Smoke a 12 lb turkey at 225 to 300 °F for about 4 to 6 hours. USDA puts it at 20 to 30 minutes a pound, provided the bird has thawed all the way through and goes on empty, and this page has a 12 lb bird on the smoker ready. Change the weight, or plan from your guest count, and the timeline shows when to light the smoker and when the turkey goes on. It plans with the middle of the range, 25 minutes per pound.
Keeping the smoker in range
The time depends on the heat you hold. USDA’s directions for a charcoal smoker: fill the liquid pan (water, wine or apple juice), light the charcoal, put the turkey on once the inside reaches 225 to 300 °F, and add charcoal every 1 to 2 hours to keep it there. If your smoker has no built-in thermometer, set an appliance thermometer on the rack. Shield it from wind, which can drag the temperature down. Use hardwood or fruitwood chips for flavor; softwoods such as pine or cedar coat the meat with resin.
Done is a temperature
Wind, cold weather and the bird’s shape all change the real time, so treat the hours as a guide. Check the innermost thigh, the innermost wing and the thickest part of the breast with a food thermometer; all three need 165 °F. Safely cooked smoked turkey can still be pink, so don’t judge it by color.
Bigger birds and frozen ones
Over 12 lb you’re past what USDA’s smoking times cover; the calculator says so and suggests two smaller birds. A frozen turkey can’t go on the smoker at all: thaw it in the fridge or cold water first.
Smoking time by turkey weight
| Turkey | At 20 min per lb | At 30 min per lb | Plan for about |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 lb (3.6 kg) | 2 h 40 min | 4 h | 3 h 20 min |
| 9 lb (4.1 kg) | 3 h | 4 h 30 min | 3 h 45 min |
| 10 lb (4.5 kg) | 3 h 20 min | 5 h | 4 h 10 min |
| 11 lb (5 kg) | 3 h 40 min | 5 h 30 min | 4 h 35 min |
| 12 lb (5.4 kg) | 4 h | 6 h | 5 h |
USDA FSIS, "Turkey: Alternate Routes to the Table": 20 to 30 minutes per pound for a thawed, unstuffed turkey of 8 to 12 lb, with the air in the smoker at 225 to 300 °F. "Plan for about" is the middle of the range rounded up to 5 minutes, which the timeline uses. Done means 165 °F in the thigh, wing and breast.