Smoking a 16 lb Turkey in an Electric Smoker: The Ultimate Guide

Smoking a turkey in an electric smoker is a foolproof way to get a juicy flavorful bird with crispy skin and smoky flavor. While smoking a turkey does take some time and planning the rewards are well worth the effort. In this guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know to smoke a perfect 16 lb turkey in an electric smoker.

Choosing and Preparing the Turkey

When selecting a turkey for smoking, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Weight – Smoking times can vary greatly depending on the size of the bird. A good guideline is 30-40 minutes per pound. For a 16 lb turkey, you’ll need about 8-10 hours of smoking time.

• Thawed vs Frozen – Only smoke thawed turkeys, as trying to smoke a frozen bird will lead to unsafe cooking. Make sure your 16 lb turkey has thawed completely in the fridge over 24-36 hours before smoking.

• Brining – Brining is highly recommended to help keep the turkey moist and flavorful You can brine the bird overnight in a saltwater solution before smoking

• Dry rub – For maximum flavor, apply a dry rub to the turkey before smoking. A basic rub of salt, pepper and poultry seasoning works great.

Once your 16 lb turkey is thawed, rinsed, patted dry and seasoned, it’s ready to go in the smoker. Be sure to truss the legs and tuck the wing tips under to get the bird as compact as possible.

Setting Up the Electric Smoker

To properly smoke a turkey, your electric smoker needs to maintain a temperature between 225-275°F. Here are some tips for getting your smoker ready:

• Make sure your electric smoker is clean and free of residue from previous smokes.

• Fill the wood chip box with your choice of smoky flavored wood chips – hickory, pecan, apple or cherry wood all work well.

• Allow the smoker to preheat until it reaches the desired temperature range. This may take 30-60 minutes.

• Place a drip pan filled with water on the bottom rack to help add moisture and catch drippings.

• If your smoker has multiple racks, place the turkey directly on the middle rack so it sits centered in the smoker.

Estimated Smoking Times

The general rule of thumb for smoking turkey is 30-40 minutes per pound. For a 16 lb bird, you can estimate:

• At 30 minutes per pound: About 8 hours
• At 35 minutes per pound: About 9 hours
• At 40 minutes per pound: About 10-11 hours

To ensure food safety and proper doneness, you absolutely want the turkey to reach an internal temperature of 165°F in the breast and 180°F in the thighs before removing it.

Since smoking times can vary based on the specific smoker and conditions, it’s critical to use a good quality meat thermometer to monitor the temperature rather than rely solely on time.

Step-by-Step Smoking Directions

Follow these steps for perfectly smoking a 16 lb turkey in an electric smoker:

1. Remove turkey from brine (if brined), rinse and pat dry completely with paper towels. Apply dry rub evenly all over.

2. Truss turkey legs with cooking twine and tuck wing tips under the body. This helps keep the shape compact.

3. Preheat electric smoker to 225-275°F using preferred wood chips. Allow 30-60 mins to reach desired temp.

4. Place turkey directly on the middle rack, centered in the smoker.

5. Add drip pan filled with water to bottom rack below turkey.

6. Begin smoking the turkey, maintaining the temperature between 225-275°F.

7. After about 3 hours, quickly open the smoker and check on progress. Spritz turkey with apple juice or broth if desired.

8. At the 5 hour mark, carefully check the breast and thigh temperature using a meat thermometer. Close smoker quickly.

9. Once breast temp reaches 160°F, start checking temperature every 30 minutes until it hits 165°F.

10. When breast hits 165°F and thighs reach 180°F, the turkey is fully smoked and ready to remove.

11. Allow turkey to rest 20-30 minutes before carving. This allows juices to redistribute.

12. Carve turkey and serve immediately for maximum juiciness and flavor. Enjoy your perfectly smoked 16 lb turkey!

Troubleshooting Your Smoked Turkey

Smoking a turkey does require some attention and monitoring, but these troubleshooting tips will help if you run into any issues:

• Temperature too high/low – Make adjustments to vents and wood chips if temperature veers out of 225-275°F range.

• Turkey cooking too fast/slow – Increase or decrease heat based on if turkey is cooking faster or slower than estimated time.

• Turkey drying out – Baste with broth and tent with foil if skin is getting overly browned before meat is done.

• Uneven cooking – Rotate turkey if one side seems to cook faster, and check for hot spots in smoker.

• Not reaching proper internal temp – Check for any equipment issues if turkey won’t hit 165°F in breast and 180°F in thighs after long smoke times.

• Wood chips burning up too fast – Try soaking chips in water for 30 mins before using to slow down burning if your smoker tends to go through chips quickly.

Handy Electric Smoker Tips

Here are some additional tips to ensure smoking success:

• Always use an accurate digital meat thermometer to check internal temperatures. Analog thermometers can be off by as much as 50 degrees.

• Let your smoked turkey rest at least 20-30 minutes before slicing to allow juices to redistribute and meat to relax. This helps ensure tender, juicy meat.

• Use a water pan or spritz with broth/juice to add moisture if your smoker tends to dry food out.

• Start checking turkey breast temp after about 5 hours. Thighs/legs take longest to cook.

• Add more wood chips and charcoal as needed to maintain proper heat and smoke, about once an hour.

• Don’t peek! Only open the smoker when necessary to prevent heat and smoke loss.

• Electric smokers tend to have hot spots near the heating element. Rotate food periodically for even cooking.

• Clean your smoker thoroughly after each use to prevent any off flavors next time.

Smoking a big 16 lb turkey does require time and attention, but is worth it for the incredible flavor. Follow these tips and your electric smoker turkey will be a huge hit! Let the smoky goodness begin.