How To Make Deli Turkey Breast Lunch Meat

This homemade deli-style turkey breast lunch meat has only three ingredients, is easy to make, is budget-friendly, and is perfect for all your sandwiches! Skip the deli counter and make your lunch meat at home!

The Easiest Deli Turkey Breast Lunch Meat

I REFUSE to spend $15-$18 a pound on deli turkey breast lunch meat at the store. Years ago, I made it my mission to make even something as simple as lunch meat at home because:

1. I can make it for WAY less.
2. I can control the ingredients – no mystery chemicals or processed meats.

Let me show you how EASY it is to make this foolproof deli-style turkey breast lunch meat at home! Just three simple ingredients and patience are needed to make the best turkey breast you’ll ever eat!

While this recipe is made on the smoker, you can easily make it on the grill or in your home oven (details below). It has two ingredients, and yes, it’s that simple! The hardest part is that you must be patient, as it involves specific techniques to ensure you end up with THE BEST deli roast beef!

Homemade Deli Turkey Breast Lunch Meat Ingredients

This recipe could not be more straightforward. Only three ingredients make this deli meat out of this world!

• Boneless Turkey Breast: I got this bad boy shipped from Sparrow Market in Ann Arbor, Michigan
• Chupacabra Cluckalicious
• Olive Oil

Chef Lori’s Tidbit: Turkey Breast Netting

In this post, you’ll see that my turkey breast came with netting. It was a 5-pound breast that was pre-netted. I’ve also made it without netting. You can use those in this recipe as well. The only difference is that they may cook faster as they are ‘thinner and wider’, like a pork belly would be, instead of all rolled and rounded in netting.

The net helps the turkey breast retain its shape, making it look neater and ensuring an even cook.

The negative aspect of netting is that once the turkey breast has been cooled, some of the herb crust can come off when the netting is removed.

How to Dry Brine Deli Turkey Breast

This is a straightforward recipe, but it does require one crucial thing—patience. This technique is tried and true and should not be skipped.

1. Pat the meat dry, drizzle on the olive oil, and coat it onto the meat.
2. Sprinkle on the Chupacabra Cluckalicious liberally on all sides (including the ends).
3. Place a cooling rack inside a rimmed baking sheet, add the coated turkey breast, and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight. Shoot for 12 hours but no more than 24 hours of resting in the refrigerator.

How to Smoke Deli Turkey Meat

I’ve said it a million times: I LOVE my Yoder Smokers YS640! What people may not realize about this piece of machinery is that it’s not just a smoker. It’s a grill, a BBQ, and an oven.

It can range from 150°F to 600°F or more. If you have the pizza oven, my oven temps are at 700°F+! Living in Arizona, my home oven doesn’t run from May to September, which means 90% of my meals are made in this thing!

1. Remove the meat from the fridge about 35-45 minutes before smoking it. You want to let the meat come to room temp (or close to). Insert a MEATER wireless thermometer before you start up your smoker.
2. Fill the Yoder Smokers YS640 hopper with pellets (I went with a competition blend) and set the temperature to 250°F.
3. Once the smoker is at temperature, add the turkey breast to the top rack with a foil pan or aluminum foil underneath it to catch the drippings. Place the damper halfway open and smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

What Happens if I Don’t Let The Meat Chill?

1. HONESTLY?: Nothing, as it’s perfectly edible. You’ll have amazing turkey breast (think Thanksgiving-style turkey), but it won’t be “sliceable” for deli meat.
2. RESTING IS KEY: The turkey breast will be far easier to slice when cold for deli sandwiches

Resting Deli Turkey Breast

4. Remove the meat from the smoker and rest on the counter for 30-45 minutes (remove the MEATER thermometer).
5. Wrap the room-temperature meat snugly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it to rest overnight*.

* This is where I said you need patience.

