How Long to Smoke a 13 lb Turkey

Plan on about 6½–8½ hours to smoke a whole 13 lb turkey at low temperatures, with the actual finish time depending on the smoker setting and cooking method. That estimate assumes a fully thawed, unstuffed bird and does not include brining, preheating, or resting. Use the following windows to plan your start time, then let a meat thermometer, not the clock, decide when dinner is ready.

Smoker Setting	Planning Window for a Whole 13 lb Turkey	What to Expect
225°F, maintained throughout	About 6½–8½ hours	A longer cook; skin may stay soft without a hotter finish
250°F, maintained throughout	About 6½–8½ hours	Often toward the shorter end, but airflow and actual cooking temperature can change the finish time

These are broad planning estimates, not deadlines. A staged cook that starts low and finishes hot needs its own schedule.

What Determines a Turkey’s Smoking Time

Choose the schedule for the cooker and temperature you are actually using, not for the turkey’s weight alone.

A whole bird resting on a grate does not necessarily cook at the same pace as a hanging bird in a barrel cooker. Likewise, a smoker’s displayed setting may differ from the temperature beside the turkey, especially during cold weather, after loading, or when the lid is opened frequently.

The biggest timing variables are:

Actual cooking temperature: Account for it when planning.
Bird shape: A compact whole turkey cooks differently from a flattened or separated bird.
Air circulation: Crowded racks, oversized pans, and a second turkey can change heat flow.
Starting condition: Ice remaining in the cavity makes a whole-bird schedule unreliable.
Cooking method: Holding a low setting throughout is different from smoking briefly and then increasing the heat.

A staged pellet-grill method is useful when you want smoke flavor followed by a hotter finish for the skin. The method below uses Traeger’s published whole-turkey schedule, with doneness checks that keep the timetable from becoming a reason to overcook the breast.

How to Smoke a 13 lb Turkey

Thaw, season, smoke, then finish the 13 lb turkey at higher heat while monitoring its breast temperature.

Step 1: Thaw the Turkey and Check the Label

Thaw the bird completely in the refrigerator. Allow about 3–4 days for a frozen turkey this size, keeping the refrigerator at 40°F or below. Place the turkey in a tray that will contain any leaking juices.
Remove the packaging, neck, and giblets. Check both cavities for packets. Keep the turkey unstuffed; cook dressing separately.
Check whether it has already been salted. Labels such as “enhanced,” “self-basting,” or “contains a solution” mean you should be cautious about adding another full-strength brine.

A 13 lb turkey falls within the 12–16 lb range specified for Traeger’s pellet-grill turkey recipe. Confirm the bird-size range in the recipe’s Ingredients list if you substitute a different whole-turkey recipe.

Do not leave the turkey on the counter to bring it to room temperature.

Step 2: Decide Whether to Brine, Then Dry and Season

Treat brining as optional preparation, not a requirement for smoking. It can improve seasoning and help the meat retain moisture.
If using a wet brine, plan both time and refrigerator space. Traeger’s brined pellet-grill turkey recipe calls for at least 12 hours in its brine. Its batch uses 3 gallons of water and a 5-gallon non-metal bucket; use a food-grade container.
Use the complete brine formula rather than the water amount alone. Salt concentration matters. Confirm the water and other ingredient quantities in your chosen brine recipe’s Ingredients list, and the container requirements in its first step.
Pat the turkey thoroughly dry before seasoning. Apply a light coating of oil or softened butter, then your seasoning. Reduce added salt if the bird was brined or came enhanced.

Do not wash a raw turkey in the sink; splashing can spread contamination. Patting dry removes surface moisture without spreading raw poultry juices around the kitchen.

Keep the cavity empty and avoid packing seasoning mixtures tightly inside it.

