A smoked turkey breast is the easiest way to serve juicy, smoky turkey without wrestling a whole bird – perfect for a smaller gathering or white-meat lovers. Brine it and it comes out tender every time. Set your dinner time below and we will plan the cook backward to the minute.
How to smoke smoked turkey breast – time and temp
Brine a bone-in or boneless turkey breast overnight, then smoke at 275 F until it reaches 165 F internal, roughly 30 to 40 minutes per pound. The moderate pit temp keeps it from drying while still building color. Rest 15 minutes and slice across the grain.
Tips
- Brine overnight – lean turkey breast needs it.
- Smoke around 275 F; too low dries it, too high toughens it.
- Pull at 165 F and rest before slicing.
- Bone-in stays juicier; boneless slices cleaner.
Frequently asked
What temp is turkey breast done? 165 F internal, per USDA, then a short rest.
How long to smoke a turkey breast? About 30 to 40 minutes per pound at 275 F. The calculator sizes it exactly.
Do I have to brine it? Strongly recommended – it is the key to juicy white meat.
How Much Turkey Breast Do I Need to Buy and Cook?
Fine-tune trim & cook loss
Lost to trim: - · lost to the cook: -
💲 Compare price: boneless vs bone-in
How Much Turkey Breast Per Person (Serving Size Chart)
| Guests | Raw Turkey breast to buy | Trimmed (on the smoker) | Cooked (served) | Good pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | 3.9 lb | 3.2 lb | 2.5 lb | ~3.9 lb (sizes vary) |
| 6-10 | 7.8 lb | 6.4 lb | 5.0 lb | ~7.8 lb (sizes vary) |
| 11-15 | 12 lb | 9.6 lb | 7.5 lb | ~12 lb (sizes vary) |
| 16-20 | 16 lb | 13 lb | 10 lb | ~16 lb (sizes vary) |
| 21-30 | 23 lb | 19 lb | 15 lb | ~23 lb (sizes vary) |
| 31-40 | 31 lb | 26 lb | 20 lb | ~31 lb (sizes vary) |
| 41-50 | 39 lb | 32 lb | 25 lb | ~39 lb (sizes vary) |
Raw weight to comfortably feed the top of each range at an average appetite (~0.50 lb cooked per person), no leftovers. Bump up a size for hearty eaters, light sides, or leftovers.
Turkey breast prices: retail vs wholesale
Turkey Breast costs about $1.36 a pound at the grocery store this week. The lowest advertised price is in the South Central at $1.29 (61 stores). USDA data: grocery ads running Oct 10-16.
$1.36/lb national grocery ad average for Whole Breast, Bone-In (ads running Oct 10-16, 712 stores)
Dashed line: national average $1.36
See prices for every cut → · How much should you buy? · Cooking for money? Price the whole job
Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (Market News + LMPRS mandatory reporting), tracked daily by MeatSmokingCalculator. Retail = advertised grocery feature prices; wholesale = national boxed primal values. Not a quote – your store and supplier will vary.
Where turkey breast finishes. Pull temperature on one thermometer, against the safety floors; the faint ticks are every other cut on the chart.
Times & temperatures
| Style | Method | Pit temp | Approx time | Pull / done temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classic | Slow and Low | 225°F / 107°C | ~37 min/lb | 165°F / 74°C |
| Classic | Hot and Fast | 325°F / 163°C | ~25 min/lb | 165°F / 74°C |
📊 See the full smoking times & temps chart for every cut →
Keep these numbers. Save a card with turkey breast’s pit temp, time and pull temp, or put them on your own site.
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Written by John Kirker, who built the first meat smoking calculator in 2011. Times come from cooks we have actually run and logged; temperature and feel decide the finish, never the clock alone.
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