In partnership with Safeway
As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, we’ve been recipe testing to finalize our menu, and this smoke-fried turkey and two sides are must-haves for next week. With the added simplicity of Safeway’s Fresh Pass delivery service, we had our groceries on our doorstep in the morning and dinner on the table in the afternoon. Our plans for Thanksgiving are set, and we’re excited to welcome family and friends for a memorable meal cooked on the Traeger.
SMOKED-FRIED TURKEY IS ON THE MENU
A favorite holiday of ours is Thanksgiving because it’s the best opportunity to bring together people who we love to share food that we love. When dinner is cooked on the Traeger, it adds a special touch to the meal and makes cooking and clean up easy. Doing a smoked-fried turkey is an easy way to impress your dinner guests.
To add to the ease of this meal, we logged into our Safeway app and built our grocery list with the click of a few buttons. We selected a turkey– the precise size range we wanted– and all the other ingredients necessary for the dish. Produce like sweet potatoes pomegranate seeds and brussels sprouts, oil for the final fry for the turkey, and a jar of marshmallow fluff for a sweet finish. Pantry staples like cinnamon and brown sugar were easy to add, and we never had to leave the house.
For this order, we selected an early morning delivery and right on time, the doorbell rang the next morning and our turkey and fixings were on the front stoop.
PREPPING THE SMOKED-FRIED TURKEY
One of the benefits of an early morning delivery from Safeway’s Fresh Pass program is that it makes cooking dinner that same evening pretty easy. We had everything we needed dropped at our house, and were able to get things rolling for that evening’s dinner.
For the turkey, we have found that a cold water bath is the most efficient and quick way to defrost a frozen bird. Using a bucket or tub, we plopped the frozen turkey (still wrapped in its packaging) in the vessel and then filled it up with cold water. In less than 7 hours, our turkey was fully defrosted yet maintained a safe temperature for defrosting to avoid any food safety issues.
Often we like to spatchcock a turkey because it ensures that the bird cooks evenly. However, for this cook, we had the plan to fry it to finish, and a whole turkey (not spatchcocked) fits better in the fryer. So when the turkey was defrosted, we unwrapped it, pulled the neck and gizzards from the cavity and set it on a wire rack over a cookie sheet.
For this cook, we gave the bird a brief dry brine, which makes the end result juicer, more flavorful and simply the best. The bird got coated in a flavorful mixture of salt, sugar and spices (we went with a spicy maple blend) and then was placed in the fridge for a couple hours, uncovered, to let the dry brine really penetrate the meat.
SMOKING AND FRYING THE TURKEY
For this cook, we gave the turkey a two hour cook at 225* in the Traeger grill, which not only partially cooked it but imbued it with terrific flavor. When you cook at a temperature like 225*, you get a good wood-fired smoke bath on the bird, and that Traeger flavor cannot be beaten. I brushed the turkey in a layer of maple and chili-seasoned melted butter before putting it on the grill.
Once the turkey hit an internal temperature of 140*, I pulled it from the Traeger and then got my turkey fryer heated up. We use an electric turkey fryer, outdoors in our backyard, for the safest turkey frying experience. Certainly, if you prefer frying + fire, you can go with a propane-fueled method.
When the oil was hot, I dropped the smoked bird in the oil and fried it for about 10 minutes total. I wanted the internal temperature of the breast to reach about 160*, allowing for about 5 degrees of carry-over cooking. Pull the turkey from the fryer carefully, and allow it to drain on a wire rack over a cookie sheet. We tented it with foil while we made the side dishes.
Turkey on the Traeger 
Turkey in the fryer
SUPER SIDES FOR THANKSGIVING
Two of our favorite sides at Thanksgiving are sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts. And we wanted to take creative license with both of these staples, to create something simple yet delicious to share with our family. These two bonus recipes really hit it on all cylinders– and I guarantee everyone in your family will feel the same.
ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Starting with 2 pounds of Safeway Select brussels sprouts, we washed and trimmed them, and then cut then in half length-wise. Leaving a bit of the butt end intact keeps the layers of the sprout from coming apart.
