How to Smoke a Turkey: The Ultimate Lane’s BBQ Guide

Turkey can be intimidating — it’s the centerpiece of your holiday table, and nobody wants to serve up a dry bird. Don’t worry, we’ve got your back! Here at Lane’s, we’ve smoked more turkeys than we can count, and we’ve learned a thing or two (and burned a few, too). This is your go-to guide for juicy, flavorful turkey with crispy skin and stress-free prep.

Quick Turkey Tips:

• Total Time: Thaw 1–5 days → Brine 12–24 hrs → Dry 8–12 hrs → Smoke ~2.5–3.5 hrs → Rest 20–30 mins
• Turkey temp: Internal Temp needs to be 160 (use an instant-read meat thermometer)
• Tools: Smoker/grill, meat thermometer, big brining bag or bucket, roasting rack, carving knife, seasoning & brine kit
• Biggest Tips: Plan ahead, brine for flavor, pat that skin dry, cook to temp, not time, let it rest before carving.
• Keep reading or if you like to watch video - Jump straight to the "How to Cook a Perfect Turkey" video.

Step 1: Choosing the Right Turkey

Size matters: Plan for about 1–1.5 pounds per guest. Want leftovers? Add another pound or two.

Gathering of less than 6 people: Bone-in turkey breast
Gathering of 6 - 8 people: 10lb Turkey
Gathering of 10 - 12 people: 12lb Turkey
Gathering of 14 - 16 people: 10lb Turkey and a Turkey breast
Gathering of 16 - 20 people: 2 10lb or 12lb Turkeys

Fresh vs Frozen: Fresh saves you thaw time, but frozen is budget-friendly. If frozen, plan days ahead to thaw safely.

Heritage or standard: Heritage birds are leaner and cook faster. Standard supermarket birds are plumper and more forgiving.

Pro Tip: Skip the monster 20+ pound bird. Two smaller turkeys (12–14 lbs each) cook faster, more evenly, and give you more crispy skin.

Step 2: How Long to Thaw a Turkey

• In the fridge: 24 hours for every 4–5 pounds. (Examples: 12-lb turkey = 2 full days, 15-lb turkey = 3–4 days.)
• In cold water: (if in an absolute crunch for time only) Faster, but needs babysitting. Change water every 30 minutes. Plan 30 minutes per pound.
• Never thaw on the counter. Food safety first, y’all.

Step 3: Brine Time (Flavor + Juiciness)

This is where the magic happens. A turkey is notorious for being a dry protein. Brining helps your turkey stay juicy, seasons it from the inside out, and adds layers of flavor.

Wet brine: Submerge the turkey in a saltwater solution with aromatics (Lane’s brine kits make this super easy). We suggest our Lane's Signature Brine or Lane's Sweet Tea Brine. Just add a cup of brine for every gallon of water and mix.

Timing: 24 hours is the sweet spot. Don’t overdo it or it could get too salty.

We make it easy for you to brine your turkey with our 2-Use Ultimate Turkey Kit and our NEW 1-Use Turkey Brine Kit. These kits include the brine, seasoning, and brining bags you need to make the perfect turkey.

Ultimate Turkey Brine Kit - 2 Use

Click here to see all of our Brine options

Click here to read our full "How to Brine" Article

👉 Brine vs Injection: We recommend brine over injection: Injection absolutely adds great flavor into the bird, but only in pockets. Some parts of the bird will be painfully dry, and some parts of the bird will be filled with flavor. With Brine, the bird gets to fully take a bath in the solution, soaking up every area of the Turkey.

Step 4: Dry the Skin for Crispy Results

Now that you have soaked your Turkey in the Brine, it's time to air-dry the turkey in the fridge. After taking a 24-hour bath, the outside skin layer of the turkey is absolutely drenched. You will need to dry the skin out uncovered for 12 to 24 hours in the fridge on a drying rack (to dry out the bottom skin of the turkey). The turkey meat will hold on to all that good moisture. This step is to dry the skin out so that the skin will cook nice and crispy.

Step 5: Seasoning the Turkey

You are nearly there! Now that the Turkey skin has been drying out in the fridge, this is where you get to play!

• Use a good binder. We recommend Duck Fat Spray or Wagyu Beef Tallow. (You can also use olive oil or butter.)
• Layer with your favorite Lane’s rub (Turkey Time, Spellbound, Sweet Heat, or experiment with your favorite Lane’s Rub).

Step 6: Smoking the Turkey

• Temperature: Smoke at 325°F. Lower temps (<250°F) = rubbery skin, so crank it up.
• Time: About 15 minutes per pound (2.5–3.5 hours for most turkeys).
• Wood choice: Fruit woods (apple, cherry, pecan) keep things light and sweet. Hickory = stronger punch.
• Target temp: Pull when breast hits 160°F and thigh hits 170°F.

We recommend:

• Place your bird in an aluminum tray or baking pan (depending on how you are cooking it) to catch any juices and any basting juices. You don't want to try to move your bird while it is 160 degrees to a pan; just go ahead and put it in one.
• Set your smoker/oven to 325 degrees, cook for roughly 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature in the fat part of the Turkey breast is 150.
• Baste your turkey with butter and continue cooking until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. The tray will catch any butter drippings.

Don’t trust the pop-up thermometer that comes with the bird — get yourself a reliable instant-read meat probe.

Step 7: Rest & Carve

Let it rest for 30 minutes. - The bird will continue to cook while resting. Also, now that it is off the heat, the juices will settle throughout the bird.

The masses are hungry, but don't take your eye off the ball quite yet. Place your bird on a cutting board, preferably one that is concave in the middle to hold all the juices. No one wants the juices from the turkey spilling out all over the dinner table.

• Before slicing in, we like to pull the legs, thighs, and wings off. Then we cut out both turkey breasts. We do this to make it easier to slice the breast the way we want it without all the other parts getting in the way.
• Make sure you have a nice carving knife that is sharp. You do not want to cut into the bird with a dull knife, which would just rip and pull that skin right off.
• Slicing against the grain will give you those tender, picture-perfect slices everyone loves.

Troubleshooting & Tips

• Dry turkey? Slice and drizzle with warm broth or melted butter.
• Rubbery skin? Cook hotter next time or make sure you dried it well.
• Undercooked thighs but perfect breast? Tent the breast with foil and let the thighs keep cooking.

Final Word

Smoking a turkey shouldn’t be stressful. Plan ahead, season it right, trust your thermometer, and let Lane’s flavor do the heavy lifting. Follow this guide and you’ll serve up the juiciest, most flavorful turkey your crew has ever tasted.

Last tip - Be sure to sit down, eat, and enjoy the time spent with your friends and family. Even if you completely butcher this meal, your family will still love you. Plus, they will have a funny story to tell everyone at work.

Smoking a Turkey FAQ’s

Watch Ryan Lane and his Top Turkey Tips: