Dry Smoked Turkey Rub Recipe

Our smoked turkey rub recipe is amazing and only needs a few ingredients you have in your cupboard. Looking for the best turkey dry rub for meat, this is it! On top of our smoked turkey with dry rub is best but even used on an oven roasted bird is amazing too.

Turkey Dry Rub Recipe

This is NOT JUST for turkey y’all, you can put it on any meat to make it come out amazing!! We have coated pork chops, chicken thighs and even steaks with this sweet and savory mixture and it takes all meats from good to OH MY wow.

You can also of course cook it any way you want but smoking is our #1 favorite method. If you’re looking for a dry rub smoked turkey recipe we have instructions for that below, or use your own cooking method and this mixture. Just ne of many dry rub recipes on our site.

What should you season your turkey with?

Whether you are smoking on a Traeger, cooking a pressure cooker turkey or pressure cooker turkey breast, I’m telling you this combination of seasonings is the bomb!! It is best if rubbed on the outside to begin with but can be sprinkled on at the end as well, your choice.

The “secret” to why it tastes so good is this little can right here. Once you have it there are TONS of other great Old Bay recipes to make with it after that. You might think of it as just a seafood seasoning but oh my can you make so many other great things with it y’all, trust us.

When you try this you are going to be blown out of the water really. With this said you could easily use it on chicken throughout the year as well. The easiest way to do this is make in a large batch and store in a sealed container to sprinkle on without any measurements all the time.

Dry Brining a Turkey

This method of course uses no water. You just spray on some olive oil, rub the turkey with this mixture you throw together in a small bowl and bam, you’re done. It takes less than 15 minutes to make. The longer it sits on the skin the more intense the flavors will become. For us, longer is better so an hour is just right.

Which is better dry or wet brine turkey?

I have tried it both ways. We’ve also made this and a simple turkey brine that is wet but I will tell you that this dry rub is the BEST!! For a simple wet brine for a 12-14 pound turkey use 6 quarts of water with 1 ⅓ cups of kosher salt (if using Morton’s, use a bit less than a cup).

Do you have to brine a turkey?

Well no, but brining helps make a turkey super juicy and extra flavorful. If you refer to Bon Appetit it says all you have to do is rub salt on it the night before. That’s a sort of  dry brine. In blind taste tests a dry brined turkey far outranked a traditionally brined bird. I think the one thing that we use that may be a bit unexpected is Old Bay!! My favorite seasoning for all things.

Can you dry rub a frozen turkey?

We’ve even drizzled a bit of olive oil on an Instant Pot frozen turkey breast with this sprinkled on the top to give it some flavor but no it won’t be the same. In order to get the full effect of flavors you will need to defrost the outside a bit so you can dry the skin and get this to really adhere.

I’m obsessed with this seasoning. If you’ve never tried it, buy a container and make multiple batches so you can fill it full for the future and you can make a bunch of other things with it too.

Smoked Turkey Rub Ingredients

1. Old Bay seasoning brings a pop to it
2. Sea salt is better than table salt with larger crystals to stick better
3. Garlic powder or onion powder adds flavor
4. Cayenne pepper I add for a mild heat but could add more for spicy
5. Paprika is a great add in
6. Thyme is optional but works well for us

Things you will need to get started on cooking with this on the outside would be;

1. Olive oil spray
2. Paper towels are helpful
3. Thermometer to check internal meat temperature
4. Wood chips or pellets if you’re smoking 
5. Optional add ins:
6. Black pepper
7. A bit of brown sugar for some sweetness

A bit of olive oil spray is handy to have in order for your dry rub to stick well. Another tip is to use a wad of paper towels to dry the outside of the turkey skin. Then your olive oil will stick nicely and following that you will add your rub all over. You want a thick coating all around, just allow the excess to fall off before cooking.

Should I dry rub my turkey overnight?

Yes, dry rubbing your turkey overnight is a great idea! This allows the seasoning to penetrate the meat more deeply, enhancing the flavor and helping the skin to become crispier when roasted. The salt in the dry rub will also draw moisture from the skin, which can help it become nice and crispy during cooking. Just make sure to refrigerate it uncovered or loosely covered to allow the skin to dry out a bit, which contributes to the crisp texture.

Can I season my turkey the night before?

The night before your turkey goes in the oven or smoker you could season it with this blend. I will say I’ve never done it and would assume the flavors would be even more intense.  Before cooking, remove the turkey from the wet brine if you’re using that. Rinse it well under running water and pat dry inside and out with paper towels. You can rinse off this dry rub recipe too if you think it will be too strong. We prefer to season using this recipe the day of, and not rinse at all

How to cook

Here are the steps on how to cook a moist turkey. You’ll want to remove the wrapper and bag out of the cavity. Save items in baggie for later if you choose to add them to your gravy mix or discard. There are mixed opinions on whether you should rinse your turkey but we generally do. Preheat your smoker to 240 or 250 degrees now if you’re making it that way.

This is our very favorite way to make it. Using your Traeger or other brand creates the most flavorful meat and skin. Guaranteed you’ll be amazed.

• If making a sheet pan turkey, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place on a cutting board and pat dry with some paper towels.
• In a bowl mix together your turkey dry rub ingredients.
• Rub it generously on the outside skin.

Cook at this time following the directions in your recipe.

Do you cover a turkey when cooking it?

1. It is helpful at the beginning so it doesn’t brown too quickly. You can cover it all with a loose foil tent.
   • Or just cover the parts with a bit of foil that are getting too brown so the others can catch up.
2. If you want crispy skin you will want to remove it at least 1 hour before done
3. Of course make sure to check the internal temp. of the thigh to ensure it is at 165 degrees, and middle of turkey breast reach 155 degrees F.
4. Make sure your meat thermometer is inserted into the middle of each piece once it has been removed from the heat source. This will achieve an accurate reading.
5. If it is not done quite yet, put back in or on and recheck every 1/2 hour or so to ensure it doesn’t overcook and dry out.

Here’s a guide for how long does a turkey take to cook. It is handy to have when you are at that time of year. There would be nothing worse than being ready on the big day and your meat still frozen solid.

Turkey side dishes

1. Cream corn casserole is the most popular
2. Pepperidge Farm sausage stuffing is our favorite made outside the bird
3. Crockpot mashed potatoes and even air fryer mashed potatoes as well.
4. Creamed spinach
5. Biscuits, breads, and easy dinner rolls
6. Root veggies
7. Macaroni and cheese
8. Instant Pot green bean casserole is great if you want to save room in your oven.

How do you use a rub on a turkey? It’s quite simple. You just need your hands and a bird that’s been blotted dry and we prefer a bit of olive oil rubbed on to the skin initially. This will allow your seasoning to stick well. You could use this well beyond the holidays. It is great on just about any meat really.

Try it on bacon wrapped smoked pork chops too for a beyond amazing flavor. Let us know what you think of this in the comments below! Use your electric or pellet grill to cook and enjoy every bite at a time. Let us know what you think!