Franklin-Style Smoked Turkey Breast

Aaron Franklin's cult-favorite turkey: overnight brine, coarse pepper crust, and a butter-baste wrap that keeps every slice juicy.

Prep

12-18 hours brine, 15 minutes rub

Cook

2-2.5 hours on the smoker

Rest

20 minutes wrapped

Equipment

• Non-reactive brining container or 2-gallon zip bag
• Smoker capable of a steady 275F
• Instant-read thermometer
• Leave-in probe thermometer
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil
• Post oak, plus a small amount of pecan or cherry

Ingredients

• 1 bone-in, skin-on turkey breast, 6-8 lbs
• 1 gallon cold water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp 16-mesh coarse black pepper
• 1 tbsp coarse kosher salt (for the rub, on top of the brine)
• 1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into pats
• Post oak, plus a small amount of pecan or cherry
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil for the wrap

Method

1. 01

   Whisk 1 cup salt and brown sugar into a gallon of cold water until fully dissolved. Submerge the turkey breast, weight it under a plate so it stays covered, and refrigerate 12-18 hours. Do not skip - dry turkey starts with skipped brine.

2. 02

   Pull the breast, rinse briefly, and pat dry inside and out. Let it air-dry on a rack in the fridge for 30 minutes so the skin will crisp instead of steam.

3. 03

   Rub with a 2:1 ratio of coarse pepper to salt (roughly 2 tbsp pepper, 1 tbsp salt). No sugar in the rub - it burns and turns the skin bitter over a long smoke.

4. 04

   Fire the smoker to 275F with post oak and a small amount of pecan or cherry for color. Place the breast skin-side up, closest to the cooler side of the pit if you're on an offset.

5. 05

   Smoke undisturbed until internal 140F in the thickest part of the breast, roughly 1.5-2 hours. The skin should be deep bronze and the bark set.

6. 06

   Lay out a large sheet of heavy foil. Scatter the butter pats across the foil, place the breast skin-side down directly on the butter, and wrap tight. This is the Franklin move - the butter self-bastes the skin without softening the bark on the meat side.

7. 07

   Return to the smoker seam-side up. Pull at internal 155-158F (about 30-45 more minutes). Carryover will bring it to a safe 165F while it rests.

8. 08

   Rest wrapped for 20 minutes. Unwrap, save the buttery pan juices, slice against the grain at 1/4 inch, and spoon the juices over the sliced meat right before serving.

How to serve

• Serve on butcher paper drizzled with the reserved butter juice.
• Killer sandwich: sliced turkey, cranberry mayo, sharp cheddar, and pickled onions on a soft roll.