What’s on Your Plate
Smoked Deboned Turkey transforms the traditional holiday bird into a stress-free showstopper by combining four professional techniques: deboning, stovetop smoking, sous vide, and a final air-fried crisp finish. The result is tender, smoky turkey with a crisp, flavorful skin—moist from end to end, easy to carve, and even easier to prepare ahead of time.
The best part? You can do it all in your kitchen with basic equipment—no outdoor smoker or marathon roasting session required.
Smoked Deboned Turkey
Why would anyone go through a laborious process like this? Well, first of all, the flavor at the end is absolutely amazing. Second, a deboned turkey cooks evenly, stays moist, and is a pleasure to carve. Stuffing with pesto gives flavor from the inside out. Third, sous vide is so simple – just walk away and forget it. Fourth, use the air fryer to get crystal crisp skin. See, not the laborious as all. I have broken it down further for you.
Deboning: The Foundation of Even Cooking
If you’ve ever sliced into a beautifully browned turkey only to find dry breast meat and undercooked thighs, you know why deboning matters. Removing the bones lets the meat cook evenly and quickly, eliminating that frustrating balance between juicy white meat and tender dark meat.
Start by following my step-by-step guide, How to Debone a Turkey. When you debone, keep the skin intact, flatten the turkey, and pull the tendons from the legs (pliers help!). You’ll be rewarded with a flat, even piece of meat that cooks beautifully and slices into perfect rounds.
Deboning also means no carving struggle at the table. Once rolled and tied, this turkey cooks evenly and slices like a loaf—clean, impressive, and table-ready.
Pesto: Flavor from the Inside Out
Once your turkey is deboned, lay it skin-side down and slather it with my homemade Pesto Sauce—a blend of basil, garlic, Parmesan, and olive oil. This isn’t just for color; the pesto bastes the meat from within, infusing every slice with herbaceous richness and keeping it tender during the long cooking process.
When you roll the turkey up, that pesto forms a striking green spiral—beautiful on the plate and bursting with flavor.
Smoking: Depth Without the Grill
Traditional smoked turkey requires hours outdoors, constant monitoring, and unpredictable weather. With my stovetop method, you get the same deep, smoky flavor without ever leaving your kitchen.
I use hickory wood chips for a classic profile, though applewood or cherry add sweetness if you prefer. The process is simple—create a foil packet for the soaked chips, place it at the bottom of a large pot with a pasta insert, and let the wood gently smoke beneath the turkey.
Follow my full guide here: How to Smoke Food on the Stovetop. Thirty minutes is all it takes to infuse your turkey roll with aromatic, savory depth. You can stop here, vacuum-seal it, and freeze for later—or move on to sous vide for foolproof doneness.
Sous Vide: Perfectly Cooked, Every Time
Sous vide takes the guesswork out of turkey. After smoking, seal the roll in a vacuum bag and submerge it in a 165°F (74°C) water bath. The gentle, precise heat cooks the turkey evenly, edge to edge. We recommend the *NESCO Vacuum Sealer to do this job.
If you’ve prepped ahead and frozen it after smoking, just add 30 extra minutes to the sous vide time. When it’s done, you’ll have juicy, tender meat with a light smoky aroma—no dryness, no surprises.
The sous vide stage also gives you flexibility: cook it in the morning, hold it in the bath, then crisp and serve when guests arrive.
Air Fry: Crisp Perfection in Minutes
Sous vide makes the meat juicy; the air fryer gives it glamour. Remove the turkey from the bag, pat it dry, and brush on my tangy Homemade White Barbecue Sauce—a creamy Alabama-style sauce made with mayo, vinegar, horseradish, and lemon.
Air fry at 400°F (205°C) until the skin turns golden and crisp, about ten minutes. The sauce caramelizes into a light glaze, sealing in moisture and adding a balanced tang that plays perfectly with the smoky pesto filling.
Once it’s crisp, let the turkey rest for a few minutes before slicing into medallions. The presentation—green spiral, crisp skin, smoky aroma—speaks for itself.
Why RECIPE works
Each step builds on the last:
- Deboning ensures even cooking.
- Smoking adds depth and complexity.
- Sous vide locks in moisture and tenderness.
- Air frying delivers that irresistible crisp finish.
And because the turkey is rolled and tied, it cooks evenly and slices neatly, without any carving stress. This approach lets you prep days ahead, giving you time to focus on sides, desserts, or a well-earned glass of wine.
Serving and Storage
Serving
Serve with Jeane’s Sweet Potatoes, Wild Rice Pilaf, or Green Chili Sauce for a full holiday spread. Leftovers keep well for sandwiches or salads—just reheat gently in a 140°F (60°C) sous vide bath or covered in a low oven.
