Keeping a Turkey Hot

I use my smoker to keep things warm. Also warm chicken stock is your friend

If you cooler a turkey it will be nasty, the skin will will be like rubber and the meat will dry out. Try to time the bird to come out of the smoke about 45 minutes before you eat, that will give you time to let it rest and carve.

We do three turkeys at Thanksgiving all brined. One smoked one, one on the Weber charcoal rotisserie and a fried one. We do the smoked and grilled ones the day before,let rest then rip them apart and put in foil pans covered with plastic wrap and foil. Next day onto the smoker to reheat and because there brined there just as moist as if we cooked them that day. If you have access to a smoker or even a gas grill use them but don't cooler a bird.

We have to travel, 30ish mins to our TDay dinner, and I've been tasked with the turkey (they loved my smoked turkey last year at my place). Normally this would have me pulling my hair out, but I've got one key thing in my favor: They don't carve the turkey at the table, so don't care if it comes already carved.

My plan: Smoke it and have it done about an hour before we have to leave the house. During that hour, I'll be pre-heating a 6 quart travel crockpot to low while the turkey rests. Once the turkey is done resting, I'll carve it and carefully stack/arrange it in the crock pot sprinkling in about a quarter cup of turkey broth (homemade) as I go, unplug crockpot, clamp lid down, head out the door