How Long To Smoke a Turkey?

In this guide, a detailed answer to the question “How long to smoke a turkey?” will be given, and in addition, a perfect smoked turkey recipe will also be given.

Well, this best-smoked turkey recipe is a whole turkey that has been coated in a homemade spice rub, and after that, it is slow-smoked to succulent and juicy perfection.

I consider this to be an extremely simple and captivating main course that won’t take up any oven space.

Well, this smoked turkey is a unique and crowd-pleasing Thanksgiving meal that is perfect for you, particularly if you are looking for something slightly different compared to your standard roasted turkey.

In addition, this recipe is simple enough that even a beginner cook can produce a beautiful and mouth-watering result.

You can always serve your turkey with homemade cranberry sauce and watch yourself crave more.

Personally, I prefer to make a turkey for the holidays; however, I’m not a fan of how it takes up all the oven space for hours and hours on the big days.

However, I now make a smoked turkey instead of roasting turkey, and the result is at least nothing short of awesome.

Supplies Needed for a Smoked Turkey

Below are the supplies you will need to gather before you make your smoked turkey:

Turkey

You are to ensure that the fresh turkey you buy is about 15 pounds or less for food safety reasons.

That being said, I suggest you get 2 to 3 smaller birds rather than one large turkey for dinner if you have a large group gathering for Thanksgiving.

And, you might be wondering why I suggest you avoid smoking a turkey over 15 pounds. Well, that is because it can take too long to cook.

This will make your bird sit in the food safety danger zone between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit for too long, and in turn, you will risk bacteria overgrowing and spoiling your turkey before it is done.

It is best to cook 2 to 3 smaller turkeys rather than a large one.

Fuel and Wood Chips

You need to make sure that you have a lot of propane, pellets, gas, or wood before you smoke the turkey.

I’m sure you don’t want to run out while you are in the middle of the smoking process.

Now, for smoking a turkey, I recommend you use cherry, apple, or hickory wood chips.

They are recommended because they produce a light flavor that won’t overwhelm the turkey while still giving it a great BBQ smokiness.

Thermometer

While cooking this smoked turkey, just keep in mind that an instant-read meat thermometer or remote meat thermometer will become your best friend.

The interesting thing about this is that when smoking a turkey, temperature is key, so ensure that you have a good thermometer on hand to monitor the temperature of the various parts of the turkey while it is cooking.

Smoker

You have the option to cook this smoked turkey recipe on whatever smoker you choose.

It will certainly taste great if cooked on a pellet grill, an electric smoker, or even an offset smoker.

My advice is that you use whatever you prefer, i.e., whatever is your favorite or even whatever is available to you.

A pellet smoker is a good option and also an easy grill to use, and on the other hand, an offset will yield a beautiful flavor.

How Long Does It Take to Smoke a Turkey?

Now, let’s get right back to answering the main question of this guide, “How long to smoke a turkey?”

With the cooking schedule that will be given, a 13-pound turkey took more or less 4 hours and 10 minutes to smoke. The cooking schedule includes 90 minutes at 180 degrees, 2 hours at 215 degrees Fahrenheit, and 40 minutes at 350 degrees F (or just until the turkey reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the juices run clear).

Keep in mind that your total time will be based on how many pounds your turkey is, whether it is stuffed and whether it is fully defrosted before cooking, as well as humidity, hot spots, wind, and so on.

You will likely be looking at a 5 to 5 ½ hour cook time if you are cooking an 18-inch turkey.

Smoked Turkey

This smoked turkey is the ideal turkey to serve on Thanksgiving or other special events.

The turkey is mouth-watering and succulent, and the whole bird tastes like it came from an upscale restaurant.

I’m sure that this smoked turkey will take your holiday meal to the next level.

Category: Thanksgiving
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 7 hours
Resting Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 7 hours and 30 minutes
Servings: 7 people

Ingredients

• 1 15-pound turkey (thawed)
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of Sweet Rub
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil or melted butter

Laid-Out Instructions

• First, you are to preheat whatever type of grill you are using for indirect smoking at 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Just turn on half of the burners to medium-low and leave the other half off if you are using gas. Preheat your coals until just ashed over, dump them on one far side of your grill, and set the vents to around 25% open if you are using charcoal. You are to preheat your grill to 225 degrees Fahrenheit if you are using a dedicated smoker. And if required, just add the wood chunks or chips to achieve a thin blue smoke.
• That being done, remove your thawed turkey from the packaging, then also remove the neck and giblets from the inside cavity of the bird. Make sure you carefully rinse the outside of the turkey with cold water if your turkey has been brined. Then, proceed to pat the turkey down on all sides with a paper towel, tie the legs together with butcher’s twine, and tuck the wing tips behind the shoulder joint.
• After that, coat the exterior of the bird with olive oil or melted butter, and then season on all sides with the Sweet Rub.
• When that is done, place the turkey directly on the grill grates, close the lid, and smoke the turkey. You can plan on roughly 30 minutes per pound for your turkey to smoke at 225 degrees F.
• Proceed to use an instant-read thermometer to check the temp of the turkey in the breast and thigh. Ensure that you test both sides of the bird, particularly if you are smoking on a gas or charcoal grill where the temperatures of your grill might have been higher on one side than the other. You will be going off of the lowest reading you get from each side of the turkey. Remember that once all temperatures are above 165 degrees F, then it is time to remove the smoked turkey to a large platter or cutting board.
• That being done, allow the turkey to rest for around 15 minutes before you slice and serve it. I suggest you cover the turkey with foil and wrap it with towels if your bird is done a little early. This is to insulate and keep the heat at a safe serving temp.
• Now, it’s time to determine whether you are a light or dark meat person, slice into that pretty bird, and start devouring!

Final Thoughts

Also, keep in mind that you do not need to brine your turkey to smoke it. However, you can always brine your turkey if that is how you want it.

I don’t think brining is worth the effort and mess it creates. But if you think otherwise, you can always go for it.

Now, this brings us to the end of this guide, as you now have your detailed answer to the question above, “How long to smoke a turkey?”