Slow-Smoked Turkey Breast: How We Brine, Rub, and Slow-Smoke It
October 14, 2026 – Haywood Smokehouse
Turkey is not just for Thanksgiving. At Haywood Smokehouse, we slow-smoke turkey breast every day at all three of our locations.
Joe Beasley built this place around a simple idea: take the best of every barbecue region and do it right, all under one roof. Brisket and ribs get most of the attention, but the turkey gets the same care as everything else that comes off our pits. You can read the whole story in The Greatest Hits of American Barbecue.
What kind of turkey do you serve?
Turkey breast. That is what goes on our pits, every day we are open, at Waynesville, Dillsboro, and Franklin.
How do you cook your turkey?
It starts with a wet brine, at least 24 hours. After the brine, the turkey breast gets our pork rub, the same rub that goes on our chopped pork and our ribs, then goes on the pit over real hickory.
Gas lights the wood and holds the temperature steady, and the hickory does the rest. Like every one of our slow-smoked meats, the turkey gets probed by hand throughout the cook, not just at the end. It comes off when it is ready, not when a clock says so, the same way it works with our award-winning Texas brisket and our St. Louis style ribs.
How is the turkey served?
Sliced. You can get it on a platter, on a sandwich, or in a quesadilla.
Can I buy a whole slow-smoked turkey breast?
Yes. A whole slow-smoked turkey breast is about 4 pounds and feeds 8 to 12 people. Please allow 24 hours notice on whole slow-smoked meats, or call your favorite location and see if they can accommodate same day orders.
You can also buy sliced turkey breast by the pound. Both are on the To-Go menu and the catering menu.
Can Haywood Smokehouse handle Thanksgiving?
That is exactly what we are planning for. Our holiday menu is on the way, built for office get-togethers, pre-Thanksgiving dinners, and the Thanksgiving table itself. A whole slow-smoked turkey breast, a few of our sides, and a pan of banana pudding, and the cooking is done.
Watch our Facebook page and our Get Smoked VIP Club texts for the holiday menu and order dates.
What about the chicken?
We slow-smoke chicken too, over the same real hickory. The chicken is not brined. It gets our pork rub and goes straight on the pit. Our chopped chicken comes with a light touch of our Sweet Red sauce, and you can order it by the pound with 48 hours notice.
Whole chickens and half chickens are on the To-Go menu as well, and you can get your half chicken all white or all dark.
And the wings?
Franklin serves wings every Wednesday and Saturday, slow-smoked and flash-fried, and you can get them naked. At Waynesville and Dillsboro, wings show up as a Pitmaster's Special, so watch our Facebook page.
Come get some turkey
Order ahead online for pickup, or come sit down with us.
Feeding a crowd? Our catering menu covers all three locations.
Join the Get Smoked VIP Club for 10% off for you and a guest on your next visit, plus weekly deals by text.
And for everybody who is not close enough to drive over, nationwide shipping starts in November, to all 50 states plus Canada and the United Kingdom.