Step 3: Preheat the Smoker and Position the Probes

Preheat with the lid closed. For Traeger’s pellet-grill method, set the grill to 225°F and preheat for 15 minutes. Confirm the setting on the grill’s temperature control and the preheat instruction in the recipe you are using.
Arrange the turkey for indirect cooking. Place it breast-side up with clearance around it so heated air can circulate. If using a roasting pan, avoid one that nearly blocks the cooking chamber.
Insert a meat probe into the thickest part of the breast. The tip should sit in meat, not touch bone or extend into the cavity.
Check the cooking temperature near the bird. Position a chamber probe where it will measure circulating heat rather than touch the turkey, pan, or grate.

Keep raw-poultry utensils separate from the clean platter and tools you will use for carving.

Step 4: Run the Initial Smoking Stage

Close the lid and let the smoker work. Traeger’s pellet-grill recipe uses an initial smoking stage of 2½–3 hours.
Monitor the breast probe and chamber temperature without repeatedly opening the lid. Each opening releases heat and can lengthen the cook.
Maintain the cooker’s normal fuel supply and airflow. Heavy, dirty smoke is not a substitute for a stable fire.

This first stage develops smoke flavor; it is not intended to finish the bird at low heat. Do not extend it simply because the turkey has not reached its final internal temperature.

Step 5: Increase the Heat and Check Doneness

Move to the hotter finishing stage. In Traeger’s pellet-grill recipe, increase the setting to 350°F and budget another 3½–4 hours. Together, the two stages provide a roughly 6–7-hour cooking plan for that recipe, not a universal timetable for every smoker.
Use the probe reading to judge progress. The finishing-stage time is an allowance, not a minimum. Remove a finished turkey rather than leaving it cooking to satisfy the schedule.
Verify several locations with a thermometer. For the straightforward safe endpoint, check for at least 165°F in the thickest breast and the innermost thigh and wing, keeping the thermometer away from bone.
Distinguish safe doneness from dark-meat tenderness. Traeger’s target of 175°F in the thighs is for more tender dark meat, not a higher minimum safety requirement for the whole bird.

Traeger’s pellet-grill tips also use a breast pull temperature of 160°F, relying on carryover cooking to reach 165°F during the rest. That rise is not guaranteed: if you use the earlier pull, keep monitoring and verify that the breast reaches the endpoint before carving. Return the turkey to the heat if it does not; waiting until the safe endpoint is reached on the grill is the simpler approach.

If the breast is cooking faster than the legs, loosely shield the breast with foil while the dark meat finishes. Avoid wrapping the entire bird tightly unless you are willing to soften the skin.

Step 6: Rest, Carve, and Refrigerate Leftovers

Rest before carving. Traeger’s whole-turkey recipe specifies a 30-minute rest; confirm the rest period when using a different recipe. Tent loosely with foil rather than sealing steam against the skin.
Carve on a clean board with clean utensils. Separate the legs and wings, remove the breast meat, and slice the breast across the grain.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Divide the meat into shallow containers rather than leaving the whole carcass on the counter to cool.

Resting belongs in your serving schedule. It is separate from smoking time and should not be replaced by leaving the turkey on an active grill after it has finished.

Adjusting the Plan for Your Smoker

Cooking time depends on airflow, loading, temperature recovery, and each turkey’s own readings rather than combined weight.

Smoking Two 13 lb Turkeys

Two turkeys do not automatically require twice the cooking time. If the cooker maintains its temperature and hot air can move freely around both birds, each can cook in approximately the window expected for a single bird.

The practical limits are space and heat recovery:

Leave clearance between the birds and around the cooker’s vents.
Monitor each turkey separately.
Expect one bird to finish before the other.
Avoid using a pan arrangement that blocks heat from reaching one turkey.

Loading both birds can cause a larger initial temperature drop. Let the smoker recover, then judge each bird by its own readings rather than treating the pair as one heavier turkey.

Cooking at a Steady Higher Temperature

A hotter cook is a different plan from holding a low smoking temperature throughout.

