Smoking Meat: Smoker Temperatures, Times and Safe Doneness

Keep a smoker between 225°F and 300°F (107–149°C) for the whole cook, says USDA FSIS, and expect most cuts to take 4 to 8 hours. Smoke whole cuts of pork, beef and lamb to at least 145°F (63°C) plus a 3-minute rest, ground meat to 160°F (71°C) and all poultry to 165°F (74°C).

What temperature should a smoker be?

A smoker should hold between 225°F and 300°F (107–149°C) from start to finish, according to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). Smoking is slow, indirect cooking: the meat sits away from the fire, usually over a pan of water, in a smoker or a covered grill. FSIS puts the total time at roughly 4 to 8 hours, depending on the cut and size, how far the meat sits from the heat, how hot the coals are and the weather.

FSIS advises using two thermometers. One reads the air inside the smoker, so you know you're in the 225–300°F range. The other reads the meat. An oven-safe probe can stay in the meat for the whole cook; once the meat comes off, confirm with an instant-read thermometer in a few spots. Our guide to food thermometers explains the types.

Smoking times and temperatures chart

Most smoked meat is done hours after it's safe, because tough cuts need extra time for collagen to soften. Times below are the estimates each source gives; always finish by internal temperature.

How long to smoke a pork butt?

ThermoWorks found an 8-pound pork butt smoked at 275°F (135°C) took about 5–6 hours when wrapped in foil, and a 9–10 pound shoulder took about 12 hours. It recommends a smoker between 225°F and 275°F, wrapping when the temperature stalls (about 4 hours in, once a bark has formed), and taking pulled pork to about 203°F (95°C). Pork shoulder is safe at 145°F, but it's still tough there. The National Pork Board says shoulder is best at 180°F or higher, and its smoking chart uses the point when the bone slips out easily. ThermoWorks then rests wrapped pork about an hour before pulling it. More on targets at pork shoulder temperature, and oven times at pork cooking times.

How long to smoke a brisket?

Expect 8 to 14 hours. ThermoWorks smokes brisket at about 250°F (121°C), sometimes 275°F, wraps it in butcher paper or foil around 150°F (66°C), and calls it done between 200°F and 210°F (93–99°C), when a probe slides in with little resistance. Brisket is safe at 145°F with a 3-minute rest, so the higher number is about texture. If it finishes early, hold it hot rather than letting it cool into the 40–140°F danger zone. See brisket temperature.

How long to smoke a turkey?

USDA FSIS recommends smoking a turkey of 8 to 12 pounds, at about 20 to 30 minutes per pound in a 225–300°F smoker, so a 12-pound bird needs roughly 4 to 6 hours. Larger birds spend too long in the danger zone before the meat heats through. Size and shape and the outdoor temperature all change that. USDA's rules for smoking a turkey:

• Thaw it completely before cooking it outdoors; see how to thaw a turkey.
• Don't stuff it. USDA says not to stuff any turkey cooked outdoors, including in a smoker.
• Check three spots: the innermost thigh, the innermost wing and the thickest part of the breast must all reach 165°F (74°C).
• Rest it 20 minutes before carving.

The same rules apply to a pellet grill or electric smoker, and to a smoked turkey breast: cook it to 165°F. For oven times, see turkey cooking time and turkey temperature.

How long to smoke chicken wings?

ThermoWorks smokes wings at 250°F (121°C) for about 30 minutes, then raises the heat to 425°F (218°C) to crisp the skin, for about 45 minutes in total. Wings are safe at 165°F (74°C), the USDA minimum for all poultry, but ThermoWorks takes them to 175°F (79°C) for juicier, less rubbery meat. Probe the meatiest part of a drumette, off the bone. More at chicken wing temperature. FSIS doesn't publish smoking times for whole chickens or parts; the same 165°F rule applies.

How long to smoke pork loin, chops and ribs?

The National Pork Board lists about 1 1/2 hours for a pork loin and 45 minutes to 1 hour for pork chops at 225–250°F; it suggests grill-marking chops before they go in the smoker. Its chart pulls a loin at 140°F and lets it rest until it climbs to 145°F, so confirm the rested loin really reads 145°F. Ribs take 3–7 hours depending on the cut; see how long to cook ribs and rib temperatures.

What is the stall when smoking meat?

The stall is a long plateau when a big cut's internal temperature stops rising, often for hours. ThermoWorks explains it as evaporative cooling: moisture moving to the surface evaporates and cools the meat, much like sweating. It typically happens around 150–160°F (66–71°C); ThermoWorks puts brisket's stall around 155°F (68°C). Wrapping the meat in foil or butcher paper traps moisture and helps it push through faster. Through the stall, keep the smoker inside FSIS's 225–300°F range.

What wood is best for smoking meat?

FSIS names hickory, apple and maple as giving the best smoke flavor. It suggests soaking the wood chips first and adding about 1/2 cup at a time as needed. Use commercial charcoal briquettes or aromatic wood chips with approved fire starters only, and wait until the coals are red-hot with gray ash (about 10–20 minutes) before the meat goes on. In a charcoal smoker, FSIS says to add about 15 briquettes every hour and check the water pan.

Smoking food safety rules

• Use a real smoker or covered grill made of food-safe materials, never a makeshift container like a galvanized can.
• Thaw meat completely first, ideally in the fridge. Smoke microwave-thawed meat right away.
• Marinate in the refrigerator. Set some aside before it touches raw meat if you want it for basting or sauce, or boil it first.
• No partial cooking ahead. Precook only if the food goes immediately into the hot smoker.
• Sauce late, in the last 15–30 minutes, so it doesn't burn.
• Chill fast. Refrigerate within 2 hours, slice large pieces, use shallow containers and eat within 4 days or freeze (see cooked pork storage).

Questions people ask

Sources

• USDA FSIS: Turkey: Alternate Routes to the Table
• USDA FSIS: Smoking meat and poultry
• FoodSafety.gov: Safe minimum internal temperatures
• National Pork Board: Smoking pork
• ThermoWorks: BBQ pork butt guide
• ThermoWorks: The thermal guide to smoking a brisket
• ThermoWorks: Smoked chicken wings
• National Pork Board: Pork cooking temperature