Cranberry Pecan Stuffed Turkey Breast

I like to do turkey a little different at Christmas since Thanksgiving usually “does me in” on turkey in general. This cranberry pecan stuffed turkey breast cooked in the smoker is a wonderful dish that allows you to use turkey while mixing things up a little bit.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 3 hours
• Smoker Temp: 225°F
• Meat Finish Temp: 165°F
• Recommended Wood: Pecan, Cherry (Any fruit wood)

• 2+ Turkey breasts, skinless and boneless
• Jeff's original rub (purchase recipes here)
• Cranberries, dried and sweetened
• Pecans, chopped
• Stuffing (homemade or boxed)
• Cooking twine
• Meat mallet
• Butter, melted (for basting during cooking)

Lay the turkey breast on the cutting board.

Slice through the short ends and one of the long sides.

Leave one of the long sides uncut.

This allows you to open the turkey breast like a book.

Completely butterflied

Lay plastic wrap on top of the turkey breast and pound the meat to flatten it evenly to about ¼ inch thickness.

Use a meat mallet to accomplish this task.

Note: start in the center of the meat and work towards the outside edges.

Before:

After:

As you can see, I was able to increase the surface area quite a bit. This also evened out the thickness which will help us to roll it and it will cook more evenly.

Sprinkle a little of my original rub (purchase recipes here) on the inside surface area of the turkey breast.

Make a small batch of your favorite stuffing either homemade or boxed.

Spoon some of the uncooked stuffing onto the top of the seasoned meat.

Leave about ½ inch around the edges and about 2 inches on the end away from you.

Add some dried sweetened cranberries and chopped pecans to the top of the stuffing.

Roll up the turkey breast as tightly as you can.

Use 4 pieces of cooking twine to tie the stuffed and rolled turkey breast into place.

I used the Texas style rub recipe (purchase recipes here) on the outside of the turkey breast but you can also use the original rub recipe (purchase recipes here) as well.

Place the turkey breast(s) on a Bradley rack, Weber grill pan or cookie sheet to make it easy to transport to and from the smoker.

Small items such as this work really well in all types of smokers including the electric and gas models. Set up whatever smoker you have available for cooking at about 225°F using indirect heat. If your smoker came with a water pan, use it.

Once the smoker is heated and ready, place the stuffed, rolled turkey breasts directly on the smoker grate.

Use pecan wood if you have it or any fruit wood will work really well with this.

I recommend keeping the smoke going for at least 2 hours if possible. You can also keep the smoke going the entire time as long  you keep the smoke thin and light.. what we call thin blue smoke.

About once every hour, I recommend basting the turkey with a little melted butter to keep the outside of the meat moist so it does not dry out.

Use a digital probe meat thermometer to monitor the temperature of the meat while it cooks. When it hits 165°F in the center, it is perfectly done and should be removed from the smoker right away.

Let it sit on the cabinet for 10 minutes then remove the strings.

Snip-snip

Slice it into ½ to ¾ inch slices.

Serve immediately with all of your other favorite fixings and sides.

***Note: you get the Texas style rub recipe free with your order!

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Printable Recipe

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Cranberry Pecan Stuffed Turkey Breast

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

3 hrs

 

I like to do turkey a little different at Christmas since Thanksgiving usually “does me in” on turkey in general. This cranberry pecan stuffed turkey breast cooked in the smoker is a wonderful dish that allows you to use turkey while mixing things up a little bit.

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Hot Smoking

Servings: 4 -6

Author: Jeff Phillips

What You'll Need

• 2 + Turkey breasts , skinless and boneless
• Jeff’s rub (purchase recipes here)
• Cranberries , dried and sweetened
• Pecans , chopped
• Stuffing (homemade or boxed)
• Cooking twine
• Meat mallet
• Butter , melted (for basting during cooking)

Instructions

Butterfly and Pound the Turkey Breast(s)

1. Lay the turkey breast on the cutting board.
2. Slice through the short ends and one of the long sides.
3. Leave one of the long sides uncut. This allows you to open the turkey breast like a book.
4. Lay plastic wrap on top of the turkey breast and pound the meat to flatten it evenly to about ¼ inch thick.
5. Use a meat mallet to accomplish this task. Start in the center of the meat and work towards the outside edges.

Season and Stuff the Turkey Breasts

1. Sprinkle a little of my rub on the inside surface area of the turkey breast.
2. Spoon some of the uncooked stuffing onto the top of the seasoned meat. Leave about ½ inch around the edges and about 2 inches on the end away from you.
3. Add some dried sweetened cranberries and chopped pecans to the top of the stuffing.

Roll It Up and Tie It

1. Roll up the turkey breast as tightly as you can.
2. Use 4 pieces of cooking twine to tie the stuffed and rolled turkey breast into place.

Season the Outside

1. Sprinkle the Texas style rub recipe on the outside of the turkey breast.
2. Place the turkey breast(s) on a Bradley rack or cookie sheet to make it easy to transport to and from the smoker.

Smoke the Meat

1. Set up whatever smoker you have available for cooking at about 225°F using indirect heat. If your smoker came with a water pan, use it.
2. Once the smoker is heated and ready, place the stuffed, rolled turkey breasts directly on the smoker grate.
3. Use pecan wood if you have it or any fruit wood will work really well with this.
4. I recommend keeping the smoke going for at least 2 hours if possible. You can also keep the smoke going the entire time as long you keep the smoke thin and light.. what we call thin blue smoke.
5. About once every hour, baste the turkey with a little melted butter to keep the outside of the meat moist so it does not dry out.

Finish and Serve

1. Use a digital probe meat thermometer to monitor the temperature of the meat while it cooks.
2. When it hits 165°F in the center, it is perfectly done and should be removed from the smoker right away.
3. Let it sit on the cabinet for 10 minutes then remove the strings.
4. Slice it into ½ to ¾ inch slices.
5. Serve immediately with all of your other favorite fixings and sides.