Storing
You can also freeze the smoked, sealed turkey up to three months before finishing sous vide and air-frying on the day of service. After the turkey is cooked, use the leftovers for sandwiches, salads, casseroles, or just eat out of hand. You can vacuum seal and freeze any other leftovers (good luck having any left).
FAQ About Smoked Deboned Turkey
Can I use a different wood for smoking?
Absolutely. Applewood or cherry wood gives a slightly sweeter flavor, perfect with pesto.
Can I skip the sous vide?
You can roast the smoked turkey in the oven instead, but sous vide guarantees a perfect texture with no dryness.
Why white barbecue sauce?
It contrasts beautifully with the smoky meat and the green pesto swirl. it’s lighter, tangier, and perfect for poultry. However, you are more than welcome to use your our red barbecue sauce or your own recipe or favorite brand.
Smoked Deboned Turkey Recipe
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Smoked Deboned Turkey
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Ingredients
~~ — Set up the Smoker — ~~
- 1 cup Hickory wood chips
~~ — Turkey — ~~
- 13 pounds Turkey, whole
- 1 cup Pesto sauce
- 1 tablespoon Smoked salt
- 1 tablespoon Barbeque seasoning
- ½ cup White barbecue sauce
~~ — Pesto Sauce — ~~
- 4 cups Basil, fresh leaves without stems
- 3 cloves Garlic, large
- ¼ cup Pine nuts, toasted
- ½ cup Parmesan
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper, freshly ground
- ¼ cup *Olive oil
~~ — Barbecue Seasoning — ~~
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon White pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne
- 2 tablespoon *Maldon Smoked Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
~~ — White Barbecue Sauce — ~~
- ¾ cup Mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoon Cider Vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Horseradish
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper, finely ground
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne
Instructions
- Mise en Place
Set Up the Smoker
- 1 cup Hickory wood chipsSoak the wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes before you start. Take the drained, soaked chips and put the in a middle of a large piece of foil. Close the sides up but leave a little room at the top open. Line the bottom of the pasta pot with foil. Put the packet on the foil. Place the pasta insert in the pot.
Pesto Sauce
- 4 cups BasilRemove the stems from the basil as they can be bitter.
- 1/4 cup Pine nutsToast the pine nuts in a shallow pan just until they begin to brown.
- 3 cloves Garlic, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon Black pepperPut the garlic, pine nuts, basil and parmesan in the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse to make sure all the ingredients are mixed.
- 1/4 cup Olive oilWhile the processor is running, slowly pour the oil in. Watch carefully as you may not need all the oil.
- Set the pesto sauce aside.
Barbecue Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder, 1 teaspoon Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon White pepper, 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne, 2 tablespoon Maldon Smoked Sea Salt, 1/2 teaspoon TurmericMix all the ingredients for the seasoning and set aside.
White Barbecue Sauce
- 3/4 cup Mayonnaise, 2 tablespoon Cider Vinegar, 2 teaspoon Sugar, 1/2 teaspoon Horseradish, 1/2 teaspoon Salt, 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon CayenneCombine the ingredients for the barbecue sauce and refrigerate.
Debone the Turkey
- 13 pounds TurkeyDebone the turkey. Remove the wings and set them aside for another use. Move the skin from the breast back and start cutting the breast staying as close to the bone as possible. Next is the thigh and legs. Remove the back bone being careful to save the oyster. Flatten the turkey as mush as possible. Save the bones for stock.
- 1 cup Pesto sauce, 1 tablespoon Smoked salt, 1 tablespoon Barbeque seasoningMaking sure the turkey is skin down, spread the pesto on the surface of the turkey.
- Roll the turkey up and secure it with butcher's twine.
- Rub the surface with smoked salt and the barbecue seasoning.
- Put the rolled turkey in the pasta insert. Cover the pot well. Turn the heat on and cook on high for five minutes, then reduce the heat and let it smoke for another 30 minutes.
- When the turkey has been smoked, put it in a vacuum sealable bag and add a few tablespoons of the barbecue sauce. Seal the bag. If you want to cook the turkey right away, put the bag in the refrigerator and let it marinate for about an hour – otherwise, put it in the freezer.
Sous Vide
- Put the bag with the turkey in it in a large container and set your sou vide immersion cooker to 160 °F (71 °C) for 5 hours. Add an additional 30 minutes if the bag is frozen.
Crisp the turkey
- 1/2 cup White barbecue sauceRemove the turkey from the bag and wipe off the excess liquid. Spread barbecue sauce on the turkey and put it in the air dryer at 430 °F (221 °C). Turn it at 5 minutes and cook another 5 minutes.
- Let the turkey rest 30 minutes before carving and serving.
- Yum Yum!