We tossed the cut sprouts in olive oil and a garlic-forward rub and then arranged them cut-side down on the bottom of a big cast iron skillet. Drizzle a little more olive oil around and then top the sprouts with lots of chopped fresh garlic.
We cranked up the heat on the Traeger to 425* and put this prepared cast iron pan on the induction burner attached to the grill for about 10 minutes. The goal is to get them nice and golden on the cut side before putting the pan in the grill.
Once they are beginning to brown on the cut side, we moved the pan over to the hot grill and allowed them to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly charred, golden and tender.
We pulled the sprouts from the grill, tossed in a handful of pomegranate arils and drizzled with balsamic glaze. You could also add some crumbled goat cheese to these as a finish, if you desired.
MELTED SWEET POTATOES
Melted potatoes have been all the rage on platforms like Pinterest lately. They’re tender and velvety and super delicious. For our Thanksgiving take on this dish, we subbed out regular potatoes for sweet potatoes and gave it a sweet finish.
With the grill at 425* (both sides can be cooked at the same time), we prepped the potatoes by washing them and then slicing them into ½ inch rounds. We left the skins intact because they cook until tender in this application.
To a big cast iron pan, we combined ½ melted butter and ½ olive oil and then placed a single layer of potatoes in the pan. We tossed the potatoes to coat in the oil/butter and then seasoned them with a bit of brown sugar and some cinnamon. Be sure to add brown sugar and cinnamon to the reverse side of the slices as you mix them around.
Once seasoned, they were spread out again in a single layerand the pan was placed in the hot grill. After about 15 minutes of cooking, we turned the potatoes over and gave the another 15 minutes of cooking time. By this point, they’ll be fork tender and getting golden brown.
We pulled the pan from the grill and put a dollop of marshmallow fluff on the top of each potato round. We used a kitchen torch to give the marshmallow a golden brown crust, and then served them hot alongside the turkey and brussels sprouts.
SAFEWAY FRESH PASS MAKES IT EASY
We’ve been super excited to use Safeway’s new Fresh Pass program to make grocery shopping so easy. We started with the free 30-day trial on the app and were hooked on how easy it’s made our life. With a couple of simple clicks, we can load our grocery list into the app, select a delivery time and we get free delivery on orders over $30. Seriously– from baking supplies to dinner ingredients to milk for the kiddos, it’s made our life so easy!
And with holiday parties ahead of us, there was no easier way to recipe test and figure out our menus than by having ALL the ingredients dropped on our front porch. A quick visit to the Safeway app allowed us to order all the ingredients we needed for these dishes, and we never had to leave the house! The unlimited free delivery seals the deal! We were thrilled we could make this smoked-fried turkey with little effort!
PRIMARY INGREDIENTS
We picked out all of our ingredients on the Safeway app and had our groceries delivered to our house early the next morning. It seriously couldn’t have been easier.
- Butterball turkey (ours was 14 pounds)
- Signature Select Vegetable Oil (we needed 2.5 gallons total)
- A turkey dry brine blend
- Lucerne Unsalted Butter
- Signature Farms Brussels Sprouts
- Signature Select Olive Oil
- Head of garlic
- Signature Select Pomegranate Arils
- Signature Select Balsamic Glaze
- Red Sweet Yams or Sweet Potatoes
- Signature Select brown sugar
- O Organics Ground Cinnamon
- Marshmallow Fluff
WHY COOKING A SMOKED-FRIED TURKEY AND SIDES ON THE TRAEGER WORKS
It’s super fun and easy to cook all three of these things on the Traeger. It’s low mess, easy to do and really very quick. After the turkey smokes on the Traeger, simply turn up the temperature on the grill and you are able to cook the two sides entirely in the hot grill. With the addition of the induction burner on the Traeger Timberline XL, it’s possible to fry your turkey on that burner, but for ease of clean up and overall simplicity, we chose to use a turkey fryer.
