just for the two of us.

Now you’ll need some great Southern cornbread dressing to go with that turkey! Click the appropriate article below to learn how to make it.