Smoked Pork Butt
at 225°F
The answer
12 hr – 14 hr 40 minat 225°F
Plan on 90 to 110 minutes per pound in a 225°F smoker. A 8 lb smoked pork butt lands around 12 hr – 14 hr 40 min. Done is 145°F on a food thermometer, plus a 45-minute rest — never the clock alone.
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·225°F planning range derived·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 225°F: 90–110 min/lb, cross-checked against at least three independently published sources.
- Scale. Multiply that rate by your weight. A 8 lb piece lands at 12 hr – 14 hr 40 min; 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 × 90 min/lb
plan_high = weight_lb × 110 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
Time by weight at 225°F
Planning ranges for a fully thawed, fridge-temperature smoked pork butt. The right-hand column is when to take the first thermometer reading.
| Weight | Estimated time at 225°F | Check thermometer from |
|---|---|---|
| 6 lb | 9 hr – 11 hr | 7 hr 40 min in |
| 7 lb | 10 hr 30 min – 12 hr 50 min | 8 hr 55 min in |
| 8 lb | 12 hr – 14 hr 40 min | 10 hr 10 min in |
| 9 lb | 13 hr 30 min – 16 hr 30 min | 11 hr 30 min in |
| 10 lb | 15 hr – 18 hr 20 min | 12 hr 45 min in |
Start checking the internal temperature well before the low end of the range — an early check costs nothing; a late one costs the meal. Done means 145°F on a food thermometer (see the pull-temperature note below).
SOURCE·USDA safe-temperature guidance·timing ranges derived, see method·REVIEWED JUL 2026
225°F vs the other temperatures
Same cut, every temperature this site publishes for it.
| Oven temp | Time for a 8 lb smoked pork butt | Per pound |
|---|---|---|
| 225°F (this page) | 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
The clock tells you when to start looking. The thermometer tells you when to stop.
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.
Answers people ask
How long does a pork butt in the smoker take at 225°F?
Plan on 90 to 110 minutes per pound at 225°F. A 8 lb example takes about 12 hr – 14 hr 40 min. It is done when the internal temperature reaches 145°F on a food thermometer, not when the clock runs out.
What internal temperature is a pork butt in the smoker done at?
145°F, measured with a food thermometer in the thickest part, then rested about 45 minutes. That is the USDA FSIS safe minimum. 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.
Is 225°F a good temperature for a pork butt in the smoker?
It is one of 3 temperatures this site publishes for this cut (225°F, 250°F, 275°F). Lower runs longer and more forgiving; higher runs faster with more browning. 250°F is the most common choice.
SOURCE·USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures·doneness figures quoted in these answers·REVIEWED JUL 2026
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
Where these numbers come from
Ranges are anchored to USDA FSIS published timetables where they exist, and derived from that anchor plus cross-checked published sources where they do not — widened to cover the disagreement between sources rather than split down the middle. The full reasoning is on the method page. If a figure here looks wrong, say so — corrections are prioritised.
SOURCE·USDA safe-temperature guidance·timing ranges derived, see method·REVIEWED JUL 2026
