Hickory smoked pulled turkey recipe inspired by: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee (alternatively: Shenandoah National Park, Virginia)
One of my favorite grilling recipes inspired by the national parks, this hickory smoked pulled turkey recipe has Great Smoky Mountains written all over it. For many reasons.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is, in fact, home to wild turkeys (although you can’t hunt them within the park). It’s also partly in Tennessee and close to Nashville, one of the barbecue capitals in America, known for its pulled meats.
So, that gives us pulled turkey! But let’s make it even more—much more—“Great Smokies” shall we? Let’s actually smoke that turkey.
In this Great Smoky Mountains National Park-inspired pulled turkey recipe, we’re going to smoke the turkey with hickory, a native tree in the park. (Incidentally, collecting hickory nuts, which are also known as pecans, is allowed inside the national park.)
Native wood, a native wild bird, a regional type of cuisine, and actual smoke. This hickory smoked pulled turkey recipe is nothing less than an homage of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
This Great Smoky Mountains National Park-inspired recipe for hickory smoked pulled turkey with coleslaw contains affiliate links. You can read more about our Terms of Use / Disclosure here.
Contents
Great Smoky Mountains Hickory Smoked Pulled Turkey With Coleslaw
- Prep time: 2 hours
- Cook time: 2.5 hours
- Total time: 4.5 hours
- Servings: 4
- Calories per serving: 650
Succulent, smoked turkey paired with a refreshing—and easy to prepare—coleslaw, combined on a toasted brioche bun… Just writing this makes me hungry!
While it might take some time to properly smoke and cook the turkey, this is by no means a difficult recipe. The turkey itself doesn’t need much more than simple salt, pepper, and garlic.
The coleslaw does require some more ingredients, but you can whip that up within 15 minutes. Perfect for a casual get-together, Saturday evening cookout, or national park-inspired Fourth of July celebration.
Necessary Kitchen Tools & Supplies
- Weber grill (or any other grill)
- Natural hardwood lump charcoal
- Hickory wood chunks
- Half-size aluminum foil pan
- Meat thermometer
- Heavy-duty aluminum foil
- Casserole dish
- Cutting boards
- Chef’s knife and paring knife
- Teaspoons and tablespoons
- Measuring cups
- Small and medium mixing bowls
- Tongs
Great Smoky Mountains Hickory Smoked Pulled Turkey Recipe
Inspired by the forests of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Tennessee barbecue, this hickory smoked pulled turkey and coleslaw recipe is perfect for backyard cookouts and celebrations.
Ingredients
Smoked Pulled Turkey
- 2 turkey breast tenderloins (about 1.5 lbs total)
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 tablespoon pepper
- 1/4 tablespoon garlic powder
- 4 tablespoons butter
- Barbecue sauce of your choice
- 4 brioche burger buns
- 8 pickle slices
Coleslaw
- 3 cups red cabbage, shredded or chopped
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Hickory Smoked Pulled Turkey
- Place turkey breast tenderloins in a casserole dish.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Season turkey breasts all over with seasoning mix. Place the casserole dish in the fridge, uncovered, and let turkey rest for at least 2 hours.
- After turkey has rested for a couple of hours, light the charcoal in your grill.
- Move the charcoal to one side of the grill. Pour a cup of hot water into the half-size aluminum foil pan. Place the pan next to the charcoal, below the grill grates.
- When charcoal is hot, add 2-3 chunks of hickory wood.
- Lightly brush the grill grates with olive oil to prevent sticking. Place the turkey breasts on the grill, directly above the foil pan.
- Cover the grill, making sure that the vents are a quarter open and above the turkey breasts.
- Smoke the turkey breast for about 1.5 hours, or until the internal temperature reads 165°F.
- Remove turkey breasts from the grill and place each breast on a large piece of aluminum foil.
- Place a tablespoon of butter underneath each breast, another tablespoon of butter on top of the breasts.
- Wrap the breasts tightly and place the foil packs back on the grill, seam sides up. Continue cooking for another 15 minutes or so. Remove from grill and let the smoked turkey breasts rest inside their foil packs for 15 more minutes.
- When smoked turkey breasts have rested, pulled the meat apart with your hands into bite-sized shreds. Place pulled turkey in a medium bowl.
- Add your favorite barbecue sauce and mix well.
Coleslaw
- While the turkey smokes, prepare the coleslaw.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sugar and celery seeds.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add shredded red cabbage and carrots and mix well.
- Set aside in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Assembly
- Lightly toast the brioche buns on the grill.
- Add a generous serving of hickory smoked pulled turkey onto the bottom buns.
- Top with coleslaw and a pickle slice or two, and put other half of the bun on top.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 650Total Fat 36gSaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 184mgSodium 1778mgCarbohydrates 56gFiber 6gSugar 16gProtein 28g
A general nutrition calculator was used to determine the nutritional information of this recipe, which is meant solely as an indication of the dish's nutritional values. Depending on specific ingredients, quantities used and/or serving size, the ultimate dish you end up making may have different nutritional aspects. Please consider the information provided here only as guidance and not as an absolute fact.
If You Decide to Make This Mouthwatering Hickory Smoked Pulled Turkey Recipe Inspired by Great Smoky Mountains National Park at Home, Feel Free to Tell Everyone About It Below! Happy Cooking!
More Grilling Recipes Inspired by the National Parks
- Bourbon Barbecue Chicken Wings (Mammoth Cave National Park)
- Sonoran Hot Dogs Recipe (Saguaro National Park)
- Huckleberry Bison Burgers (Yellowstone National Park)
- Mount Rainier Hot Dogs (Mount Rainier National Park)
- Cedar Plank Grilled Salmon With Roasted Potato Salad (North Cascades National Park)
- BLT Salmon Burgers With Avocado Sauce (Olympic National Park)
- Grilled Gulf Shrimp With Tropical Fruit Kabobs (Dry Tortugas National Park)