Directions:

Spatchcock your turkey (see directions above). Either get your brine from a big gallon jar of pickles OR make the recipe above by combining all the ingredients in a pot, bringing to a simmer to dissolve the sugar and salt and let cool before using. Use a 12-gallon stockpot to put your turkey in.

Brine the turkey overnight in a stockpot in the refrigerator.

Remove the turkey from the brine bath and let sit out for 10 minutes to warm up a bit (the butter will adhere better this way). Now, combine the butter with 3 tbsp of BBQ rub to make the BBQ compound butter, reserving the last tbsp for sprinkling on the turkey at the end.

Using your finger, try to separate the skin (Gently!!) from the meat enough to put the butter underneath the skin and get the butter into all the nooks and crannies. Then repeat on the outside. Lastly, sprinkle the  last tbsp of rub on the outside of the turkey before putting in the smoker

Prepare your smoker for 250 degrees. If you are using a traditional grill, watch my video on how to create direct and indirect zones to set up your grill for smoking.

Smoke the turkey, breast side up, at 250 until the internal temperature reads 165 in the breast. This will take about 30 minutes per 1lb, or 304 hours (give or take) for a 12 lb turkey. Let the turkey rest for 10 minutes before serving to let the juices redistribute. If you want a dipping sauce, I recommend pairing with Alabama white sauce. This is a great sauce for turkey and any poultry and goes great with just about anything. While the turkey is so flavorful and moist on it’s own, some people want a sauce or gravy and Alabama white BBQ sauce is my go-to sauce for any poultry.