Is it too dangerous to smoke a stuffed turkey?
Sorry if this is a redundant question, but I'm finding conflicting advice about this: If I want to smoke an ~18 lb turkey, is there a great risk of it spending too much time in the temperature "danger zone" if I stuff it with traditional stuffing?
Best Answer
I've had delicious hot smoked/grilled turkey, which was brined first (not stuffed). However, stuffing always becomes a problem with turkey. Whether you smoke, or cook in the oven, you are going to over cook the white meat by the time the center of your stuffing is at a safe temperature. You can certainly make it safe by using the appropriate temperature, time, and measuring with a thermometer. ...and, brining can help retain moisture. Having to wait for the center of the stuffing to reach a safe temperature means that the question will be, how overcooked can you stand your turkey meat?
Pictures about "Is it too dangerous to smoke a stuffed turkey?"
Is it dangerous to smoke a turkey?
Food safety is of primary concern when smoking turkey. Turkey breasts, drumsticks, wings, and whole turkeys are all suited for smoking, although for safety's sake, stick with whole turkeys that weigh 12 pounds or less. Turkey is in the \u201cDanger Zone,\u201d where bacteria grows the fastest, between 40\xb0F and 140\xb0F.How do you smoke a stuffed turkey?
Prepare pellet grill for indirect cooking at 300 degrees F (148 degrees C) using a combination of Hickory, Maple, and Cherry wood pellets for flavor. Any flavor pellet can be used. Place the turkey on the smoker and cook until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F (73 degrees C) in the breast.Can you stuff a turkey if you are going to smoke it?
When a turkey stays out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, its temperature becomes unsafe even if the center is still frozen. Germs can grow rapidly in the \u201cdanger zone\u201d between 40\xb0F and 140\xb0F.More answers regarding is it too dangerous to smoke a stuffed turkey?
Answer 2
For an 18 pound turkey, I would suggest that you are tempting fate. You would be smoking a large bird, at presumably a low temperature (under 300*F). And you are going to be stuffing its cavity with a large thermal mass that does not conduct heat very well. It seems unlikely you would reach inactivation temperature in a reasonably safe amount of time.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Pixabay, Pixabay, Kevin Bidwell, Pixabay