How Long to Smoke Whole turkey

A 14 lb whole turkey takes 7 h to 9 h 25 m at 250°F. Plan for 8 h 25 m, then rest it 30 minutes or more.

7 h – 9 h 25 m

Plan for 8 h 25 m at 250°F · 14 lb whole turkey

Light the cooker	10 h 45 m before serving
Pull at	about 165°F and probe-tender
Rest	30–60 min
Cooked meat you get	6.6 – 7.4 lb

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Whole turkey smoke times by weight

Weight	225°F	250°F
10 lb	5 h – 6 h 40 m	5 h – 6 h 40 m
12 lb	6 h – 8 h 05 m	6 h – 8 h 05 m
14 lb	7 h – 9 h 25 m	7 h – 9 h 25 m
16 lb	8 h – 10 h 40 m	8 h – 10 h 40 m
18 lb	9 h – 12 h 05 m	9 h – 12 h 05 m
20 lb	10 h – 13 h 25 m	10 h – 13 h 25 m

How big a turkey per person

Buy about 1.25 lb of whole turkey per person for dinner with a little left over, 1.5 lb for sandwiches the next day, and 2 lb for plenty of leftovers. For smoking, keep birds to about 14 lb: smaller birds get through the 40–140°F danger zone faster, so cook two instead of one big one.

Party	A little left over	Some leftovers	Plenty	Birds to smoke	Thaw in fridge
6 guests	7.5 lb	9 lb	12 lb	1 × about 8 lb	2 days
8 guests	10 lb	12 lb	16 lb	1 × about 10 lb	3 days
10 guests	12.5 lb	15 lb	20 lb	1 × about 12 lb	3 days
12 guests	15 lb	18 lb	24 lb	2 × about 8 lb	2 days
15 guests	18.75 lb	22.5 lb	30 lb	2 × about 9 lb	3 days
20 guests	25 lb	30 lb	40 lb	2 × about 12 lb	3 days
25 guests	31.25 lb	37.5 lb	50 lb	3 × about 10 lb	3 days
30 guests	37.5 lb	45 lb	60 lb	3 × about 12 lb	3 days

Thawing: about 24 hours in the fridge for every 4–5 lb (USDA FSIS). Cook to 165°F in the thickest part of the breast, thigh and wing.

How we calculate

Time range = weight × hours per pound from the sources below (ribs, chicken, tri-tip and belly are timed per piece).
The plan sits 60% of the way from the short end to the long end. Finishing early is easy to fix with a longer rest; finishing late is not.
Several pieces: time follows the biggest one, plus 10% when the smoker holds 3 or more.
Wrapping: where a source gives wrapped times we use them; otherwise we take about 10% off for butcher paper and 20% for foil (our estimate).
Light the smoker at: plan + rest + a 1-hour buffer + 45 minutes to light and settle it. Cooked yield is from the USDA Food Buying Guide.
Spare ribs: our source gives one 5–6 hour estimate for pork ribs; we use it at both 225 and 250°F.

Sources disagree by an hour or more on big cuts; that spread is why we show a range. Always finish by internal temperature. Data as of Oct 2026. Full list of sources: How we calculate.

Cut	Pit	Range	Source
Whole turkey	225°F	0.5–0.67 h per lb	traeger.com
Whole turkey	250°F	0.5–0.67 h per lb	traeger.com

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