How to Reheat Smoked Turkey: Whole Birds and Leftovers

Quick Answer

For refrigerated smoked turkey leftovers, use an oven set to at least 325°F and heat the meat to 165°F internally. Carve it into smaller pieces, add a little broth or water, and cover the dish. For an unopened, commercially fully cooked whole turkey, follow that product’s package directions instead. Some specify a different temperature for its first hot serving.

Check the label before you start. “Smoked” describes how the turkey was prepared; it does not tell you whether the product is fully cooked, ready to eat, or still needs cooking.

Which Smoked Turkey Are You Reheating?

The commercial-package exception matters. USDA’s guidance for cooked turkey dinners distinguishes products prepared under inspected, controlled conditions from other cooked, refrigerated turkeys. If you cannot identify the product or its instructions, do not assume that a lower first-serving temperature applies.

Reheating an Unopened Whole Smoked Turkey

Start with the manufacturer’s label. Look for “fully cooked” or “ready to eat,” then check whether it can be served cold and how it should be heated. Keep the package directions handy while you work.

For example, Butterball’s Frozen Fully Cooked Smoked Turkey is ready to eat. For its initial hot serving, Butterball gives these directions:

1. Thaw the unopened turkey in the refrigerator, breast side up on a tray. Butterball allows 2–4 days; do not thaw it at room temperature.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F. Remove the packaging and put the turkey breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Do not stuff it.
3. Heat until a thermometer placed deep in the thigh, away from bone, reads 140°F. Carve and serve immediately.

That 140°F instruction is specific to this product’s first hot serving. It is not the target for reheating leftovers later. Use your own turkey’s directions if they differ, including any covering instructions and weight-based timing.

Reheating Smoked Turkey Leftovers in the Oven

For a dish of leftover turkey, use smaller pieces so the center can heat without keeping the outside in the oven longer than necessary. USDA recommends carving a refrigerated cooked turkey before reheating it.

1. Set the oven to at least 325°F. Put slices or smaller pieces in an oven-safe dish.
2. Add a little broth or water. Cover the dish with a suitable lid or foil to help retain moisture.
3. Heat to 165°F. Check the meat with a food thermometer in several places, including the thickest pieces. Avoid touching bone or the dish with the probe.

These temperatures and the covering method come from USDA’s turkey reheating guidance. There is no single reliable time for every batch: thick pieces, a crowded dish, and colder meat change how long it takes. Use the thermometer as your finish point.

Reheat the amount you plan to serve. Keeping a small portion separate is more practical than heating the entire batch every time someone wants a sandwich or a plate of leftovers.

Reheating a Small Portion in the Microwave

Use a microwave-safe glass or ceramic dish. Add a little liquid, cover with a microwave-safe lid or vented cover, and arrange the pieces so they can heat evenly.

Follow your microwave’s reheating instructions. Turn or rearrange the turkey during heating, allow the recommended standing time, then check several spots for 165°F. A hot edge does not establish that the middle is ready. USDA recommends covering, rotating, standing, and checking multiple places when reheating in a microwave.

Cooling and Storing the Leftovers

Carve the turkey and refrigerate it promptly in shallow containers. USDA’s leftover storage guidance says to refrigerate perishable food within two hours, or one hour when the surrounding temperature is above 90°F. Do not leave a cooked bird on the counter for an hour as a reheating preparation step.

Use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, unless the label gives a shorter limit. Butterball specifies three days for its smoked turkey leftovers. Freeze portions you will not use in that window; USDA gives 3–4 months as a freezer quality guideline for leftovers.

For storing smaller portions, the Rubbermaid Brilliance 14-piece plastic set includes seven containers and seven lids. It offers several sizes for portioning leftovers, though you may need larger containers for a big batch.

Use that plastic set for storage, then transfer the turkey to a suitable reheating dish. Rubbermaid’s Brilliance plastic care instructions prohibit oven use and caution against reheating foods high in salt, oil, or fat. Microwave compatibility does not make a plastic container suitable for every food or heating method.

Common Reheating Questions

Can You Eat Smoked Turkey Cold?

Yes, if it is fully cooked, has been handled and stored safely, and its label permits it. A ready-to-eat product such as Butterball’s fully cooked smoked turkey can be served cold. Raw or partially cooked smoked turkey still needs cooking.

Can You Reheat It in a Slow Cooker?

USDA does not recommend reheating cold leftovers in a slow cooker because they can heat too slowly. Use the oven or microwave to reach 165°F first. See USDA’s leftover reheating advice.

Does Pink Meat Mean the Turkey Is Undercooked?

Color alone cannot settle that question. Butterball explains that smoking and curing can leave its fully cooked product pink. For a turkey that requires cooking, use the label instructions and a thermometer rather than color to judge doneness.

Planning another turkey meal? Our guide to oils for deep frying turkey compares bottle sizes and explains how to calculate the amount to buy.