Smoked Turkey with Cajun Butter

Name: Smoked Turkey with Cajun Butter
Yield: 6-8
Ingredients: One 12-ounce can beer of lager, at room temperature; ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted; 4 large garlic cloves, crushed and lightly chopped; 4 tablespoons Chica Licka Bam Bam, divided; 2 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce; One 12-14 pound natural turkey, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels; Vegetable oil, for brushing

Using a meat injector is faster than brining, and a great way to infuse every slice of roasted turkey with deeply seasoned flavor. In this recipe, I use a beer-and-butter mixture seasoned with Chica Licka Bam Bam and a kick of Louisiana-style hot sauce, for brightness. After the liquid is injected, I season the entire bird with the same seasoning. The result is a deeply seasoned, juicy bird with a kick of Cajun heat. Fair warning: you’ll have a hard time not eating the spicy, crispy skin while you carve the bird.

Smoked Turkey with Cajun Butter

Rated 4.7 stars by 6 users

Servings

6-8

Prep Time

15-20 minutes

Cook Time

2-3 hours

It’s important that the beer be at room temp; if it’s cold it will coagulate the melted butter. When using the injector, you’ll get the best results if you inject the liquid slowly. To avoid overcooking the bird, I pull it from the heat at 155-160F. The residual heat will bring the turkey to temperature while it rests.

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Ingredients

One 12-ounce can beer of lager, at room temperature
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
4 large garlic cloves, crushed and lightly chopped
4 tablespoons Chica Licka Bam Bam, divided
2 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce
One 12-14 pound natural turkey, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
Vegetable oil, for brushing

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Directions

To make the injection, place beer, butter, garlic, 2 tablespoons of Chica Licka Bam Bam and hot sauce in the jar of a blender and puree until completely smooth. Using a meat injection syringe, inject the mixture into the turkey meat all over the bird, with each injection spaced about 1-inch apart.
Season turkey inside and out with the remaining Chica Licka Bam Bam. Fold wings under the body and tie the legs together, and then brush the entire turkey lightly with vegetable oil.
Prepare your grill for two-zone cooking and build a medium-high fire. When the coals are glowing red and covered with a fine gray ash, add a couple chunks of hardwood to the periphery of the fire. When the fire begins to produce a steady stream of smoke, place the turkey over indirect heat, vent the grill for smoking, and cook until an instant read thermometer registers 155-160°F in the thickest part of the breast, 2-3 hours depending on the size of your bird.
Remove the turkey from the grill and allow it to rest, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Carve as desired and serve.