/

Smoking a Turkey – Frequently Asked Questions

Turkey on the smoker grill grates

Many questions surround smoking a turkey. Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions. To learn more and follow a step-by-step guide on how to smoke your best turkey, read our article here.

Should I Be Basting a Turkey?

I don’t recommend basting a turkey if you’re smoking. Tests have proven that basting does not make the meat juicier but will slow down the cooking process by cooling the meat. It can also make the skin soft. 

Don't baste a turkey you are smoking

How Long Does It Take To Smoke a Turkey?

A common question about smoking a turkey is how long it takes to smoke it? The clock cannot determine when your turkey is done. Only a well-placed thermometer will do that. I could tell you that at 325°F, you can expect approximately 20 minutes per pound of smoking time. However, there are a lot of factors that go into determining how long a turkey will take to smoke: 

  • how thick is the breast meat, 
  • does your smoker maintain a 325°F temperature, 
  • did you spatchcock it or leave it whole, 
  • how cold is the temperature outside, 
  • how well was the bird defrosted, 
  • was it sitting at room temp before going into the smoker, 
  • was it injected or brined, 
  • how close does it sit to the gravy pan, 
  • the humidity in the smoker, and more. 

If your bird is stuffed, it’ll take longer, you’ll overcook the outside meat, and it’s a safety risk, so don’t stuff your bird. 

How Long Does It Take To Smoke A 20lb Turkey?

Too long. Don’t smoke a turkey over 15 pounds because a large turkey will take too long to get the thickest part of the breast to 165°F. This leaves the outer part of the turkey well overcooked. Another reason why you don’t want the turkey taking too long to cook is that it’ll spend too much time in a food safety zone between 40°F and 140°F. The meat sitting too long in this temp range can risk growing harmful bacteria. 

Only smoke a turkey under 15 pounds

How Long Does It Take To Smoke a 15lb Turkey?

The clock cannot determine when your turkey is done. I could tell you that at 325°F, you can expect approximately 20 minutes per pound of smoking time. This gives you an approximate time of 5 hours to smoke a 15-pound turkey. However, there are a lot of factors that go into determining how long a turkey will take to smoke: 

  • the thickness of the breast, 
  • cooking temperature, 
  • did you spatchcock it or leave it whole, 
  • how cold is the temperature outside, 
  • how well was the bird defrosted, 
  • was it sitting at room temp before going into the smoker, 
  • was it injected or brined, 
  • how close does it sit to the gravy pan, 
  • humidity in the smoker and more. 

If your bird is stuffed, it’ll take longer to cook, and you’ll overcook the outside meat. It’s also a safety risk, so don’t stuff your bird. A 15-pound turkey is a max size you should ever cook. A turkey larger than that takes too long to get the thickest part of the breast to 165°F. 

How Much Smoked Turkey Per Person

Plan on around 1.5 pounds per person. This should leave you with enough meat to satisfy most people and leave you with leftovers. A 12-pound turkey will work great for serving eight people. A 15-pound turkey will serve ten in total. 

If you need to serve more than 10, don’t smoke a larger than 15 pounds turkey. Just smoke more than one turkey! 2 turkeys at 12 pounds each can serve 16. 

Plan 1 and a half points of turkey per person

Do You Smoke Turkey Breast Up or Down

You always smoke breast side up. You can experiment and grill the turkey breast side down when it is nearing the end of your cook. However, other than doing that, keep your turkey breast side up. 

Do You Buy a Fresh or Frozen Turkey?

You can do either, but make sure you smoke a thawed turkey if you choose to buy it frozen. If you need to thaw your turkey, allow 24 hours for every 4 pounds. For example, if you have a 12-pound turkey, it will take 3 days to thaw.

Do You Flip a Turkey While Smoking

You never need to flip your turkey while smoking. Unless you want to grill the breasts at a high temp for a few minutes in the end but I see this rarely done. 

Can You Smoke a Turkey the Day Before

Technically you can smoke the day before but you’ll be left reheating the meat. You can do this in the oven to warm it up. You don’t need it hot since you’ll serve it with piping hot gravy. 

Should I Stuff a Turkey? 

It would be best to never smoke or cook a turkey with a cavity filled with anything. 

  • If you stuff the bird with a stuffing you’d like to eat during your meal you’ll need to make sure you cook that food to an internal temp of 165°F. Since it’ll take longer to get the stuffing to this temperature, your breast meat will be overcooked and dry. 
  • You can always put herbs or a small number of ingredients in the cavity if you’d like to add some aromatics. Just don’t add too much. You need to keep a good airflow circulating throughout the inside and outside of the turkey. 
  • To make the stuffing, cook it outside of the bird. Now, this does turn it into a dressing since you aren’t “stuffing” a turkey with the food. Spread the food in a pan and cook in the oven or use a muffin tin. I’ve used the muffin tin and it makes nice portion sizes. 

How To Cook a Frozen Turkey?

You can smoke a turkey that’s frozen but only should do this in an emergency. You’ll end up overcooking the exterior meat when the center is done. Follow these steps: 

  1. Smoke at a lower temperature, 250-275°F, so the skin and exterior don’t dry out. 
  2. As soon as possible, remove the neck and giblet bag from the cavities. It’ll be about an hour before you can do this. 
  3. Use a probe thermometer as soon as the bird is thawed enough for you to insert it. About 2-3 hours into cooking should work fine. Also, have an instant-read thermometer on hand to spot-check when you are getting ready to take it off. 
  4. Your cooking time will be 1.5 to 2 times longer than if you smoked a thawed bird. 

How Much Smoke Should You Use When Smoking a Turkey?

Undersmoking, a turkey, will not ruin it, but too much smoke will do just that. Think of the smoke as another seasoning for your turkey since it is precisely just that. Too much of one ingredient will overpower the turkey and cause it not to turn out well. 

If you can control the amount of smoke you use aside from the temperature you set, use low amounts of smoke. On a scale from 1 to 10, I suggest selecting a number between 1 and 4.  

Is Pink Turkey Meat Okay?

According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), it sure is safe. Here’s what the USDA has to say about it, “The color of cooked meat and poultry is not always a sure sign of its degree of doneness. Using a food thermometer can accurately determine that meat has reached a safe temperature. Turkey, fresh pork, ground beef, or veal can remain pink even after cooking to temperatures of 160°F and higher. The meat of smoked turkey is always pink.”

To learn everything you need to know about smoking a turkey, read How to Smoke a Turkey on a Pellet Grill – Total Guide.

Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…. so you can pin it to your Smoking Food Board!!

Frequently asked questions Pinterest Pin

Other Posts You May Enjoy

Safe Food Internal Temperatures for Cooking

July 14, 2021

How to Smoke Prime Rib on the Pellet Grill

April 29, 2022

Beginner’s Guide to Pellet Grills

July 21, 2023

How to Smoke Tri Tip in a Pellet Grill

December 15, 2021

Art of Smoking Burgers on a Pellet Grill

October 20, 2023

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Join the Conversation

  1. Pingback: How to Smoke a Turkey on a Pellet Grill - Total Guide - Chefs Magnet
Like
Close
Your custom text © Copyright 2024. All rights reserved.
Close
Never Miss a Recipe!

Join thousands of Chef's Magnet subscribers and get our best recipes delivered each week!

Close