Traeger roasted turkey breast is an easy way to cook a delicious, well seasoned turkey breast on the smoker/grill, without heating up the kitchen!
Last summer we got a Traeger grill. I had saved and saved my money for a while, and purchased it for my husband’s birthday (and so I could use it for my blog, too!) We have enjoyed experimenting and learning how to grill and smoke meats, veggies and desserts on our grill!
A couple of weeks ago we had what we fondly call a “Traegerpalooza”! We cooked this Traeger roasted turkey breast, grilled asparagus with lemon and Parmesan, 2 types of pork chops, turkey sausages, tri-tip, and brats (sausages). It was so good (and I didn’t have to cook dinner for almost a week)! Ha Ha!
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
How To Make A Traeger Roasted Turkey Breast
The roasted turkey breast turned out fantastic, so I wanted to share what we did with you today! We started out with an almost 5 pound turkey breast (bone in). The first thing I did was to rinse the turkey, and then pat it dry with paper towels.
Make The Spice Rub Mix In Under 5 MInutes!
A dry rub spice mix was quickly mixed up. It’s soooo easy to pull together, and I have used this same flavorful mix before on smoked pork loin roast , pork butt, and whole chickens that we have slow roasted on the Traeger.
The spice mix is made with brown sugar, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, salt, pepper, and dry mustard. It is a fantastic spice rub, and you will have some leftover for your next grilling project, too! The turkey breast is generously sprinkled with the spice rub on all sides. I rubbed the spices into the turkey, and even rubbed some of the mix inside the turkey breast.
Cooking The Traeger Roasted Turkey Breast
Turn the Traeger to the SMOKE setting with the lid open. After about 4-5 minutes, you should see lots of smoke coming from the grill, meaning the pellets have ignited. Turn the temperature to 325° F and close the grill cover. Let the Traeger preheat for about 15 minutes. TIP: Prepare the spice rub and the turkey WHILE the Traeger is preheating, to save time!
Once the grill has preheated, place the seasoned turkey breast directly on the grill grate. Close the cover, and let the turkey breast cook for approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. Cooking times will vary slightly because of varying weights of turkey breasts used. Check the internal temperature occasionally as it cooks, to ensure you don’t overcook or undercook the turkey breast.
How Will I Know When The Traeger Roasted Turkey Breast Is Done?
Continue to check the internal temperature using a probe inserted into the thickest part of the breast. When the turkey breast has reached an internal temperature of 165° F, pull it off the grill. Transfer the Traeger roasted turkey breast to a cutting board, and let it “rest” for about 15 minutes before slicing. This “resting time” helps the juices redistribute inside the meat.
Once the turkey breast has “rested”, it is ready to slice and eat! The turkey breast is juicy, and full of flavor, thanks in part to the dry rub spices, and the long smoking time! We LOVE having perfectly cooked slices of roasted turkey breast for quick dinners and sandwiches. It tastes so good! I froze half of the turkey breast to save for another time, too!
Hope you enjoy this recipe for Traeger roasted turkey breast. It’s awesome to be able to smoke a turkey breast and then have it around for easy dinners or a great tasting turkey sandwich throughout the week! If you are considering cooking an entire turkey on a pellet grill or smoker, be sure to check out my delicious recipe for Smoked Whole Turkey! Have a GREAT day!
Looking For More TRAEGER Recipes?
You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some other delicious Traeger recipes you might be interested in, including:
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Recipe Adapted From Traeger Grill recipe booklet (that came with grill)
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
- 4.5 pound turkey breast (approx,) , bone in, skin on
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup paprika
- 1/4 cup garlic powder
- 1/4 cup salt
- 2 Tablespoons pepper
- 2 Tablespoons onion powder
- 1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoon dry ground mustard
Rinse the turkey, and pat it dry with paper towels.
Mix ingredients for spice rub in a small bowl. Generously sprinkle turkey breast with spice rub on all sides (and inside, if desired). Store extra spice rub mix in covered container for additional uses.
Turn the Traeger to SMOKE setting with the lid open. After about 4-5 minutes, you should see lots of smoke coming from the grill, meaning the pellets have ignited. Turn temperature to 325° F and close grill cover. Let the Traeger preheat for about 15 minutes. Once preheated, place seasoned turkey breast directly on grill grate. Close the cover, and let it cook for approx. 1 hour and 45 minutes. Cooking times will vary slightly because of differing weights of turkey breasts used. Continue to check the internal temperature using a probe inserted into the thickest part of the breast, to ensure you don't overcook or undercook the turkey breast.
When the turkey breast has reached an internal temperature of 165° F, pull it off the grill. Transfer turkey breast to a cutting board, and let it "rest" for about 15 minutes before slicing. This "resting time" helps the juices redistribute inside the meat. Once turkey has "rested", slice, and enjoy!
NOTE: The spice mix was NOT calculated into the caloric calculations. The spice mix (as written) will make enough mix for several additional uses beyond that of the turkey breast, so it was not included.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!
Stumbled upon this recipe and thought I would give it a try this weekend. If it works out I will be back for more.
You did not mention and there are two potential ways of placing the bird on the grill: breast side down or up?
How long to do a 12 pound bone in turkey breast
Can I use one of mixed pellets ???
Hi, Stephen. You most certainly can use a mix of pellets. A lot of times we just use what we have on hand, and that sometimes involves mixing pellets to fill the hopper. Have a great day.
What pellets did you use, mesquite, oak, hickory, which.
Good morning, Phil. Thank you for taking the time to write. We prefer mesquite for this recipe, but have also used cherry, with good results. Hope you have a great day.