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Smoking Times & Temperatures Chart

Every rule the calculators use, on one page. Times are planning estimates from published pitmaster guides; the thermometer decides when it's done. Print it, or use the smoking time calculator for a schedule built around your dinner time.

How to read it. Per-lb rules multiply by trimmed weight; "fixed" cuts take about the same total time regardless of weight because thickness sets the clock. Wrap credit: foil ~2 h / paper ~1 h on brisket and butt, ~½ h on ribs and belly, never more than a quarter of the cook. USDA FSIS safe minimums: 145°F + 3-min rest for whole beef and pork, 160°F ground, 165°F poultry, 145°F fish. Collagen cuts are cooked far past the minimum so the connective tissue melts. Stall: 150–170°F, mostly on brisket, butt, beef ribs, belly. Smoked whole turkey: 8–12 lb at 225–300°F (FSIS), or spatchcock / run 325°F+.

Sources: USDA FSIS, AmazingRibs (Meathead Goldwyn), ThermoWorks, Hey Grill Hey, Traeger, Weber, Virtual Weber Bullet, Smoked BBQ Source, Destination BBQ, Malcom Reed, Kamado Joe, Meat Church. Full citations on each calculator page. bbqcalculators.com

The four numbers that matter more than the chart

Pull temperature. Brisket, pork butt and beef ribs are done around 203°F when a probe slides in with no resistance; ribs when the rack bends and cracks; chicken at 165°F in the breast and 175°F in the thigh; turkey pulled at 160°F breast and rested to 165°F. Everything else is on the chart.

The stall. Between 150°F and 170°F the temperature of a big cut stops climbing, sometimes for hours, because moisture evaporating from the surface cools it. Wrap (foil fastest, paper for bark) or run 275°F+ to shorten it.

Rest. An hour minimum for brisket and butt, and two to four wrapped in a cooler is better. Twenty to thirty minutes for turkey. Ten to fifteen for ribs and tri-tip. Sear tri-tip and prime rib after the rest, not before.

Start early. Plan on the high end of the range plus the rest plus a cushion. Finished meat holds for hours; unfinished meat holds for none. The calculator does this arithmetic backward from your serving time.

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