Smoked Pork Butt
cooking times
The answer
10 hr – 12 hrat 250°F
At the most common temperature, 250°F, a pork butt in the smoker runs about 10 hr – 12 hr at 8 lb. Pick your temperature below for the full chart. Done is always 145°F internal.
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·smoked pork butt row of the FSIS chart·REVIEWED JUL 2026
USDA safe zone — 145°F and above
Done is a temperature, not a time. Every figure on this page is a planning range; the green band is the only part that decides. For a pork butt in the smoker it opens at 145°F and a 45-minute rest.
Source—USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service safe minimum internal temperatures—retrieved 2026-07
How this is worked out
- Anchor. Start from what USDA FSIS publishes for a pork butt in the smoker — its safe minimum internal temperature of 145°F, and the FSIS roasting timetable where one exists for this cut.
- Rate. Convert the anchor into a planning rate at 250°F: 75–90 min/lb, cross-checked against at least three independently published sources.
- Scale. Multiply that rate by your weight. A 8 lb piece lands at 10 hr – 12 hr; the range is widened to cover source disagreement rather than averaged into false precision.
- First check. The first thermometer reading is set at 85% of the low end of the range — early enough that an under-reading costs nothing and a late one cannot cost the meal.
- Gate. The time is only a plan. It is not done until a food thermometer reads 145°F in the thickest part, then rests about 45 minutes. Time never overrides temperature on this site.
- Round. Every printed figure is rounded to the nearest 5 minutes; precision beyond that would be invented.
plan_low = weight_lb × 75 min/lb
plan_high = weight_lb × 90 min/lb
first_check = plan_low × 0.85
DONE ⟺ internal_temp ≥ 145°F AND rest ≥ 45 min
(USDA FSIS — the gate, not the clock)
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·safe minimum for this cut·REVIEWED JUL 2026
Pick your temperature
Every temperature this chart room holds for a pork butt in the smoker, each with its own worked ledger.
The whole cut, temperature by temperature
| Oven temp | Time for a 8 lb smoked pork butt | Per pound |
|---|---|---|
| 225°F | 12 hr – 14 hr 40 min | 90–110 min/lb |
| 250°F | 10 hr – 12 hr | 75–90 min/lb |
| 275°F | 8 hr – 10 hr | 60–75 min/lb |
SOURCE·USDA safe-temperature guidance·timing ranges derived, see method·REVIEWED JUL 2026
When it is actually done
145°F internal
The USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperature for this cut is 145°F, followed by a rest of about 45 minutes. The clock estimates; the thermometer decides. Every time on this page is a planning range, not a doneness test.
Pull temperature vs safe temperature: Pulled pork is pulled at 195–205°F, not at the 145°F safe minimum — most pitmasters probe around 203°F and check that the blade bone wiggles free.
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·smoked pork butt row of the FSIS chart·REVIEWED JUL 2026
What the ledger does not tell you
- The most forgiving cut in barbecue — the fat and collagen cover a multitude of temperature swings. If you are learning to smoke, start here, not with brisket.
- An 8 lb butt at 225°F is a 12–14 hour cook. Overnight cooks are normal; that is what leave-in probes with alarms are for.
- Finished early is a non-problem: wrapped in towels in a dry cooler, a butt holds above 140°F for 4+ hours and arguably improves.
The clock tells you when to start looking. The thermometer tells you when to stop.
More pork timings
Pork Shoulder (Oven)
300°F · per-pound chart
Pork Loin Roast
350°F · per-pound chart
Pork Tenderloin
400°F · 20 min – 25 min
Baby Back Ribs
250°F · 4 hr – 5 hr
Spare Ribs (St. Louis)
250°F · 4 hr 30 min – 5 hr 30 min
Ham (Fully Cooked, Bone-In)
325°F · per-pound chart
Fresh Ham (Uncooked)
325°F · per-pound chart
