Smoked or oven baked turkey (chicken) with a chili powder & cumin based poultry rub
Prep Time12 hourshrs
Active Time2 hourshrs
Resting Time20 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: BBQ, bbq rub, Big Green Egg, chicken rub, Turkey
Yield: 12
Author: The Fowl Ham
Materials
Smokey Fowl Rub
2TbspChili Powder
1TbspKosher Salt
2tspBlack Pepper
2½tspGround Cumin
1tspDry Rosemary
1tspDry Thyme
1tspDark Brown Sugar
½tspGround Chipotle Pepper - optional
The Fowl Brine
1cupKosher salt
½cupCrushed Red-Pepper Flakes
2-3clovesGarlic - mashed
2Sliced Jalapenos - remove seeds for less heat
2QTHot Water
6QTCold Water
The Fowl Prep
10-13lbsTurkey - not a pre-brined turkey
Spray olive oil
Instructions
The Fowl Prep
Make the smoked poultry rub. Combine all ingredients. Set aside.
Spatchcock bird. This is not necessary but does promote even cooking and reduction in cook time.
Prepare the brine In a stock pot by warming 2 QT water to dissolve the salt.
Remove pot from heat and add remaining ingredients.
Add the turkey to the roaster, making sure the brine is covering the bird.
Place in fridge for a minimum of 8 hrs to overnight.
2 hrs before you want to cook, rinse and dry the bird. If you don't want a spicy bird, make sure you rinse off all the jalapeno seeds and red pepper flakes.
Save a cup or 2 of the brine for the steam element of the cook.
Using the poultry rub, generously apply rub to the bird including the cavity and under the breast skin.
Let the bird get happy in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
Use a light spray of olive oil right before cooking.
Smoke that Fowl
Set the smoker up for indirect heat, using some fruit wood with your normal fuel.
Bring smoker up to 250° - 275 °
Place a drip pan of some of the brine under the grate. This will catch the drippings as well as add some flavored steam to the cook.
When breast meat reaches 155°, remove from smoker and let the bird rest for 20-30mins
Bake the Bird
Preheat oven to 300°
Place turkey in the roasting pan with a small tin of brine (or apple juice) in the oven
Bake for 2.5 - 3 hrs, remove from oven when breast temp is 155 - 160°
Rest for 20 minutes
Notes
This method is perfect for a turkey or larger size roaster (chicken). We've even tried it on duck!If you forget or don't want to use the brine for the steam, apple juice or chicken stock works well.