How to Reheat Smoked Turkey
Don't let your delicious leftover smoked turkey meat go to waste this holiday season! Use this guide to find out the best way to reheat smoked turkey leftovers while keeping optimal moisture and smoke flavor. Read on to find out how to reheat your pre-cooked turkey in the oven, microwave, on the stovetop, and with the sous vide.
Looking for a Killer Smoked Turkey Recipe?
Smoking a whole turkey for a large group of people can be intimidating- but don’t let it scare you! Follow this link to find out exactly how to smoke a turkey on a Traeger, Pit Boss, or other pellet grill. This smoked turkey recipe will help you to achieve a flavourful bird that is juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. If you are feeling adventurous or pressed for time, consider flattening your turkey and cooking it spatchcock-style! This guide will tell you all you need to know about Smoked Spatchcock Turkey.
Tips + Tricks
- For best results, allow your smoked turkey to come to room temperature before the reheating process. This will help to cut down on the warming time and lowers the chances that it will become overcooked.
- You may choose to go by feel or use a probe thermometer or other instant-read thermometer to raise the internal temperature of your turkey to the right temperature (around 165°F.)
- Have patience! Reheating your turkey at a low temperature ensures that your turkey won’t dry out.
- Need to brighten up the flavor of your turkey? Try accompanying it with this Smoked Cranberry Sauce!
- Frozen turkey should be fully thawed before you attempt to reheat it. You may choose to thaw it in cool water.
- The size of the turkey makes a difference in how much time it will take to reheat.
Reheating Methods
Read on to choose the best method for reheating your smoked turkey.
Conventional Oven or Toaster Oven
Pros Ovens are fast and require minimal cleanup when reheating leftover turkey or other meat. Oven temperatures are predictable and steady- making them one of the most effective ways to reheat any leftover meat.
Cons If you have a small amount of smoked turkey leftover, reheating it in the oven will use a lot of power. Opt for a small toaster oven instead or scroll down to the stovetop reheating instructions.
How to reheat smoked turkey in the oven
- Set the oven temperature to 300°F.
- Place the turkey on a wire rack over a cookie sheet or baking dish. Add 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth to the bottom and cover tightly with aluminum foil
- Reheat for 20-30 minutes or until heated through.
Microwave
Pros Reheating leftover smoke turkey in the microwave is FAST! Some would argue that is the easiest way to reheat leftovers. Most households or businesses are equipped with a microwave making it a convenient option.
Cons Microwaves can easily turn the best meat into jerky if you are not careful!! You can easily end up with tough, rubbery, dry turkey. High power levels will overcook and dry out your turkey rather than reheat it properly.
How to reheat smoked turkey in the microwave
- Place a damp piece of paper towel on the bottom of your plate or microwave-safe dish.
- Arrange the leftover turkey slices on the paper towel in a single layer. Top with another piece of damp paper towel.
- Microwave at 50% power for 45 seconds, turn over, and microwave for another 45 seconds at 50% power. If after the first 45 seconds the ham seems done or close to done, use your judgement for additional time after the flip.
Stovetop
Pros Reheating turkey on the stovetop is a great option for skin on pieces and can help to maintain the turkey’s juiciness!
Cons The stovetop method is not conducive to larger portions of turkey.
How to reheat smoked turkey on the stovetop
- Arrange the turkey in a single layer in a heavy bottomed skillet (I love to use cast iron for this).
- Add 1/2 chicken stock to the bottom of the pan, cover it with a lid and simmer for 4-5 minutes over low heat. If you want to crisp up the skin: remove the lid, drain the liquid, and crisp over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until it reaches desired level of crispness.
- Enjoy!
Sous Vide
Pros Reheat your smoked turkey without overcooking it, maintaining both flavor and texture. The sous vide method of reheating is reliable and you can “set it and forget it” (much like a slow cooker or crock pot) for several hours. It takes a little bit of pre-planning but the end result is a perfectly reheated turkey.
Cons Reheating turkey using the sous vide method takes considerably longer than other methods.
