Smoked Turkey Necks – Tender, flavor-packed, fall-off-the-bone turkey goes beautifully with all the Southern fixins for a non-traditionally traditional holiday meal. Turkey necks are totally underrated but great on their own. And they add loads of flavor to your favorite stews, soups, and veggies. 🙌
If you are a fan of no-waste cooking, this recipe has your name all over it. And even if you aren’t, you’ll still probably be surprised by how delicious this overlooked part of the turkey can taste when prepared properly.
My family was skeptical too, but when they tasted these smoked beauties, they were immediately convinced that turkey necks deserve their soul food status. Give this amazing recipe a try, and I guarantee you’ll never throw a turkey neck out again. In fact, you’ll probably find yourself adding turkey necks to your grocery list on the regular.
Reasons I Love Smoking Turkey Necks
My number one reason is that turkey necks are finger-lickin’ good and add a ton of flavor to any recipe! That in itself makes them a no-brainer. Still, there are other good reasons to fall in love. They’re actually nutritious and have way more meat on them than chicken or pork neck bones. Turkey necks, in my opinion, are a fabulous gem in Southern cooking so let’s get cooking! 👩🍳
Recipe Ingredients
- Turkey Necks – Obvs, you’ll need these necks to kick off this tasty recipe. One package with a couple of pounds worth of meat will do.
- Turkey Neck Marinade – You’ll need oil and vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Creole seasoning, brown sugar, and some good ole S&P to make a marinade for the necks before smoking.
How to Smoke Turkey Necks
Prep the Turkey Necks
- Clean – Remove the turkey necks from their packaging and pat them dry with a clean paper towel to remove any excess liquid. Then place them in a large bowl. (Photo 1)
- Make the Marinade – Mix the olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, Creole seasoning, brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. (Photos 2-3)
- Marinate – Pour the marinade over the turkey necks and mix well until they are fully coated in marinade. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it marinate in the fridge until you are ready to smoke. Marinate for up to 24 hours. (Photos 4-5)
Smoke the Turkey Necks
- Preheat Smoker – Add your choice of wood or pellets to the smoker and preheat it to 250℉/120℃.
- Start Smoking – Place the turkey necks directly on the smoker racks. (Photo 6)
- Finish Smoking – Cover and smoke for two to four hours, moving them around occasionally for even cooking. Smoke until the turkey has reached an internal temperature of 165℉/74℃.
- Serve – When cooked, remove the turkey necks from the smoker, let them rest for about 5 minutes, and serve.
Recipe Variations
- I love the flavor you get when smoking turkey necks, but you could roast them in the oven or even cook them in your Instant Pot or slow cooker. Cooking times will vary depending on the method you use, obviously.
- Feel free to customize the seasonings in the marinade however you like. Basically, anything you want to season turkey meat with will work.
Tips and Tricks
- Sometimes some parts of the smoker get hotter than other parts. That’s why you move the necks around occasionally as they cook. You know your smoker, so just use your best judgment here.
- You’ll know when the necks are cooked when a meat thermometer shows 165℉/75℃.
- Most of the time, turkey necks come packaged whole. You can cut these guys into smaller pieces before marinating or leave them whole, whatever you prefer.
Make-Ahead Instructions
I recommend marinating turkey necks for 24 hours before smoking. Then your prep work is done, and all you need to do is smoke them. However, you can make these a few days in advance if you want, as long as you refrigerate them. You can also freeze turkey necks for three months if you’re going to make them way ahead of time.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Let the turkey necks rest for about five minutes after pulling them out of the smoker, and then serve them warm with whatever Southern sides you please. (Don’t forget the hot sauce.) 🔥
Store leftover turkey necks in an airtight container. You can either refrigerate them for 3-5 days or freeze them for three months.
To reheat smoked turkey necks, pop them in your microwave or air fryer for a few minutes until heated through. You can also plop them into soups or stews as you cook. If you freeze them, you can thaw them in the fridge overnight or toss them directly into your stew or soup and simmer until heated through.
FAQs
Good question. If you buy already smoked turkey necks, then yes, they are cooked. For this recipe, you need raw turkey necks, and you’ll do the smoking to cook them.
If the turkey necks look like they need a good cleaning, you can rinse them with water and cut off any excess membrane. Be careful when cutting membrane off wet necks, though – they can be slippery. And pat them dry before you marinate them.
Turkey necks are relatively high in fat, but the fat content isn’t excessive considering that turkey is a leaner meat than most.
What Goes with Smoked Turkey Necks
I love serving smoked turkey necks with collard greens, garlic mashed potatoes, and gravy. It is such an excellent down-home meal.
They can also flavor other dishes. I like adding them to Brunswick stew. They also are great flavor boosters for turnip greens or Southern mustard greens. 😋
More Delectable Turkey Recipes to Try
Conclusion
So break out the smoker and get ready for a real soul-food treat! Has your family ever made a meal of just the turkey necks? Let me know in the comments, and give this recipe a five-star rating if you love it as much as I do. 😉
Smoked Turkey Necks
Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds turkey necks
- Salt and pepper
- 3-4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons red vinegar
- ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- 1-2 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Remove turkey neck from packaging, and pat dry with a clean paper towel to remove any excess liquid. Place in a large bowl.
- Mix olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, Creole seasoning, brown sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Pour the marinade over the turkey necks and mix until the turkey necks are fully covered in marinade. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and let them marinate in the fridge until ready to use. You can do this a day ahead and marinate them for up to 24 hours.
- When ready to smoke, add your choice of wood or pellets to the smoker and preheat it to 250℉/120℃.
- Place turkey necks directly on the smoker racks, cover, and smoke for 2-4 hours, moving them around for even cooking. (Some parts of the smoker are hotter than others, so use your best judgment.) Smoke until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165℉/74℃.
- When ready, remove them from the smoker and let them rest for about five minutes. Then add them to make soups or stews or brush them with BBQ sauce and serve warm with a side of veggies and potatoes.
Tips & Notes:
- Sometimes some parts of the smoker get hotter than other parts. That’s why you move the necks around occasionally as they cook. You know your smoker, so just use your best judgment here.
- The necks are cooked when a meat thermometer shows 165℉/75℃.
- Most of the time, turkey necks come packaged whole. You can cut them into smaller pieces before marinating or leave them whole, whatever you prefer.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Glen says
Yay! My Mom’s favorite part of the bird, and now we can smoke it for her. Thanks for the recipe.
Imma says
Aww, Great to hear. These are my favorite too:) Love for your Mom!