Whether it’s smoked, fried, roasted or grilled, turkey is a delicious alternative to chicken year-round. With so many different cuts – breasts, wings, legs-oh my! – it may be tricky trying to decide how long to cook your turkey of choice. We’ve broken it down to give you the scoop with this guide for smoked turkey cooking times.
Meat and Method: How Long to Cook Smoked Turkey
No matter what cut or cooking method you choose, you can be sure that your turkey is done once the internal temperature has reached at least 165 °F. Use a digital meat thermometer or the built-in digital probe of your device to be sure your turkey has reached the right temperature.
As a quick tip, we recommend taking the turkey of the grill our out of the smoker when it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. It will continue to cook while it rests, leaving it exactly at the safe temperature of 165°F by the time you are ready to dig in.
In the Smoker
- Whole turkey (Smoker): Set smoker to 240°F. Cook 30-40 minutes per pound. A smaller, 8 pound turkey will take about 4 hours. A larger, 12 pound turkey will take about 6 hours
- Turkey breast (Smoker): Set smoker to 240°F. Cook 30-40 minutes per pound. The average turkey breast is about 6 pounds- this will about 3 hours.
- Turkey legs (Smoker): Set smoker to 225°F. Turkey legs will take about 4 hours.
- Turkey wings (Smoker): Set smoker to 225°F. Cook for about 1½ -2 hours.
On the Grill
- Whole turkey (Grill): Preheat grill to medium-high heat (about 325°F) and set up to cook with indirect heat. Cook about 15 minutes per pound, or about 3 hours.
- Turkey Breast (Grill): Preheat grill to high heat and set up for indirect cooking. Cook for about 1-1½ hours.
- Turkey legs (Grill): Preheat grill to medium-high heat (about 325°F) and set up for indirect grilling. Sear over direct heat for about 3-4 minutes per side. Let roast over indirect heat for 45-60 minutes.
- Turkey wings (Grill): Preheat grill to medium-high heat (about 325°F). Cook for about 30-40 minutes.
