How to Smoke a Turkey: Smoker Prep and a Simple Recipe

Short answer: dry-brine a 12 to 14 pound thawed turkey for 24 to 48 hours, smoke it at 275°F with a mild wood like apple or pecan, and pull it when the thickest part of the breast reads 160°F and the thigh reads at least 175°F. Rest it 30 minutes. Before any of that, spend an hour making sure your smoker holds temperature and is clean. Most failed turkeys come from a smoker problem, not a recipe problem.

Step 1: Get the smoker ready

A turkey sits in the smoker for 3 to 5 hours. That is a long time to find out the thermometer is off or the fire keeps dying. Do this a few days ahead, not the morning of.

1. Clean the cooking grates and the inside. Scrape old grease and carbon off the grates and out of the bottom of the cooking chamber. Built-up grease smokes bitter and can catch fire. Our guide on cleaning BBQ grates covers stainless and cast iron.
2. Empty the ash and grease. Clear the ash pan or firebox on charcoal and wood units. Empty the grease tray and drip pan on gas, pellet and electric units. A full grease tray is a fire waiting to happen.
3. Check the thermometer. Lid thermometers drift. Put the probe tip in boiling water; it should read close to 212°F at sea level (a little lower at higher elevation). If it is off by more than 10 to 15 degrees, plan to cook by a separate oven-safe probe or replace the gauge.
4. Check the seals. Look at the door gasket and lid fit. Gaps leak heat and make the temperature swing.
5. Test the fuel system. On gas smokers, check the hose and regulator, and brush soapy water on the connections. Bubbles mean a leak. On pellet smokers, check the fire pot for clinkers and make sure the auger feeds. On electric units, check the cord and heating element.
6. Run a burn-in. Fire it up empty at 275°F to 300°F for 30 to 45 minutes. Watch whether it reaches temperature, holds it, and burns clean with thin, pale smoke.

If you smell gas at any point, shut off the tank valve, move away, keep flames and sparks away, and call a pro. Do not try to light it again until it has been checked.

When the smoker fails the test

The usual culprits are a cracked or clogged burner, a weak igniter, a bad regulator, a worn gasket, or a thermometer that has given up. You can look up exact parts on our parts diagrams by brand and order from the Pro Grill parts store. Cost depends on the brand, which part it is, and how hard it is to get to. If you want a tech to look it over, a Pro Grill inspection and diagnostic visit is $199, and we credit 50% back if you do any needed work with us. Outside our service area, you can find an insured grill pro near you.

If the smoker hasn't been cleaned in a while, our DIY BBQ maintenance guide has a good starting checklist. Grease buildup is the biggest fire risk in a smoker.

Step 2: Pick and thaw the bird

• Size: 12 to 14 pounds is the sweet spot. Bigger birds take longer, and the outside dries out before the thigh is done.
• Fresh or frozen: either works. Skip birds labeled "enhanced" or "self-basting" if you plan to dry-brine, because they are already salted.
• Thawing: a frozen turkey thaws in the refrigerator at roughly 24 hours per 4 to 5 pounds. A 13-pound bird needs about 3 days. Start early. Never smoke a bird that is still icy in the middle.

Step 3: Dry brine and rub

A dry brine is salt on the skin and meat, left to sit. It seasons deep, keeps the meat juicy, and dries the skin so it crisps. It is also much easier than a bucket of wet brine.

What you need (12 to 14 lb turkey)

• Kosher salt: about 1 teaspoon per pound of Diamond Crystal, or about 3/4 teaspoon per pound of Morton. That is roughly 4 tablespoons of Diamond Crystal for a 13-pound bird.
• 2 tablespoons paprika (smoked paprika is good)
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing

Steps

1. Remove the giblets and neck. Pat the turkey very dry with paper towels, inside and out.
2. Rub the salt all over, including under the skin over the breast and thighs.
3. Set the turkey on a rack in a pan, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours.
4. Do not rinse. Pat off any surface moisture. Mix the paprika, garlic, onion, pepper and thyme, and rub it on the skin only. Skip extra salt here.
5. Let the bird sit out for 30 minutes while the smoker heats. Do not leave it out longer than that.

Want a different rub? Our all-purpose dry rub works here too. Leave out most of the sugar if it is heavy on it, because sugar scorches at turkey temperatures.

Step 4: Set up the smoker

• Temperature: 275°F. Lower temps like 225°F are safe but leave the skin rubbery and add hours. At 275°F you get smoke flavor and skin you can actually eat.
• Wood: apple, cherry or pecan. Use 2 to 3 chunks, or let the pellets do it. Poultry takes smoke fast, so heavy woods like mesquite can turn it harsh.
• Moisture: a pan of hot water on the lower rack helps steady the temperature and humidity. It is not required on every smoker.
• Probes: put one probe in the thickest part of the breast, not touching bone. Put a second in the thickest part of the thigh if you have it. A wireless probe makes this easy; see our wireless meat probe article for how to place one.

Step 5: Smoke the turkey

1. Brush the skin with melted butter.
2. Place the turkey breast-side up on the grate, with the drumsticks pointing toward the cooler side of the smoker if there is one.
3. Close the lid and leave it alone. Every time you open it you lose 10 to 15 minutes of heat.
4. Plan on roughly 15 to 20 minutes per pound at 275°F, so about 3 to 4.5 hours for a 12 to 14 pound bird. Treat that as a guess. The probe decides.
5. At about 2 hours, check the skin. If it is getting dark too fast, tent the breast loosely with foil.
6. Pull the turkey when the breast hits 160°F and the thigh is at least 175°F. The breast will coast up to the safe 165°F while it rests. The USDA safe minimum is 165°F in the breast, thigh and wing, so check all three before you carve.

Skin still soft at the end? Move it to a 400°F grill or oven for 5 to 10 minutes, watching closely.

Step 6: Rest and carve

Rest the turkey for 30 minutes, loosely tented with foil, on a cutting board with a groove. It will stay hot, and the juices settle back into the meat. Carve the breast off the bone in whole halves, then slice across the grain. Take the legs and thighs off at the joint.

Faster option: spatchcock

Cut out the backbone with kitchen shears and press the bird flat. A flat turkey cooks evenly and finishes in about 2 to 3 hours at 275°F for a 12 to 14 pound bird. The skin also crisps more evenly. Same brine, same rub, same temperatures.

Common problems

• Smoker won't hold 275°F: check for ash buildup blocking airflow, a leaking door gasket, a weak burner, or low fuel. Wind and cold weather make it worse. If a gas smoker runs rough, see why a gas grill keeps going out.
• Bitter, sooty taste: too much smoke or thick white smoke. You want thin blue-gray smoke. Use fewer wood chunks and open the vents a bit more.
• Dry breast: pulled too late or too hot. Pull at 160°F in the breast and trust the rest.
• Rubbery skin: the bird wasn't dried well or the temperature was too low. Dry brine uncovered and smoke at 275°F.

After the cook

Let the smoker cool, then scrape the grates while they're still warm and empty the drip pan before the grease sets. Turkey drips a lot of fat, and it is much easier to deal with that night than next week.