How long to cook a turkey at 250 degrees?

A whole turkey is covered in a homemade spice rub and slowly smoked to tender and juicy perfection in this smoked turkey recipe. An impressive holiday main dish that is incredibly simple to prepare and requires no oven space!

This smoked turkey is an exceptional and show-stopping Thanksgiving meal, but it’s straightforward enough that even a novice cook can produce a beautiful and delicious end product.

I enjoy cooking a turkey for the holidays, but I dislike how it fills up my entire oven on the big day for hours and hours. I’ve started smoking my turkey instead of roasting it, and the results are nothing short of amazing.

How Long Can Turkey Sit Out After Cooking?

According to the USDA, cooked turkey should not sit out at room temperature longer than 2 hours. If sitting out at temperatures above 90 degrees F, it should sit out no longer than 1 hour. At such point, cooked turkey meat should be refrigerated or frozen.

Can You Cook a Turkey Frozen?

It is perfectly safe to cook a frozen turkey. It’ll just take longer. It will take at least 50% more time to cook if it is completely frozen than a thawed turkey. You’ll just need to keep a close eye on the internal temperature if it’s partially frozen to determine when it’s finished.

Tips for the best smoked turkey

I find that clean up is a lot easier if you leave the turkey in the disposable pan while it smokes rather than transferring it directly onto the rack.

A probe thermometer is a must-have when making smoked turkey. Smokers can sometimes be variable in temperature which affects the cooking time, so always go by the temperature rather than the time.

I typically use an electric smoker as I find that they regulate heat well, and are easy to use, even for total beginners.

It can take a while to smoke a turkey, so start early in the day to ensure that it is finished by dinner. An average-sized turkey needs at least five hours to smoke at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Plan to cook your turkey for approximately 25 to 30 minutes per pound. Depending on the type of smoker you’re using and how well it maintains a constant temperature, this timing may vary somewhat. It is essential to determine when the turkey is prepared using a thermometer rather than a clock.

I enjoy smoking poultry with apple wood because it adds a mild, sweet flavor. Apple wood is readily available in most stores. Other great choices are cherry wood or hickory.

When a thermometer reads 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the thigh of a turkey, it is finished cooking. I use a digital thermometer and place it inside the smoking turkey so I can check the temperature from inside the house and track the progress.

No one wants a dry turkey, so I like to baste my smoked turkey occasionally with a little chicken broth to keep it moist throughout the cooking process. You can omit the basting step if you brined your turkey beforehand.

By assuming each guest will consume one pound of turkey, you can calculate the size of the turkey you will require. Plan on 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per person if you want a lot of leftovers.

Although the flavors in this recipe are delicious as is, you can change them to suit your preferences if you’d like.

Spice Rub: Not in a BBQ kind of mood? This recipe also works well with blackened seasoning, Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning.

Brine: Feel free to switch up some of the flavors in the brine recipe by using different herbs, honey as a sweetener, or add other types of fruit such as apples or pears.

Stuffing: Rather than stuffing the bird with onion and lemon, you can try other ingredients such as apples, a halved head of garlic, carrots, orange slices or leeks.

The outcome is a beautifully browned turkey that is juicy, tender, and flavorful. A smoked turkey is always a good choice, and I appreciate that it frees up oven space for the main course’s sides and desserts.

Baking and cooking a 16 lb turkey all night on 250 degrees