Christmas smoking planChristmas Eve to Boxing Day on the smoker (UK)

Christmas dinner on a smoker works when the smoker does one big job, not five. Try to cook the turkey, pigs in blankets, roast potatoes and the stuffing out there in a December wind and you'll spend the day in the garden while everyone else opens presents. Give it the turkey on the day and the gammon the day before, and it becomes the thing that frees up the oven rather than the thing that ruins lunch.

This plan assumes dinner on Christmas Day mid-afternoon. Shift the times to suit yours.

Decide what goes on the smoker

A whole bird is fine on a big smoker, but a crown is easier. It cooks faster and more evenly, fits on a kettle, and the legs can be done separately or turned into something else. Our guide to smoked turkey for Christmas covers the bird in detail, and smoked gammon covers the ham.

If you want a second joint for Boxing Day, keep it short. A venison haunch takes a couple of hours and is excellent cold, and a supermarket rolled brisket joint can go on after a late breakfast and be ready for tea. For presents, smoked salt and nuts are best made in one session in early December.

Fridge space

This is the bit nobody plans for. A brining turkey, a gammon, a fridge full of sprouts and three bottles of fizz don't all fit at once.

• Clear a shelf early. Eat down the fridge in the week before Christmas so there's room by the 22nd or 23rd.
• Brine in a bag, not a bucket. A large food-safe brining bag in a roasting tin takes much less space. The brine calculator works out salt and sugar for the weight of your bird.
• Use a cool box for drinks, not for raw meat. Outdoor temperatures in a British December go up and down too much to rely on the garage or the shed as a fridge.
• Defrost early if the turkey is frozen. Large birds can take days in the fridge. Check the FSA guidance on defrosting times and do the sums before the 20th.

Raw poultry should sit on the bottom shelf, wrapped, away from anything ready to eat.

Cold-weather fuel

The smoker uses more fuel in December than in July for the same temperature, sometimes a lot more if it's windy. Buy charcoal before the shops get silly, and have more than you think you need, because DIY stores and garden centres keep short hours over Christmas. Our guide to smoking in winter has tips on shielding the smoker from wind and keeping fuel dry.

Check the forecast on the 23rd with our smoking weather check. If it's blowing a gale on Christmas Day, you'll want a windbreak ready, or a back-up plan for the oven.

The timeline

This is the order things happen in. Use the smoking time planner with your actual weights to set the times, then add a buffer.

1. Up to a week before: order the turkey or crown and gammon from the butcher. Buy charcoal, wood chunks (apple or cherry for poultry, oak or apple for gammon) and foil. Charge the thermometer and find its spare batteries.
2. 22nd–23rd: clear fridge space. If the turkey is frozen, it should already be defrosting. Check the weather.
3. Christmas Eve morning: brine the turkey, using the brine calculator for quantities. Wrap and return to the fridge.
4. Christmas Eve, late morning: light the smoker. Let it settle at a low temperature, typically around 110–135°C for gammon, and wait for the smoke to thin.
5. Christmas Eve, around midday: gammon on. Glaze towards the end of the cook if you like. Check it reaches a safe temperature using the FSA guidance.
6. Christmas Eve, afternoon: gammon off. Let it rest, then cool it and get it in the fridge promptly. Serve it cold on Boxing Day or glaze and reheat it in the oven.
7. Christmas Eve, evening: rinse and dry the turkey, return it to the fridge uncovered to dry the skin. Set out charcoal, chimney, gloves and thermometer for the morning.
8. Christmas Day, morning: work back from dinner. A crown on a smoker at around 150–165°C often takes a few hours depending on size, so light up early enough to allow for settling time, the cook and a rest, plus an hour of buffer.
9. Christmas Day, cook: turkey on, lid shut, probe in the thickest part. Turkey is better cooked hotter than brisket or pork, for crisper skin. Top up fuel as needed. Cook until it reaches the safe temperature in the FSA guidance.
10. Christmas Day, rest: turkey off, wrapped loosely in foil, for 30 minutes to an hour. Use the gap for gravy, potatoes and anything else in the oven.
11. Christmas Day, after lunch: strip the carcass, chill leftovers promptly in shallow containers and close the smoker's vents to put the fire out.
12. Boxing Day: cold cuts, the gammon, turkey sandwiches and a quiet day for the smoker. If you're keen, sausages or a small joint are a quick cook. Otherwise, clean out the ash once it's cold.

Light the smoker an hour earlier than the planner suggests. Turkey resting under foil while you finish the potatoes is far better than everyone waiting for the bird to hit temperature.

Sides and extras

The smoker is good for a few sides if you have space. Smoked garlic, a tray of nuts or a whole cheese for a short, cool smoke all add something. Roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings belong in the oven.

Gravy is easier if you put a tray of onions and carrot under the turkey to catch the juices, as long as your smoker leaves room for it.

Safety at Christmas

Poultry needs to be cooked through. Use a probe thermometer and the temperature in the FSA guidance, not the timeline above. Store raw and cooked meat separately, chill leftovers promptly and don't leave the bird out for hours while everyone watches the film.

Never bring a lit or cooling charcoal smoker into a garage, conservatory or porch to get out of the weather. Carbon monoxide builds up quickly in enclosed spaces.

Before you head to the butcher, get your weights into the smoking time planner and write the timeline on a sheet of paper. Stick it to the fridge and the day will run itself.

FAQs

Can I smoke the turkey on Christmas Eve and reheat it?

You can, but reheated turkey tends to dry out. Gammon is a much better candidate for cooking the day before. If you do smoke the turkey ahead, chill it promptly and reheat it gently with a little stock.

Is a crown easier than a whole turkey on a smoker?

Yes, for most people. It cooks faster and more evenly, fits on smaller smokers and avoids the problem of the legs and breast finishing at different times.

How much charcoal will I need on Christmas Day?

More than a summer cook. Cold air and wind make the fire work harder. Use our fuel guidance for your smoker as a starting point, then buy extra and keep it dry.

What if it rains on Christmas Day?

Carry on. Rain mostly costs fuel and time, so add a buffer, shelter the smoker from wind and keep the lid shut.