Smoked Turkey Pastrami – Girls Can Grill

Turkey pastrami is a lighter twist on classic deli pastrami that’s perfect for sandwiches, snacks or an easy main dish.

This recipe starts with turkey breast that’s brined for three days, coated in pastrami rub and smoked until tender, juicy and packed with peppery pastrami flavor.

For more tips, check out my Ultimate Pastrami Guide.

What turkey pastrami?

Beef pastrami is the most popular type of pastrami, but you can also make pastrami with poultry. Chicken and turkey take on the flavor of pastrami really well, and they taste great!

All you have to do is brine the meat for a few days, then rub it with seasoning and smoke it. It’s awesome for sandwiches.

Smoked Homemade Lunch Meat

I’m a sucker for a good Dagwood-style sandwich, especially one that’s piled high with thinly sliced smoked homemade lunch meat.

What you’ll need

• Turkey Breast: Look for fresh turkey breasts, not the ones wrapped in plastic and a net. If you can only find bone-in, remove the skin and bone before brining.
• Girls Can Grill Pastrami Brine
• Water
• Girls Can Grill Pastrami Rub
• Butter

PRO TIP: I don't recommend using the frozen turkey breast roasts because most are packaged in a brining solution.  

See the full recipe card above for servings and a full list of ingredients.

How to smoke turkey pastrami

This process takes about 4 days. You’ll brine the turkey for three days and then cure it for one day before smoking.

Step 1: Brine

Mix the Pastrami Brine with water and let it cool. Place turkey breast in a Meat Prep Bag. Cover with prepared brine. Remove the air. Close the bag. Refrigerate 3 days.

Step 2: Season

Remove the cured turkey from the brine. Rinse. Pat dry. Season all over with Pastrami Rub. Refrigerate uncovered for a few hours or overnight. 

Step 3: Smoke

Heat the smoker to 275F degrees. Place the turkey breast on the smoker, breast side up, over indirect heat. Smoke until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 140-145F degrees, around 1 hour.

Step 4: Wrap

Place half of the butter cubes on a sheet of foil. Add the turkey on top, breast side down. Add the remaining butter on top. Wrap tightly. 

Place the wrapped turkey back on the smoker and continue cooking to an internal temperature of 155-160F, about 30-45 minutes. 

Step 5: Rest and Slice

Remove from the smoker and let rest for 30 minutes. Slice and serve. For deli-thin slices, refrigerate for a few hours. Then use a meat slicer.

How to serve smoked turkey pastrami

Turkey pastrami can be served hot or cold as an entree with traditional sides like potato salad or macaroni salad. It’s also fantastic on sandwiches.

To build a great turkey pastrami sandwich, slice the meat thin and layer onto toasted bread with lettuce, tomatoes and mayonnaise.

To get deli-thin slices, refrigerate the turkey and use a meat slicer.

Storage

Store leftover turkey pastrami in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. You can also freeze it for several months.