How long can a turkey rest after smoking? The right answer

Last Updated on: 21st October 2022, 10:45 pm

Resting is really important for preserving and enhancing the flavor of your smoked turkey.

You could end up wasting all of your resting effort if you don’t rest your turkey for enough time.

In this guide, we are going to discuss how long a turkey can rest after smoking.

As per general rule, you need to let the turkey rest for at least 15–30 minutes before slicing it.

If you slice the turkey immediately after taking it out of the smoker, then you might end up spilling the meat juices out of the turkey.

When I was new to smoking, I myself was guilty of this mistake.

It usually costs heavily because if the meat juices are spilled out, then the deeper portion of the turkey will become dry and hardened.

But over time, I have researched and practiced that resting your turkey is the only solution for this.

By resting the turkey, the meat juices present on the surface of the turkey sink back into the deeper portion of the turkey.

After that, the meat juices are absorbed by the meat fibers, which makes the turkey more tender and juicy.

Here are the main points of what we are going to discuss in this article.

• The turkey can be rested for 15–30 minutes, depending on size.
• You can use the faux cambro technique or oven if you want to maintain the internal temperature of the turkey.
• Resting has many benefits, ranging from redistribution of meat juices to enhancing the flavor of turkey.
• You should be careful about carryover cooking to avoid overcooking the turkey.

How long can a turkey rest after smoking?

As mentioned earlier, the turkey can rest for 15–30 minutes, depending on the size of the turkey.

If you are smoking a smaller turkey, then 15 minutes will be enough, but in the case of larger turkeys ,you need to have at least 30 minutes to rest them .

The size of the turkey is the main determinant of the time for resting.

The size of the turkey depends on the size of the cow or any other animal when it is butchered.

So, if the turkey is smaller, it will be softer and require less time to rest.

During smoking, when the internal temperature of the turkey reaches the boiling temperature, the moisture starts evaporating. It is also known as the stall phase.

So, due to evaporation, the moisture of the turkey is drawn towards the surface of the turkey.

Due to this, the deeper portion of the turkey becomes dry while the moisture is collected on the surface of the turkey.

If the turkey is sliced immediately after smoking, then the meat juices will spill out and affect the appearance of the turkey. That’s why we rest turkey.

so that the moisture present on the surface of the turkey should sink in and be reabsorbed by the fibers of the meat.

This process varies depending on the size of the turkey, so it’s important to take the size into account before making the final decision.

In short, the turkey should be rested for at least some time before slicing to allow it to become tender and juicy.

The resting time of the turkey will vary depending on the size of the turkey.

What does “carryover cooking” mean while resting a turkey?

Carryover cooking means a continuous increase in the temperature of turkey after it has been removed from the smoker.

Carryover cooking usually occurs in the resting phase.

Depending on the size and texture of the turkey, the temperature can rise from 5 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

So it is really important to keep in mind that the cooking of turkey will not stop after you have removed the turkey from the smoker.

A good way is to remove the turkey 5–10°F before it reaches the target temperature .

For example, if you are aiming to cook a turkey at 190°F , then it is a good idea to remove the turkey at 185°F and place it for resting.

Otherwise, carryover cooking will result in an increase in temperature and overcooking of the turkey.

Resting is really a crucial part of smoking.

You need to be careful about both the minimum and maximum range of the turkey to rest.

If you slice the turkey too early, it will result in the spilling of the meat juices.

If you let the turkey rest for a longer time , it will continue to cook or cool down.

So it is important to set a defined range for the resting of the turkey.

Depending on size, turkey should be rested for at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.

This range is really important for the turkey to rest.

You can’t rest each and every turkey for 15 minutes or for 30 minutes.

Take into account the size of the turkey and decide based on the ranges given above.

At the same time, you should not get overwhelmed by decision-making because it’s the only way to properly master smoking.

Why do we need to rest turkeys?

Resting is a really important step in turkey.

