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!
- 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
Instructions
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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*.
- The next day, remove the chilled turkey breast from the fridge, unwrap it, and slice it to your desired sandwich meat thickness.
- Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 days.
Notes
*time does not include resting in the fridge