How to smoke a turkey: smoker temperature, hours by weight, the 4-hour safety rule and the woods to use

Smoking a turkey moves the bird outside and gives the oven back to the sides. It also cooks the turkey at a fraction of oven heat, for many more hours, which is why USDA FSIS's rules for smoking are stricter than its rules for roasting. This page puts those rules next to Butterball's smoker times, so you can plan the day and know when to pull the plug and finish in the oven.

Smoked turkey times and temperatures

	USDA FSIS	Butterball
Smoker temperature	225 to 300°F	About 250°F (water smoker); 225°F (electric)
Time	20 to 30 minutes per pound	4 to 8 hours for 8 to 12 lb; 6 to 10 hours for 12 to 18 lb (water smoker)
Bird size	Table lists 8 to 12 lb	Up to 18 lb
Done	165°F in thigh, wing and breast	170°F in thigh and breast
Stuffed?	Do not stuff	Do not stuff

Butterball's electric-smoker method at 225°F takes 8 to 12 hours for an 8 to 18 lb bird, and it says a smoked turkey can take up to 12 hours. USDA's 165°F is the safety line; Butterball's 170°F is its doneness preference.

Smaller is easier. USDA's smoker table only goes up to a 12 lb bird. A bigger turkey spends longer in the danger zone and is harder to get through Butterball's 4-hour check. If you're feeding a crowd, two small birds smoke more predictably than one big one. For other ways to cook a large bird, see turkey cooking methods, times and temps.

The 4-hour rule

Butterball says the turkey's internal temperature should go from 40°F to 140°F within 4 hours. If the thigh isn't near 140°F after about 3½ hours, it says not to keep waiting: take the turkey off the smoker and finish it in the oven. Use 325°F or higher, USDA's minimum for roasting a turkey, and cook it to 165°F. You'll still get most of the smoke flavor.

That's the reason for a leave-in probe. Check it at the 2-hour mark. If it's clearly behind (wind, cold, a bigger bird), raise the smoker toward the top of USDA's range or plan for the oven finish.

Before you light it

• Thaw completely. USDA FSIS says not to smoke a frozen or partly frozen turkey. The thaw guide has the fridge calendar.
• Don't stuff it. USDA says stuffing in a smoked bird won't get hot enough fast enough. Bake it in a dish; see how to stuff a turkey safely for the oven rules.
• Pick the spot. USDA says to set the smoker in a well-lit, well-ventilated place away from trees and buildings, and to shield it from wind. The U.S. Fire Administration says grills and smokers stay outdoors, never on a porch or balcony, with a 3-foot kid-and-pet-free zone. More in hosting Thanksgiving outdoors.
• Use the right fuel. Approved charcoal starters only, never gasoline or kerosene, per USDA FSIS.
• Pick the wood. USDA FSIS says water-soaked hardwood or fruitwood chips are fine. Don't use softwood such as pine, fir, cedar or spruce.

How to smoke a turkey on a charcoal smoker or kettle

1. Get the smoker stable first. Light the charcoal, set the water or drip pan, and let the smoker settle between 225 and 300°F, measured at the grate with an appliance thermometer, before the turkey goes on.
2. Turkey on, probe in. Put a leave-in probe in the thickest part of the thigh, not touching bone, and close the lid.
3. Feed the fire. USDA's turkey page says to add charcoal every 1 to 2 hours and to keep the water pan topped up. For smoking in a covered kettle grill, USDA FSIS starts with about 50 briquettes in a pile to one side and adds about 10 every hour. Add wood chips with the charcoal.
4. Keep the lid shut. Every look lets heat out. Use the thermometers instead.
5. Glaze late. If you're using a sweet glaze or sauce, USDA FSIS says to brush it on in the last 15 to 30 minutes so it doesn't burn.
6. Check three spots. When the probe nears 165°F, check the innermost thigh, the innermost wing and the thickest part of the breast with an instant-read. The thermometer guide shows where.
7. Rest it. Tent with foil and rest before carving: Butterball says 15 minutes for its water-smoker method, and USDA advises 20 for roasted turkey.

On an electric or pellet smoker, the steps are the same minus the charcoal. Follow the maker's manual for the wood, and keep an independent thermometer at the grate anyway; many built-in readouts measure the air somewhere else. A covered grill at 15 to 18 minutes a pound is a different method: how to grill a turkey.

Pink is normal, under-cooked isn't

USDA FSIS says smoked turkey is often pink at a safe temperature, sometimes with a pink ring under the skin. Don't judge it by color in either direction. If it reads 165°F in all three spots, it's done. If it looks done but reads lower, it isn't. The early, late or pink guide explains why.

Smoking ahead and leftovers

A smoked turkey is one of the few that can be cooked a day early. Carve it, refrigerate it in shallow containers within 2 hours, and reheat slices to 165°F. USDA FSIS says to refrigerate smoked meat and poultry within 2 hours and use it within 4 days, or freeze it. Don't partly smoke a turkey one day and finish it the next: USDA allows partial precooking only when the food goes straight from the precooking onto the smoker. The leftovers guide has the rest.

Questions on the day? The turkey hotlines page has USDA's and Butterball's numbers and 2026 hours.