It is not an optional phase; rather, it is mandatory for every turkey to rest before slicing it.

There are several benefits of resting turkeys.

Some of them are given below.

It allows redistribution of meat juices

Resting a turkey allows the redistribution of the meat juices.

When turkey is rested, the meat juices will sink in and be reabsorbed by the meat fibers.

Due to this, the meat juices will not spill out upon slicing.

Meat juices are one of the most important parts of smoked turkey.

This is usually the moisture present in the turkey.

When smoking turkey, the bird is poked on the surface to check the color of the meat juices to check for doneness.

So you know that meat juices are present on the surface of turkey and spill out upon poking the turkey.

But do you know from where these juices come?

The answer is that it is actually the moisture of the turkey that is drawn to the surface during evaporation.

It is drawn to the surface during the stall phase.

Although it is another debate that if a turkey stalls or not during smoking. you can check our guide on does a turkey stall when smoking for more information.

But once the turkey is done smoking, the tar still remains on the surface of the bird.

So, if the turkey is sliced immediately after smoking, the meat juices will spill out and affect the texture of the turkey.

It increases the tenderness of turkey

In addition to the redistribution of meat juices, resting also helps to make turkey more soft and tender.

The tenderness of turkey usually occurs for two reasons: due to carryover cooking and by retaining moisture if covered.

Carryover cooking is one of the most neglected phenomena in the smoking world.

After taking the turkey out of the smoker, it will continue to increase in temperature for some time.

This increase in temperature will break down the fibers of meat and make it more tender.

Secondly, if the turkey is covered during the resting, then it will retain the moisture of the turkey and cook it by steaming for some time.

It will help the turkey become even more tender and juicy.

After resting for some time, the turkey will be soft enough to be pulled off easily.

enhances the flavor

Resting a turkey also helps in increasing the flavor of the turkey.

It’s like giving a final chance to the rub and other stuff to sink into the turkey completely.

The rubbed particles will sink deeper into the turkey along with the meat juices.

In addition, if you have applied sauce to the turkey by mopping during smoking, then resting will have an even greater effect on flavor.

The sauce and rub applied to the turkey will mix up and enhance the flavor of the turkey.

Should you wrap the turkey while resting?

Wrapping or covering turkeys while resting is another hotly debated topic in the barbecue community.

There are thousands of schools of thought on this issue.

One prefers to cover the turkey while the other prefers to leave it uncovered.

And apparently, both of them are right.

There is no hard and fast rule on whether to wrap your turkey during resting or not. It’s your personal choice.

There are benefits to both approaches, and you have to decide which one you prefer, depending on your personal choice.

Covering the turkey during resting makes it more tender and juicy because it allows easier redistribution of meat juices.

In addition, it also cooks turkey by steaming for a while, which makes the turkey softer and increases its tenderness.

On the other hand, resting the turkey without covering it helps us retain a better and crispy bark.

As mentioned above, while wrapping, the moisture trapped inside the foil can affect the bark of the turkey and make it messy.

So it’s a personal choice whether you want to cover turkey or not.

If you want a tender and soft turkey, then make sure to cover it.

If you want a crispy and good bark , then you don’t have to cover the turkey while it’s resting.

Is it bad to rest a turkey for too long?

The simple and straightforward answer to this question will always be yes.

It’s a rule of nature that an excess of anything is hazardous, and so is the case with a resting turkey.

You have to set a defined range for resting a turkey.

As a general rule, turkeys should be rested for no more than 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, the turkey will start to cool down and become hardened.

So you should consider serving your turkey after resting it for a maximum of 30 minutes.

As discussed above, resting has many benefits, ranging from the redistribution of meat juices to making the turkey tender.

But if overdone, these benefits can turn into cons.

You should consider deciding on a range for resting turkeys for only 30 minutes maximum.

The most common effect of resting a turkey for too long is that it will start to cool down and become hardened.

