Poultry is the one category where a hotter grill usually wins. Low smoke first for flavor, then heat for skin that bites instead of bends.
Start here: Most rubbery skin is a temperature problem, not a time problem. Smoke at 225 to 250°F for flavor, then finish at 375 to 400°F. Breast meat comes off at 160 to 162°F and coasts to 165°F as it rests.
Smoke the wings at 225°F on hickory pellets for 30 minutes, then turn the grill to 400°F and cook 25 to 35 minutes more, about 75 minutes in all for 4 lb. They're done at 175°F in the thickest drum.
Set the grill to 300°F with cherry and pecan pellets and plan on about 3 hours 15 minutes for a brined 14 lb turkey. Pull when the breast reads 162°F and the thigh 175°F, then rest it 30 minutes.
Brine the breasts for 45 minutes, then smoke them at 250°F on apple pellets for 50 to 70 minutes, about 2 hours start to finish. Pull each one at 160°F and rest it 5 to 10 minutes to reach 165°F.
Smoke bone-in thighs at 275°F on hickory and apple pellets for 45 minutes, then turn the grill to 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes, about 70 minutes in all. Pull at 175°F to 180°F next to the bone.
Smoke at 250°F on apple and hickory pellets, then turn the grill up to 375°F when the breast reads 150°F. A 6 to 7 lb bone-in breast takes about 2.5 hours; pull at 160°F and rest 20 minutes to reach 165°F.
Smoke drumsticks at 275°F on hickory pellets for 45 minutes, then turn the grill to 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes, about 70 minutes in all. Pull at 180°F next to the bone.
Cook the flattened bird at 300°F on cherry and hickory pellets; a 13 lb turkey takes about 2 hours. Pull when the breast reads 162°F and the thigh 175°F, then rest it 20 minutes.
Cook a 4 to 5 lb chicken at 350°F on pecan pellets for 70 to 85 minutes, or 50 to 60 minutes spatchcocked. Pull when the breast reads 160°F and the thigh at least 175°F, then rest it 15 minutes.
| Recipe | Grill temp | Pull at | Total time | Pellets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoked chicken wings | 225°F for 30 minutes, then 400°F | 175°F | 1 hour 35 minutes | Hickory |
| Pellet grill turkey | 300°F | 165°F in the breast, 175°F in the thigh | 4 hours | Cherry and pecan, half and half |
| Pellet grill chicken breast | 250°F | 160°F, rests to 165°F | 2 hours | Apple |
| Chicken thighs on a pellet grill | 275°F, then 400°F to finish | 175 to 180°F | 1 hour 25 minutes | Hickory and apple, half and half |
| Smoked turkey breast | 250°F, with a 375°F finish for the skin | 160°F, rests to 165°F | 3 hours | Apple and hickory, two to one |
| Chicken legs on a pellet grill | 275°F, then 400°F to finish | 180°F | 1 hour 25 minutes | Hickory |
| Spatchcock turkey on a pellet grill | 300°F | 165°F in the breast, 175°F in the thigh | 2 hours 45 minutes | Cherry and hickory, half and half |
| Whole chicken on a pellet grill | 350°F | 165°F in the breast, 175°F in the thigh | 1 hour 45 minutes | Pecan |
Times assume a grill holding temperature on a mild day. Cold or wind adds 30 to 60 minutes; the thermometer, not the clock, decides.
Get a start time and pull temperature for your exact cut and grill setting.