For its pellet-grill turkey guidance, Traeger gives a rough allowance of about 30 minutes per pound at 325–350°F. For a 13 lb bird, that calculation is:

13 lb × 30 minutes = 390 minutes, or about 6½ hours.

That is a maker-specific planning allowance, not a minimum cooking time or a reliable conversion rule for every smoker. A bird can finish substantially sooner depending on the cooker and setup.

Do not add that allowance to the staged method. They are different ways of planning a cook.

Using a Southern Pride or Another Cabinet Smoker

A smoker running at a steady low setting still needs a schedule matched to its airflow, loading, and whole-turkey setup.

A loaded cabinet and a nearly empty cabinet may recover heat differently after the door opens.

What to Do if the Turkey Runs Early or Late

Remove an early turkey from heat, troubleshoot a late cook, and prioritize properly cooked meat over improved skin.

If the Turkey Finishes Early

Remove it from the cooking heat rather than letting it dry out while side dishes catch up.

For a delay beyond the normal rest, use controlled hot holding and check with a thermometer. An insulated container or towels do not, by themselves, prove that the turkey is being held hot enough.

If you cannot maintain a safe holding temperature, carve and refrigerate the meat promptly. Reheat it thoroughly for serving rather than leaving the whole bird lukewarm.

If the Turkey Is Running Late

Check the equipment before assuming the bird simply needs more hours:

Is the chamber actually reaching the selected temperature?
Is fuel running low?
Is a large pan blocking airflow?
Is the meat probe correctly positioned?
Has frequent lid opening interrupted the cook?

Correct those problems and continue cooking. Do not serve an undercooked turkey.

Keep guests occupied with sides or appetizers rather than trying to recover a long delay through uncontrolled heat changes.

If the Skin Is Soft but the Meat Is Finished

Do not keep cooking the whole turkey indefinitely just to improve its skin. That trade-off usually costs breast moisture.

Skin preparation matters earlier: a dry surface and a hotter finishing stage give it a better chance to brown. Frequent wet basting works against crisp skin.

For the current meal, prioritize properly cooked meat. For the next cook, improve drying and heat management rather than extending the final cooking time.

How to Confirm the Turkey Is Ready to Carve

Before serving, make these final checks:

Temperature: The breast and innermost thigh and wing have each reached at least 165°F.
Probe placement: Your readings came from meat, not bone or the cavity.
Rest: The bird has rested without being left on active cooking heat.
Clean handling: The carving board, knife, and serving platter have not contacted raw poultry.
Storage: Shallow containers are ready for leftovers.

Smoked turkey can remain pink even when properly cooked. Brown skin, clear juices, and a pop-up indicator are not substitutes for thermometer readings.

Once those checks pass, carve and serve instead of continuing to cook for a darker exterior.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does It Take to Smoke a 13 lb Turkey on a Pit Boss?

Allow roughly 6½–8½ hours for a whole, thawed, unstuffed bird cooked steadily at 225–250°F. A hotter or staged recipe can finish on a different schedule, so the brand alone does not determine the duration. Use the temperature at the turkey and its internal readings to judge progress.

Can I Smoke a Whole Turkey in an Electric Smoker?

Yes, provided the turkey fits with room for airflow and the smoker can maintain the cooking temperature required by its whole-turkey recipe. A staged method that finishes at 350°F is not an exact match for an appliance that cannot reach that setting. Check the model’s operating range before choosing your cooking plan.

Should I Baste a Turkey While It Smokes?

Basting is optional, not necessary for a moist turkey. Repeatedly opening the smoker interrupts cooking, while wetting the surface can make crisp skin harder to achieve. A properly seasoned bird, stable cooking heat, and accurate temperature checks matter more.

How do you smoke a 14- or 15-pound turkey?

Both sizes fall within the 12–16-pound range of the cited pellet-grill method. Smoke the turkey for 2½–3 hours, then raise the grill to 350°F and continue until it reaches 165°F internally; the hotter stage is listed as another 3½–4 hours.