If your turkey is cooled down, then it will not be very presentable while serving it to guests.

You can avoid the cooling down of the turkey by resting it in an oven or by the faux cambro technique.

But you might end up overcooking the turkey if you rest it for too long.

You need to be really careful about the internal temperature of the turkey while resting it in an oven.

In short, you should only rest turkey for a maximum of 30 minutes to make sure it retains its original texture.

If you count your resting point and flat portions separately, then the maximum range further drops down to 3 hours.

How to rest a turkey with the faux cambro technique?

The Faux cambro technique is one of the most effective for the resting of turkeys.

It can help you store your turkey for up to 4–8 hours, depending on how effectively you carry it out.

The faux cambro technique for storing turkey may appear complicated, but it is actually quite simple.

Here is a step-by-step guide to resting your turkey using the faux-cambro technique.

By resting your turkey this way, you can easily store it for 30 minutes at its original texture.

You can store it for an even longer time, but it will start to cool down and get messy due to the moisture trapped inside the foil.

It is an effective way to rest your turkey because it will keep the internal temperature of the turkey constant.

By wrapping the turkey in foil and placing it in a cooler, we basically minimize the chances of heat loss and increase insolation.

How to Rest the Turkey in the Oven

If you want to rest your turkey without cooling it down , then the oven is an effective tool to do that.

It can rest your turkey for up to 8 hours before serving.

It is usually used when you have finished your turkey hours before serving.

Although it is a good technique and can help you store your turkey for hours, there is still a risk when doing this.

While resting your turkey in the oven , you might end up overcooking it, which might affect the texture of your turkey.

If you’re going to rest your turkey in the oven, pick one with a low temperature of 160°F-170°F.

If you can’t find such a one, then make sure to find one with at least a lower range of no more than 180°F.

There are no complications involved in the process of resting your turkey in an oven.

You just need to set your oven at the lowest temperature and put your turkey into the oven.

You don’t need to wait for the oven to reach the desired temperature; rather, you can place the turkey inside the oven as soon as you remove it from the smoker.

While putting your turkey into the oven , make sure to place a temperature probe into the turkey.

It will help you to stay informed of the internal temperature of the turkey and avoid it overcooking.

If the internal temperature of the turkey exceeds 160°F , then you should consider removing it from the oven.

Is there a difference between resting and holding while smoking meat?

Usually, resting and holding a turkey are confused with each other and used interchangeably.

You can even see pro pitmasters using these terms alternatively because there is no information available on such topics.

The difference between holding and resting a turkey lies in the internal temperature of the bird.

In resting, we cool the turkey a little bit to allow redistribution of meat juices, while in holding, you need to maintain the internal temperature of the turkey for a longer time.

While resting a turkey, we tend to place the turkey at room temperature to allow the meat juices present on the surface to sink back into the turkey.

Moreover, we do it for a maximum of 30 minutes to avoid cooling it too much.

While in the case of holding, we are more focused on maintaining the temperature of the turkey near 160°F to make sure the turkey is served fresh.

That is, we are more concerned with storing than with resting.

In short, resting can be done at room temperature to allow the meat juices to be absorbed back.

While holding, this should be done by faux cambro or by oven to make sure the internal temperature of the turkey remains constant.

Should you position the turkey breast side up or down while resting?

As per general guidelines, you need to rest the turkey while keeping its breast side up.

Because if you face the breast side down, then it will get messy and soggy because of the accumulation of the meat juices in it due to gravity.

Resting the turkey with its breast side facing helps it to redistribute the meat juices evenly throughout the whole turkey.

In addition, the breast is the most important part of the turkey and no one wants to mess with it by improper handling.

Conclusion

You need to rest the turkey for 15–30 minutes to allow the turkey to reabsorb the meat juices while preventing it from cooling down.

If you want to store turkey for a longer time, then make sure to use the faux cambro technique or oven .