TURKEY PLANNER
Turkey Planner
Enter the bird and your dinner time. This works the day backward from the night the bird goes into the refrigerator. Planning another cut? Use the Smoking Time Calculator.
Thaw first
16 lb bird needs about 4 days of refrigerator time at 40°F or below. Pick a cook day to get the date it has to go in.
Cold water takes about 8h of attention at roughly 30 minutes per pound, with the water changed every 30 minutes, and the bird cooked as soon as it thaws. A thawed bird keeps another day or two in the refrigerator, so starting early costs nothing.
Cook day
Smoked Turkey at 275–325°F. Pull at 165°F breast / 175°F thigh, then rest 30m. The planner reserves 8h on the pit for this weight.
- Serving day7:45 AMLight fire · 45m fire-up
- Serving day8:30 AMMeat on · 8h planned cook at 275–325°F
- Serving day4:30 PMPull/check · Cook to doneness: 165°F breast / 175°F thigh. Begin rest. 30m total from pull to service: 30m planned rest. Monitor with a thermometer and keep the meat at or above 140°F during extended rest and holding.
- Serving day5:00 PMServe · 30m total from pull to service: 30m planned rest.
Planning estimates from the same model as the Cookout Planner, using the early-start end of the USDA smoking range for a bird this size. Start checking earlier than this and pull on doneness, not on the clock.
Sources and safety guidance
Food-safety numbers on this page come from published guidance, not from Pitwright’s own testing. Barbecue targets, timings, and technique are craft, and are described as such in the text.
- Turkey Basics: Safe ThawingUSDA Food Safety and Inspection ServiceRefrigerator thawing allows about 24 hours per 4 to 5 pounds in a refrigerator at 40°F or below; cold water thawing runs about 30 minutes per pound with the water changed every 30 minutes and the bird cooked right after it thaws; a thawed turkey holds 1 or 2 days in the refrigerator before cooking.
- Turkey: Alternate Routes to the TableUSDA Food Safety and Inspection ServiceRoasting a turkey from the frozen state is allowed and takes 50 percent longer than the thawed timing for the same size; a frozen turkey must not be smoked, grilled, fried, or microwaved.
- Danger Zone (40°F to 140°F)USDA Food Safety and Inspection ServiceHot food held for later service stays at 140°F or above; food left between 40°F and 140°F is limited to 2 hours total, or 1 hour above 90°F ambient.
Cooking more than the bird? The Cookout Planner lines this timeline up with the other cuts on one serving time.