Inspiration
How to Grill or Smoke your Holiday Turkey
Story Highlights
One of the most stressful aspects of cooking Thanksgiving dinner is trying to balance the use of your oven. With the turkey, sides, and pies all needing the oven, you have to have the perfect schedule to ensure that everything is done in time for dinner. This year, to decrease stress and lessen the load on your oven, consider using your grill or smoker for your turkey.
If you’ve never grilled or smoked a whole turkey, the experience might seem overwhelming. Don't worry, though. With our guide full of tips, your guests will be begging for your secret recipe.
Preparing your Turkey
There are a lot of ways to prepare your turkey and Each method creates a different layer of flavor.
The Traditional Method
Butter & Basting
If you’re a purist, and especially if you’re using a wood smoker, the traditional coating of salt, pepper and butter may actually be the best choice for you. Some people just want to taste the turkey, no fancy rubs or spices ruining their hard work.
Kicking it up a Notch
Spices & Rubs
These days, it seems like there are more spice rubs out there than there are stars in the sky.
Just remember that turkey is a relatively flavorless meat and that you want to coat your bird as thoroughly as possible. As an added bonus, a spice rub will also add great texture to the skin.
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp Onion Powder
1 tbsp Paprika
1 tbsp Mustard Powder
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Kosher Salt
2 tsp White Pepper
1 tsp Powdered Ginger
1/2 tsp Powdered Sage
worth the extra effort
Brining your Turkey
Though it takes the most time, brining the turkey helps to tenderize the meat and keep your bird moist all at the same time.
The night before you’re ready to cook, submerge your bird (breast down) in the brine. The turkey should ideally brine for at least 1 hour per pound of meat.
When you're ready to start cooking, remove the turkey from the brine and submerge it in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water to remove excess water. After 15 minutes, remove the turkey from clean water, pat dry, and cook according to the instructions below.
2 Gallons of Ice Water
2 Cups Kosher Salt
6 Sprigs of Rosemary & Thyme
4-6 Cloves of Garlic
2 Cups Brown Sugar
3 Cups Apple Juice or Cider
Peel or Slices of 3 large Oranges
5 Bay Leaves
2-3 Tbsp. Peppercorns
It's time to start cooking!
General Tips:
Whether you're using a grill or smoker, here are a few essential tips to consider.
1 – Use a digital thermometer – Don’t rely on the built-in thermometer (it lies to you)! Invest in a proper dual probe thermometer so you can measure the internal temp of the bird, while ensuring your grill or smoker stays at the ideal temperature.
2 – Fresh, not frozen – Skip the freezer aisle of your grocery store and buy a fresh bird. A fresh bird will have more flavor and won't require dethawing.
3 – Put a drip pan under your bird – This will catch the drippings for gravy, which is a staple of Thanksgiving that should not be skipped over. Additionally, catching the drippings will help to prevent flare-ups that cause burning and uneven cooking.
4 – Don’t stuff your bird – You can if you really want, but this can cause uneven cooking and longer cook times. Instead, consider making oven stuffing and adding some of the turkey drippings.
5 – Don’t always check it – Let the turkey be, or it will never finish cooking.
6 – Beware of Mother Nature – If it’s cold outside, try to put your smoker somewhere with no wind or you will have a tough time keeping your temperature consistent.
7 – Cook to 165° – A whole turkey is safe when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
8 – Let it rest – It’s best to let your turkey sit for about 15-30 minutes after cooking. This is essential for ensuring a moist turkey. Resting allows the juices to settle into the meat instead of running over the table during carving.
Option 1
Gas Grill
Ignite the grill and turn all burners to high. Close the lid and preheat 10 to 15 minutes to bring the grill to 500 to 550 degrees.
Turn burners down to medium heat (350 degrees). Set-up the grill for indirect heat, meaning that the turkey will not be directly over a lit burner.
Place turkey breast side up in a roast holder inside a foil drip pan. Position pan in the center of the cooking grate and place the lid on the grill.
For planning purposes, 10 to 16 lb. turkeys will take 2 to 3 hours to grill.
Option 2
Charcoal Grill
Prepare charcoal-covered grill by removing cooking grate and opening all vents. Position your drip pan in the center of the charcoal grate and place 25 to 30 briquettes along each side (lengthwise) of drip pan.
Burn briquettes until covered with gray ash, about 30 minutes. Place cooking grate in grill over coals.
Arrange the bird breast side up in the center of the cooking grate. Place lid on the grill, leaving all vents open.
Add 6 to 8 briquettes to each side of the turkey every 45-60 minutes.
Option 3
Smoker
When smoking, it’s best to use a smaller turkey in the 10-12 pound range. A turkey must pass through the temperature range from 40-140 degrees F within 4 hours of being in the smoker, otherwise, it could start to spoil before it cooks through.
Keep your smoker between 225 – 250°F. If it dips higher or lower it's not a huge deal, but make sure it doesn’t stray for too long.
At this temperature, it may take as long as 30 minutes to an hour per pound. Smoking a turkey can be a long process, so be sure to start early in the day so that the turkey will be done by dinner time.
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