How to reheat smoked turkey using the sous vide
- Attach the sous vide to your large pot or heat safe container.
- Add the smoked turkey in a sealed bag.
- Set the sous vide to 145 degrees fahrenheit for 25 minutes per inch of thickness. On average you can budget about 45-60 minutes to sufficiently heat your turkey leftovers using this method. If you have bigger portions of turkey it may take longer.
How to Reheat a Whole Smoked Turkey
- Allow your entire turkey to cool for at least 20 minutes to seal in the juices. Save any remaining juice for Simple Smoked Turkey Gravy.
- Carve the turkey as you normally would. It is a good idea to separate the drumsticks from the thighs and to debone the thighs for easier reheating. Do this while the turkey is still warm. Refrigerate for the night or the desired amount of time before reheating.
- When you are ready to reheat, slice the thigh and breast meat to your preferred thickness.
- Pour 1/2 cup chicken or turkey broth at the bottom of a shallow baking dish and arrange the turkey in a single layer. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and warm in a preheated oven or grill at 300°F until the turkey reaches 165°F.
How To Store Smoked Turkey
The best way to store smoked turkey is by breaking it into smaller pieces and using a vacuum sealer. This ensures that your turkey is airtight and can be stored in the fridge or freezer safely. If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, consider using a ziplock bag and squeezing as much air out as you can. If you have never tried the straw method for sucking the air out of your ziplock bag, I recommend it! Simply zip the plastic storage bag around the straw as tightly as possible and suck out as much air as you can, remove the straw quickly and zip it all the way. You may choose to wrap the smoked turkey tightly in plastic wrap after it has been cooled and place in an airtight container. Leftover turkey can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Printable Recipe Card
How to Reheat Smoked Turkey
Don't let your delicious leftover smoked turkey go to waste this holiday season! Use this guide to find out the best way to reheat smoked turkey leftovers while keeping optimal moisture and flavor. Read on to find out how to reheat your pre-cooked turkey in the oven, microwave, on the stovetop, and with the sous vide.
Ingredients
- 1 lb smoked turkey
Instructions
How to reheat smoked turkey in the oven
- Preheat the oven to 300°F.
- Place the turkey on a wire rack over a cookie sheet or baking dish. Add 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth to the bottom and cover tightly with aluminum foil
- Reheat for 20-30 minutes or until heated through.
How to reheat smoked turkey in the microwave
- Place a damp piece of paper towel on the bottom of your plate or microwave-safe dish.
- Arrange the leftover turkey slices on the paper towel in a single layer. Top with another piece of damp paper towel.
- Microwave at 50% power for 45 seconds, turn over, and microwave for another 45 seconds at 50% power. If after the first 45 seconds the ham seems done or close to done, use your judgement for additional time after the flip.
How to reheat smoked turkey on the stovetop
- Arrange the turkey in a single layer in a heavy bottomed skillet (I love to use cast iron for this).
- Add 1/2 chicken stock, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 4-5 minutes over low heat. If you want to crisp up the skin: remove the lid, drain the liquid, and crisp over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until it reaches desired level of crispness.
- Enjoy!
How to reheat smoked turkey using the sous vide
- Attach the sous vide to your large pot or heat safe container.
- Add the smoked turkey in a sealed bag.
- Set the sous vide to 145°F for 25 minutes per inch of thickness. On average you can budget about 45-60 minutes to sufficiently heat your turkey leftovers using this method. If you have bigger portions of turkey it may take longer.
Notes
- For best results, allow your smoked turkey to come to room temperature before the reheating process. This will help to cut down on the warming time and lowers the chances that it will become overcooked.
- You may choose to go by feel or use a probe thermometer or other instant-read thermometer to raise the internal temperature of your turkey to around 165°F.
- Have patience! Reheating your turkey at a low temperature ensures that your turkey won’t dry out.
- Need to brighten up the flavor of your turkey? Try accompanying it with this Smoked Cranberry Sauce!
- Frozen turkey should be fully thawed before you attempt to reheat it.
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