How Long to Smoke a Spatchcock Turkey at 250 Degrees for Perfectly Juicy Results

This Spatchcock Smoked Turkey is sure to be the crowning glory of your Thanksgiving dinner. Spatchcocked for more even cooking, and smoked for incredible flavor, you’ve never had a bird quite as good as this!

When preparing to cook an entire turkey, it can be daunting to plan for such a long defrost AND cook time. This recipe speeds up the process by spatchcocking the turkey first, making the bird more even and aerodynamic. Your turkey will cook quickly and with more even temperatures across the breast and thighs. It’s a win-win!

New to spatchcocking? It’s not too hard. All you need to do is remove the backbone of the turkey! For a full, detailed step-by-step post with accompanying video, check out my post for How to Spatchcock a Turkey.

Smoking a spatchcock turkey is a great way to infuse your holiday bird with delicious smoky flavor. Spatchcocking, also known as butterflying is a technique where the backbone is removed so the turkey lies flat. This allows for faster, more even cooking. When smoked at around 250°F the turkey ends up incredibly moist and tender.

Why Smoke a Spatchcock Turkey?

There are several benefits to smoking a spatchcocked turkey

Removes the backbone so it cooks faster. A whole turkey can take 4-5 hours. Spatchcocking cuts the time nearly in half.
Allows for more even cooking. With a whole turkey, the breast often dries out before the thighs are done. Spatchcocking lets the white and dark meat finish cooking at the same time.
Infuses the meat with smoky flavor. The low, slow smoking gives the turkey a wonderful smokiness.
Skin gets deliciously crispy. The skin renders and crisps up beautifully when smoked for hours at 250°F.
Meat ends up very juicy and tender. The collagen melts after several hours of gentle smoking.

How Long Does it Take to Smoke a Spatchcock Turkey at 250°F?

When smoking a spatchcock turkey at 250°F, use this timetable as a guide:

8-12 lb turkey: 2 to 2 1/2 hours
12-15 lb turkey: 2 1/2 to 3 hours
15-18 lb turkey: 3 to 3 1/2 hours
18-22 lb turkey: 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours

The best way to tell when your turkey is done is to use an instant read thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the breast, avoiding the bone. The turkey is finished when it reaches 165°F. The thighs will be in the 175-185°F range when the breast hits 165°F.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Smoked Spatchcock Turkey

Follow these simple steps for foolproof results:

1. Spatchcock the Turkey

Remove any giblets from the cavities.
Use kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the backbone.
Open the turkey and press down to flatten the breastbone.

2. Prepare the Smoker

Set up your smoker or grill for indirect cooking at 250°F.
Use wood chips, chunks or pellets. Good woods include apple, cherry, pecan, hickory, oak.
Allow 30-60 minutes for smoker to preheat.

3. Season the Turkey

Pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels.
Rub the skin generously with butter or oil.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper and any other seasonings you like.

4. Add Turkey to the Smoker

Place the turkey directly on the grill grates, breast-side up.
Insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast if desired.

5. Smoke the Turkey

Smoke the turkey for approximately 12-15 minutes per pound.
For even cooking, maintain a temperature around 250°F.
Avoid peeking; keep the lid closed as much as possible.
Use a thermometer to check doneness after about 2 hours.

6. Rest and Carve the Turkey

When the breast reaches 165°F, remove turkey from the smoker.
Let rest 15-30 minutes before carving.
Slice and serve immediately for the juiciest meat.

Turkey Smoking Tips

Brining is optional but helps keep the meat moist. A simple saltwater brine works great.
If smoking on a charcoal grill, use a disposable aluminum pan under the turkey for easy cleanup.
Resist opening the smoker often to prevent heat and smoke loss.
If the skin isn’t crisping up, increase the heat to 300-325°F for the last 30-60 minutes.
Letting the turkey rest after smoking is crucial to reabsorb the juices.
Use an instant read thermometer to check the meat in several places.
Slice the breast meat across the grain for tenderness.

Smoking a spatchcock turkey infuses it with flavor and keeps the meat incredibly moist and delicious. Using an approximate smoking time of 12-15 minutes per pound at 250°F will give you perfect results. Monitor the internal temperature and let it rest before enjoying your juicy, smoky turkey!

how long to smoke a spatchcock turkey at 250 degrees

How to Smoke a Spatchcock Turkey

Once you have your turkey spatchcocked, you’re ready to butter, season, and smoke the turkey.

Butter. Spreading a healthy amount of butter under the skin of the turkey prior to smoking gives this turkey so much incredible flavor. I wouldn’t recommend any substitutions here. Go for the good stuff and you won’t be disappointed.
Season. This turkey is going to be so tasty from the butter and smoke, it doesn’t need anything fancy when it comes to seasoning. Simple salt and pepper are all you need! Drizzle the whole thing with extra virgin olive oil, then season liberally with salt and pepper. I highly recommend you use a good quality kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper for the best flavor.
Smoke. Preheat your smoker to 275 degrees F. I used almond wood for this particular recipe, but pecan, apple, alder, or maple will also taste amazing! You can also pick your favorite. Smoke the bird for 4-4 1/2 hours. You’ll know the turkey is done cooking when the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F. Make sure you’re using a reliable instant read thermometer and measuring the temperature in the thickest part of the breast. The thighs will be around 175-185 degrees F.
Rest. Make sure to rest the turkey for 10-15 minutes before carving and serving.
Serve. Get into that bird! It’ll be cooked nice and evenly and buttery delicious.

Tips for Cooking Spatchcock Smoked Turkey

If you have a big celebration coming up (Thanksgiving, anyone?), take these tips into consideration so your turkey is perfectly cooked with lots of juicy flavor.

Stay small. When purchasing your turkey, try to keep your turkey under 15 pounds, if possible. Bigger turkey means more time in the danger zone of 40-140 degrees F. If you need more turkey, cook two instead of buying bigger.
Don’t forget the gravy! If you want to save drippings from your turkey for gravy, place the spatchcocked turkey on a flat cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet. This may increase the cook time slightly, but you’ll have lots of melty buttery drippings at the end.
Switch up flavors. If you want to keep the smoking temperature and time, play with flavors by using my Apple Turkey Brine or my Homemade Turkey Rub. You could also use my Chicken Seasoning for a traditional turkey flavor or my Sweet Rub to give it a classic BBQ twist.

How long to smoke a spatchcock turkey at 250 degrees?

FAQ

How long do you smoke a spatchcocked turkey per pound?

Smoke the turkey over low heat 225° – 275° F for approximately 11-13 minutes a pound. 9. Once the breast reaches 165°F, remove, cover loosely with foil, and allow to rest approximately 30 minutes.

Is it better to smoke a turkey at 225 or 250?

When smoking at 225°F, it can take about 30 to 45 minutes to cook one pound of turkey. That means a 12-pound turkey should take at least six hours to cook in a smoker. To smoke your turkey faster, increase the smoker’s temperature to 250°F to 275°F.

How long to smoke turkey at 250 degrees?

Smoking a turkey can be a long process, so be sure to start early in the day so that the turkey will be done by dinner time. Typically, it takes at least 5 hours to smoke an average sized turkey at 250 degrees F. Plan on having your turkey cook for about 25-30 minutes per pound.

Do you flip a spatchcock turkey when smoking?

Use the kitchen shears to crack the breast bone and then flip the turkey around and press down on the breast to flatten it out. Spray cooking spray on the bottom of the turkey and season with the dry rub mixture above. Flip the bird over so it is breast-side up.