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Smoking Times Temperatures Chart
Quick answer: This chart lists common planning ranges for smoking popular cuts alongside the USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature for each. Use the time ranges only to schedule; finish every cook with a food thermometer. USDA FSIS advises keeping the smoker between 225 and 300°F and cooking to the safe minimum or higher.
Smoking times and temperatures chart
| Cut | Common pit temp | Rough planning time (illustrative) | USDA FSIS safe minimum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brisket (whole packer) | 225–275°F | Many hours; often 10–16+ h | 145°F + 3-min rest |
| Pork butt / shoulder | 225–275°F | Often 8–14+ h | 145°F + 3-min rest |
| Spare ribs / St. Louis | 225–275°F | About 5–7 h | 145°F + 3-min rest |
| Baby back ribs | 225–275°F | About 4–6 h | 145°F + 3-min rest |
| Pork loin roast | 225–275°F | About 2–4 h | 145°F + 3-min rest |
| Pork tenderloin | 225–275°F | About 1.5–2.5 h | 145°F + 3-min rest |
| Whole chicken | 275°F+ | About 3–5 h | 165°F |
| Chicken wings / thighs | 250–275°F+ | About 1.5–2.5 h | 165°F |
| Turkey | 275°F+ | Several hours, size-dependent | 165°F |
| Salmon (hot-smoked) | 225°F | About 1–3 h | 145°F |
| Ground meat (meatloaf, sausage) | 225–275°F | Size-dependent | 160°F (poultry 165°F) |
Safety minimums: USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature chart, read 2026-10-29. Pit range: USDA FSIS smoking meat and poultry (225–300°F). Time ranges are illustrative planning figures many cooks use, not guarantees.
How to read the chart
The "rough planning time" column is there to help you decide when to start. It is not a doneness test. Weight, thickness, fat, bone, wrapping, smoker type, wind and how often you open the lid all change the real time. The USDA FSIS column is the safety floor: no meat should come off before reaching it, measured with a food thermometer in the thickest part. For tough cuts like brisket and pork butt, cooks continue well past the safety floor to make the meat tender.
Safe vs done
"Safe" and "done" are not the same for barbecue. A brisket at 145°F plus rest is safe but tough; it becomes tender much later. A pork tenderloin at 145°F plus rest is safe and at its best; cooking it much further dries it out. Chicken must reach 165°F; dark meat tolerates more. See food safety temps for the full USDA FSIS list.
Turning the chart into a plan
- Pick your cut and weigh it.
- Choose a pit temperature from the chart and a planning rate from your own notes.
- Put both into the smoking time calculator for a time range.
- Use the serve-time planner to set a start time with a buffer.
- Check temperature with a calibrated thermometer; see the smoker thermometer guide.
- Rest and hold safely; see rest and hold.
Cut guides
Detailed guides: brisket, pork butt, pork shoulder, ribs, whole chicken, chicken wings, thighs and breast, pork loin and tenderloin, salmon and turkey.
Worked example
Figures below are illustrative examples (2026-10-29), not quotes or guarantees.
Assumptions: a cook wants spare ribs and a whole chicken for 6:00 pm. From the chart, ribs at 250°F plan about 5–7 h and the chicken at 275°F about 3–5 h, so they cannot share a pit temperature perfectly. The cook runs the pit at 250°F for the ribs from 11:00 am, adds the chicken at 2:00 pm, and finishes the chicken skin on a hot grill. Ribs are checked with the bend test and a thermometer between bones (at least 145°F); the chicken is pulled once the breast and thigh read at least 165°F. Times are invented for the example.
Pit temperature column
The pit temperatures listed are common choices, all within USDA FSIS's 225 to 300°F smoking range. Poultry is often cooked at the upper end to crisp skin. Compare in 225 vs 250 vs 275.
Printing and logging
Keep a cook log: cut, weight, pit temperature, start time, stall, wrap time, finish time, final temperature and notes. After a few cooks your own minutes-per-pound numbers will beat any chart.
Factors that change the times
- Thickness: a thick, compact piece takes longer than a long, flat piece of the same weight.
- Bone: bone-in pieces may cook differently near the bone.
- Fat: a heavy fat cap insulates; trimmed pieces may cook faster.
- Wrapping: foil or paper usually shortens big cooks.
- Weather: cold, wind and rain slow cookers down and burn more fuel.
- Lid opening: each peek costs heat and time.
- Smoker type: airflow and humidity vary; see compare smokers.
Celsius quick reference for safety minimums
USDA FSIS publishes Celsius equivalents: 145°F is 62.8°C, 160°F is 71.1°C and 165°F is 73.9°C. Smoker range 225 to 300°F is roughly 107 to 149°C.
Using the chart with the calculators
Pick the cut and pit temperature, read the planning rate here, then enter weight and rate into the smoking time calculator. Feed the result into the serve-time planner with a rest and buffer. During the cook, ignore the clock when the thermometer disagrees: food is done when it reaches at least the USDA FSIS minimum and your preferred texture. After each cook, update your own rate for that cut so the chart becomes personal.
Why there are ranges, not single numbers
Two briskets of the same weight from the same store can finish hours apart. Fat, muscle structure, starting temperature and how the pit behaves all move the clock. A range reminds you to plan buffer time and to rely on a food thermometer, not a timer, for doneness.
Quick checklist
Pick cut, pick pit temperature, read the rate, add buffer, cook to the thermometer, log the result.
FAQ
Why ranges instead of exact times?
Because real cooks vary widely; only temperature confirms doneness.
Can I use this for a different cut?
Use the closest similar cut as a starting point and rely on the thermometer.
Where do the safety temperatures come from?
USDA FSIS.