Smoked Turkey with Andouille & Shrimp Stuffing: A Cajun-Kissed Thanksgiving Feast

If your Thanksgiving table is begging for something bold, smoky, and downright unforgettable this year, allow me to introduce your new holiday hero:

Smoked Turkey with Andouille & Shrimp Stuffing.

This is a celebration of flavor — mesquite smoke swirling through tender turkey, the Cajun Holy Trinity doing its aromatic magic, spicy ribbons of Andouille sizzling in the pan, and juicy shrimp dotted through your stuffing like tiny Southern treasure. It’s the kind of dish that makes guests close their eyes and mumble “oh my gosh” before going back for seconds.

Serve it with bourbon-kissed yams and cranberry sauce with a little swagger, and you’ve got yourself a plate that tastes like Thanksgiving went on a long, soul-searching road trip through Louisiana — and came back better than ever.

Let’s get cooking.

🦃 Brining: The Juicy Secret Behind Smoked Turkey Excellence

If you’ve ever had a sad, dry turkey (we’ve all been there), the fix is simple: brining. A good brine doesn’t just season the turkey — it transforms it, giving you that tender, juicy experience people pretend they always get from turkey.

Try to mix your brine two days ahead, letting the spices, salt, and sugar dissolve properly. And be sure to choose a natural, non-pre-brined turkey, so you control the flavor.

Brine for a 12–14 lb Turkey

• 1 gallon water

• 4 tbsp sugar

• 3 tbsp RRR Rib & Chicken Rub or Blackening Spice

• 1 tbsp black pepper

• 5 garlic cloves, smashed (or 1 tbsp granulated garlic)

• 3 tbsp kosher salt

Bring the brine to a boil, stir well, cool thoroughly (45°F or colder), and tuck your turkey in for a 12–18 hour spa treatment. No longer — we want flavor, not a cured ham situation.

🔥 Seasoning & Smoking: Where the Magic Happens

Once your turkey emerges from its briny bath, pat it dry and give it a loving massage of Cajun seasoning. If you want a mellow version, switch to paprika for color, then dust with black pepper and a kiss of kosher salt.

This bird needs low and slow heat — 250°F for roughly 6 hours — with mesquite, hickory, or apple wood working their fragrant magic. Mesquite lovers, unite.

A few smoky pro-tips:

• Preheat your smoker to 250°F

• Use 4–5 cups of wood chips

• For charcoal grills, rotate the turkey every 90 minutes

• Keep a water pan underneath to maintain moisture

• Pull at 155°F–165°F in the thigh (USDA says 165°F; I lean toward 155°F and resting)

Now let that beauty rest 20–30 minutes before carving. You’ve earned it.

🍤 Randy’s Andouille & Shrimp Stuffing: The Showstopper

This stuffing steals the spotlight every time — and yes, it plays beautifully with smoked turkey. The Andouille brings the heat, the shrimp brings the sweet brininess, and the veggies bring the swagger. * Note you can substitute corn bread for the baguette, reduce the stock so the cornbread does not get soggy!)

You’ll Need:

• Olive oil

• 2½ cups each celery, onions, bell peppers

• Garlic, parsley

• 1 lb Andouille sausage

• 1 lb shrimp + shells

• Cajun Blackening spice

• Thyme

• White wine

• 8 cups stale baguette cubes (or day + old cornbread cubed)

• Turkey stock (or optional shrimp-boosted stock!)

• Paprika

The process? Brown the Andouille, sauté the veggies, hit it with spices and wine, then marry everything with bread, herbs, stock, and raw shrimp. Bake covered at 350°F for 45 minutes, and let the applause begin.

Bonus move: make a quick shrimp stock with leftover shells and some turkey stock. It adds a whisper of seafood depth that makes people go, “What is that flavor?!”

🍠 Yams with Bourbon & Pecan Crust: Sweetness Meets Southern Charm

If Thanksgiving dishes had personalities, these yams would be your friendly, slightly wild cousin who shows up with stories and a bottle of bourbon.

These yams are soft, warm, lightly boozy, and topped with a pecan crust that bakes into a buttery, crunchy dream.

The Process:

Bake your yams until soft. Whip them with maple syrup, sugar, bourbon, butter, ginger, and salt. Top with a pecan-brown sugar crumble and bake at 375°F for 45 minutes.

This dish is a perfect foil for smoked turkey — sweet meets savory, Southern-style.

12 servings

6 Yams

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 to 1/2 cup Bourbon Whiskey

1 stick of butter

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

Pecan Crust

2 cups pecans

1 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons butter

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash your yams and place them on a cookie sheet with foil (easier clean up) Prick your yams with a fork or knife and place in the oven. Bake them until they are nice and soft. Likely an hour and a half to two hours.

In a food processor combine the items for the pecan crust. Process until to a corn meal style consistency. All to sit at room temperature, until time to put on the yam mixture.

Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool enough to scoop out the yam. Scoop them into a mixer or bowl. Mix them or mash them well. Stir in the bourbon, sugar, maple syrup, salt and ginger. Whip the butter into the mixture. Oil or butter a large casserole dish and spread the yam mixture evenly across. Top with an the pecan crust.

Bake 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

🍒 Bourbon Cranberry Sauce: Tart, Sweet & A Little Tipsy

Forget the can — this cranberry sauce is alive, bright, and beautifully boozy.

Just simmer fresh cranberries with sugar, bourbon, and cinnamon until they burst and create the most gorgeous ruby mixture. Cool and serve. It’s holiday happiness in spoonable form.

1 lb. Cranberries fresh rinsed

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup Bourbon whiskey

Place the sugar in a heavy bottomed sauté pan, add the bourbon heat and add the cranberries. Stir occasionally, the cranberries will give up their liquid. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes, add the cinnamon and cool.

🍽️ Tie It All Together

Round out your Thanksgiving feast with:

• Buttery mashed potatoes

• A crisp salad

• Fresh bread

• This full Cajun-inspired spread

And do not sleep on the leftovers. Smoked turkey + stuffing + cranberry sauce = the post-Thanksgiving sandwich of your dreams.

🧡 A Holiday Meal to Remember

This meal has made appearances at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any other excuse I can think of to fire up the smoker. It’s festive, flavorful, and a total crowd-pleaser.

Here’s to a Thanksgiving filled with good food, good company, and smoky magic.

If you try this, share your photos — we love seeing your Spice-Rubs creations! Happy cooking, and happy Thanksgiving! 🦃🔥🍁

Recipe FAQ

Q: How long does it take to smoke a turkey?A: A 12–14 lb turkey takes about 6 hours at 250°F in a smoker.

Q: What wood is best for smoked turkey?A: Mesquite, hickory, and apple wood all pair beautifully with Cajun flavors.

Q: Can I make the Andouille and shrimp stuffing ahead?A: Yes! Assemble it a day ahead and bake day-of.

Q: Should I brine a turkey before smoking?A: Absolutely — brining keeps the turkey moist and enhances flavor.

Create the ultimate Cajun smoked turkey with Andouille and shrimp stuffing. A bold, flavorful Thanksgiving smoked turkey recipe your guests will love.