How to Slice a Turkey Breast For Lunch Meat

Remove the chilled turkey breast from the fridge the next day, unwrap, and slice it to your desired sandwich meat thickness. I use a Brisket Slicer to cut mine, but you could use an inexpensive Deli Slicer. I’ve yet to find one that is not commercial that I would recommend. I’m looking, folks.

The most important thing is to slice it against the grain.

What to Serve Deli Turkey Lunch Meat With

You have a pretty diverse way to serve these:

• Hoagie: This Roast Turkey with Red Pepper Jelly & Melty Asiago Hoagie is exceptional!
• Sandwich: you can make a club with bacon, turkey with cheddar, or add the turkey meat, brie cheese, crispy onions, and my Strawberry Black Pepper Balsamic Jam
• Slider: My Smoked Gobbler Sliders are ICONIC and award-winning!
• Focaccia: Place the deli meat between 2 slices of warmed Focaccia, fig jam, caramelized onions, and Boursin or Feta

Other Ways to Make Deli Turkey Breast

Grilled Turkey Breast Lunch Meat:

1. Follow the same steps to coat it and chill it before grilling.
2. The next day, set up your grill for indirect cooking at 250°F. Place the prepared turkey breast on the indirect side and grill until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
3. Remove from the grill, allow to rest for 30-45 minutes, wrap, and chill in the fridge overnight.

Deli Turkey Breast Lunch Meat in The Oven:

1. Follow the same steps to coat it and chill it before cooking.
2. Remove from the fridge about 45 minutes to an hour before cooking.
3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Insert a MEATER. Place a cooling rack in a baking pan. Add enough stock to coat 1″ of the bottom of the pan. Add the turkey breast and roast it in the oven, basting it every 20 minutes with the pan drippings until the internal temperature reads 165°F.
4. Remove from the oven, allow to rest for 30-45 minutes, wrap, and chill in the fridge overnight.

How To Make Deli Turkey Breast Lunch Meat

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This homemade deli-style turkey breast lunch meat has only three ingredients, is easy to make, is budget-friendly, and is perfect for all your sandwiches! Skip the deli counter and make your lunch meat at home!

• Author: Lori
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 3-5 hours
• Total Time: 5 hours
• Yield: ~35-40 servings
• Category: deli turkey breast, how to make lunch meat, oven roasted turkey breast, smoked turkey breast. roast turkey, turkey breast on the smoker, turkey lunch meat
• Method: grill, oven, smoker
• Cuisine: deli turkey breast, how to make lunch meat, oven roasted turkey breast, smoked turkey breast. roast turkey, turkey breast on the smoker, turkey lunch meat

Ingredients

• 3–5 pound Boneless Turkey Breast
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons to 1/3 cup Chupacabra Cluckalicious

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Instructions

1. Pat the meat dry, drizzle on the olive oil, and coat it onto the meat. Sprinkle on the Chupacabra Cluckalicious liberally on all sides (including the ends).
2. Place a cooling rack inside a rimmed baking sheet, add the coated turkey breast, and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight. Shoot for 12 hours but no more than 24 hours of resting in the refrigerator.
3. Remove the meat from the fridge about 35-45 minutes before smoking it.  You want to let the meat come to room temp (or close to). Insert a MEATER wireless thermometer before you start up your smoker.  
4. Fill the Yoder Smokers YS640 hopper with pellets (I went with a competition blend) and set the temperature to 250°F. Once the smoker is at temperature, add the turkey breast to the top rack, with a foil pan or aluminum foil underneath it to catch the drippings. Place the damper halfway open and smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. This can take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours, depending on the size of your turkey breast.
5. Remove the meat from the smoker and let it rest on the counter for 30-45 minutes (remove the MEATER thermometer). Wrap the room-temperature meat snugly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it to rest overnight*.
6. The next day, remove the chilled turkey breast from the fridge, unwrap it, and slice it to your desired sandwich meat thickness. 
7. Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days.

Notes

*time does not include resting in the fridge

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