A 10 lb turkey smokes safely and evenly. Don't go bigger than 14 lb on a smoker — big birds spend too long in the danger zone.
Assumes 10 adults, a full holiday table of sides, no leftovers planned.
Ten is the size the whole American turkey industry is built around, and it is the one headcount where the classic advice actually works without adjustment: one bird, no arithmetic, no second oven. Ten adults want about five pounds of meat on the platter, and since a whole turkey is only around forty percent servable meat once you subtract bone, skin and carcass, that means a bird in the low teens. Which is exactly what the supermarket has stacked by the door.
The maths, step by step
1. Meat needed 10 adults × 0.5 lb = 5 lbs
2. Less 20% for a full table of sides 5 × 0.8 = 4 lbs
3. Raw weight (a whole bird is ~40% meat) 4 ÷ 0.4 = 10 lbs raw
10 guests, three ways
Sides move this number more than anything else, and leftovers are a deliberate choice rather than an accident.
Scenario
Raw turkey
Meat
What to buy
Few sides, no leftovers
12.5 lb
5 lb
One 13 lb bird
Full holiday table
10 lb
4 lb
One 10 lb bird
Full table + leftovers
13 lb
5.2 lb
One 13 lb bird
Kids under 12 eat about 0.25 lb each — half an adult portion. Swapping four of your 10 adults for four kids takes roughly 2 lbs off the raw weight.
Cooking for 10: what actually goes wrong
The trap at this size is not quantity, it is the oven. If the bird is inside, it occupies the oven for hours on the one day you need it for everything else — which is the entire argument for smoking it outside. A turkey on the smoker frees the oven for the sides and gets you a better bird into the bargain.
How long it takes
At 275°F — the temperature worth using, because it is the one that crisps the skin — a 10 lb bird takes about 3 h 20 m on the smoker, plus a 30-minute rest. Full timeline and start times on the 10 lb at 275°F page, or use the calculator to work backwards from your own carving time.
Not exactly 10 guests?
Adjust the headcount, add kids, switch to a bone-in breast, or plan for leftovers — every number updates as you type.
Smoked turkey portion calculator
Common questions
How much turkey do I need for 10 people?
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For 10 adults with a full holiday table, buy about 10 lbs of whole turkey — one 10 lb bird. That yields roughly 4 lbs of servable meat, because a whole bird is only about 40% meat once bone, skin and carcass are removed. With only a couple of sides, go up to 12.5 lbs.
What size turkey for 10 guests?
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One 10 lb bird A 10 lb turkey smokes safely and evenly. Don't go bigger than 14 lb on a smoker — big birds spend too long in the danger zone.
How much turkey for 10 people if I want leftovers?
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Add about 30% and buy 13 lbs instead of 10 lbs. Turkey leftovers are the one holiday leftover people genuinely plan for, so this is rarely wasted.
Could I smoke bone-in breasts instead for 10 people?
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Yes, and it is often the smarter buy. A bone-in breast is about 65% meat against a whole bird's 40%, so 10 guests need only about 6.5 lbs of breast — one 6.5 lb bone-in breast. You lose the drumsticks and the centrepiece, and you gain time, oven space and all white meat.