From the time we sat down on the Safeway app to order our groceries to the time we sat down for dinner, less than 24 hours had elapsed. And we slept a good portion of those hours before the groceries were delivered. The combination of Safeway’s Fresh Pass delivery program and the ease and simplicity of cooking on the Traeger, you’re able to put an amazing meal on the table for your family in no time.
STEP-BY-STEP
TURKEY
- Defrost your turkey either in the fridge for several days or submerged in cold water for about 8 hours.
- Unwrap the turkey and remove the stuff inside.
- Place the unwrapped turkey on a metal rack set over a cookie sheet.
- Season the turkey all over (and a bit in the carcass) with the dry brine.
- Put the turkey, uncovered, in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
- Preheat your Traeger grill to 225* with the super smoke feature.
- Remove the turkey from the fridge and brush all over with a blend of melted butter and more dry brine seasoning.
- Place the turkey on the grill, with the cookie sheet beneath it to catch drips.
- Insert a Meater thermometer if desired, and set it to a desired temp of 140*.
- Cook the turkey for about 2 hours at 225*, until the internal temperature reaches 140*.
- Meanwhile, set up your turkey fryer and heat the oil.
- When the turkey has reached 140*, carefully remove it from the grill and pour off any accumulated liquid from the cavity. Remove the thermometer probe, if using.
- Place the turkey in the fryer basket and lower the turkey into the hot oil.
- Fry the turkey in the hot oil for about 8-10 minutes, until the thickest part of the breast reads 160*. A finish temperature of 165* will be achieved through carry-over cooking.
- Remove the turkey from the fryer and place on a wire rack over paper towels to absorb any extra oil. Tent loosely with foil and allow to rest at least 20 minutes.
- Serve your smoked-fried turkey with the sides listed below.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
- Preheat Traeger grill to 425*.
- Wash and trim brussels sprouts.
- Using a sharp knife, cut each sprout in half lenghtwise.
- In a bowl, combine the cut sprouts with olive oil and seasoning. Toss well to coat.
- Arrange the seasoned sprouts, cut side down, in the bottom of a big cast iron skillet. Ensure there is only one layer.
- Sprinkle the sprouts with chopped garlic.
- Place the skillet on a hot burner for about 10 minutes, until the sprouts begin browning on the cut side.
- Transfer the hot skillet to the grill and close the lid, allowing the sprouts to cook further.
- Stir the sprouts after 5-10 minutes and continue cooking until browned and tender.
- Remove the skillet from the grill and stir in the pomegranate arils.
- Season with salt and drizzle with balsamic glaze before serving.
SWEET POTATOES
- Preheat Traeger grill to 425* (use the grill at the same time you cook the brussels sprouts)
- Wash and cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch rounds.
- In a big cast iron pan, toss the potatoes with equal parts melted butter and olive oil.
- Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon and toss to coat. Add more brown sugar and cinnamon to your taste preference.
- Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in the pan and place the pan in the hot grill.
- Cook the potatoes for 10 minutes, and then flip the potatoes.
- Return the potatoes to the grill and continue cooking for 10 minute increments (flipping in between) until they are tender. This should take 20-30 minutes.
- Once the potatoes are tender, remove the pan from the grill and top each potato round with a scoop of marshmallow creme.
- Using a kitchen torch, lightly toast the marshmallow topping and serve along with the smoked-fried turkey.
ALTERNATE RECIPES/PRODUCT LINKS
Products used in this cook:
- In addition to the Safeway Fresh Pass which made this entire recipe insanely easy, we used the following tools and equipment:
- Traeger Timberline XL
- Masterbuilt turkey fryer
- Smithey Ironware Cast Iron skillet
- Messermeister kitchen torch
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Smoked-Fried Turkey on the Traeger
Equipment
- Bucket or tub (for quick defrosting)
- Wire rack and cookie sheet
- Bowl and pastry brush
- Turkey Fryer
- Cutting board and carving knife
- Aluminum foil
- Meater thermometer and/or instant read thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 Frozen whole turkey ours was 14 pounds
- Signature Select Vegetable Oil we needed 2.5 gallons total
- 1 stick Lucerne Unsalted Butter
- 2 cups Poultry dry brine seasoning
Instructions
- Defrost your turkey either in the fridge for several days or submerged in cold water for about 8 hours.
- Unwrap the turkey and remove the stuff inside.
- Place the unwrapped turkey on a metal rack set over a cookie sheet.
- Season the turkey all over (and a bit in the carcass) with the dry brine.
- Put the turkey, uncovered, in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
- Preheat your Traeger grill to 225* with the super smoke feature.
- Remove the turkey from the fridge and brush all over with a blend of melted butter and more dry brine seasoning.
- Place the turkey on the grill, with the cookie sheet beneath it to catch drips.
- Insert a Meater thermometer if desired, and set it to a desired temp of 140*.
- Cook the turkey for about 2 hours at 225*, until the internal temperature reaches 140*.
- Meanwhile, set up your turkey fryer and heat the oil.
- When the turkey has reached 140*, carefully remove it from the grill and pour off any accumulated liquid from the cavity. Remove the thermometer probe, if using.
- Place the turkey in the fryer basket and lower the turkey into the hot oil.
- Fry the turkey in the hot oil for about 8-10 minutes, until the thickest part of the breast reads 160*. A finish temperature of 165* will be achieved through carry-over cooking.
- Remove the turkey from the fryer and place on a wire rack over paper towels to absorb any extra oil. Tent loosely with foil and allow to rest at least 20 minutes.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate and Balsamic
Equipment
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- Big cast iron skillet
- Spoon or spatula
- Hot mits
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Signature Farms Brussels Sprouts
- 1/2 cup Signature Select Olive Oil
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 cup Signature Select Pomegranate Arils
- 1/4 cup Signature Select Balsamic Glaze
Instructions
- Preheat Traeger grill to 425*.
- Wash and trim brussels sprouts.
- Using a sharp knife, cut each sprout in half lenghtwise.
- In a bowl, combine the cut sprouts with olive oil and seasoning. Toss well to coat.
- Arrange the seasoned sprouts, cut side down, in the bottom of a big cast iron skillet. Ensure there is only one layer.
- Sprinkle the sprouts with chopped garlic.
- Place the skillet on a hot burner for about 10 minutes, until the sprouts begin browning on the cut side.
- Transfer the hot skillet to the grill and close the lid, allowing the sprouts to cook further.
- Stir the sprouts after 5-10 minutes and continue cooking until browned and tender.
- Remove the skillet from the grill and stir in the pomegranate arils.
- Season with salt and drizzle with balsamic glaze before serving.
Melted Sweet Potato Rounds
Equipment
- Cutting board and big sharp knife
- Big cast iron skillet
- Spatula or turner
- Teaspoon
- Kitchen torch
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Red Sweet Yams or Sweet Potatoes
- 1/4 cup Signature Select brown sugar
- 1/2 a stick Lucerne unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp O Organics Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 cup Marshmallow Fluff
Instructions
- Preheat Traeger grill to 425* (use the grill at the same time you cook the brussels sprouts)
- Wash and cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch rounds.
- In a big cast iron pan, toss the potatoes with equal parts melted butter and olive oil.
- Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon and toss to coat. Add more brown sugar and cinnamon to your taste preference.
- Arrange the potatoes in a single layer in the pan and place the pan in the hot grill.
- Cook the potatoes for 10 minutes, and then flip the potatoes.
- Return the potatoes to the grill and continue cooking for 10 minute increments (flipping in between) until they are tender. This should take 20-30 minutes.
- Once the potatoes are tender, remove the pan from the grill and top each potato round with a scoop of marshmallow creme.
- Using a kitchen torch, lightly toast the marshmallow topping and serve.
Love the concept but the fact you give no info on a dry brine or a recipe for the dry brine make this a waste if time to read
Thanks for the feedback! I’ll share a dry brine recipe soon (great for chicken, too), and be sure to do better in advance of next Thanksgiving!