How to BBQ a Turkey
This Thanksgiving try giving everyone a delectable surprise by barbecuing your turkey instead or oven roasting it. Your oven will be freed up for yummy side dishes, and your family will enjoy your BBQ turkey so much you may find yourself grilling it all year round.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Turkey
- Water
- Rub
- Oil or butter
- Butcher's string
- Gas or charcoal grill
- Oil
- Disposable aluminum roasting pan
- Coals and woodchips (if using a charcoal grill)
- BBQ sauce
- Basting brush
- Meat thermometer
- Tongs
- Heavy duty oven mitts
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Prepare the Turkey
-
1
Rinse the thawed turkey in cold water and pat it dry.
-
2
Slide your fingers under the skin near the breast area and loosen it up by slowly pushing your hand in and working it around carefully until most of the breast skin is loosened.
-
3
Season by massaging your favorite rub recipe into the meat under the skin and in the turkey cavity.
-
4
Brush the skin of the turkey with oil or butter.
-
5
Truss up the turkey with butcher's string (See "How to Truss a Turkey").
Prepare the Grill
-
1
Oil the grill's grate.
-
2
Set a disposable aluminum roasting pan under the turkey to catch the drippings. If using a charcoal grill, set the pan next to the hot coals.
-
3
Heat the grill. If you are using a gas grill preheat half the grill to 350 degree F. If you are using a coal grill arrange the coals on one side of the grill only. (See "How to Prepare Coals for a BBQ").
Grill the Turkey
-
1
Place the turkey on the side of the grill that is not on. Cook it on its side so the wings and thighs are facing down and the legs are pointed to the back of the grill. Cook for about 45 minutes.
-
2
Flip the turkey over onto the opposite side so the other wings and thighs are facing down with the legs pointed to the front of the grill. Cook another 45 minutes.
-
3
Baste the turkey regularly with your favorite barbecue sauce.
-
4
Turn the turkey so it's on it's back with the breast facing up and the legs facing the back of the grill. Cook for about 25 minutes.
-
5
Rotate the turkey's legs to the front and grill for approximately 25 more minutes. During this step, start checking the breast meat with a thermometer, and continue grilling until it reaches 165 degrees F.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Allow your turkey six hours of refrigerated thawing time for every pound.
You can also spread some smoking chips over the charcoal, or if you are using a gas grill, set the chips in a foil pan beside the heat. This will give your turkey a unique taste.
In order to find the right size aluminum pan, measure your grill before you start to barbecue your turkey.
Keep the lid closed as you cook the turkey and come back often to check on the temperature. Open and close the grill lid to control the temperature.
The rotation timing described in the above steps are approximate for a 12 lb. turkey. To determine rotation time for other sized turkeys: Multiply the weight of the turkey by 12 minutes per pound. Next, divide this number by 3. So if you are cooking a 10 pound turkey, the calculation would look like this: 10 lbs. x 12 min./lb. = 120. 120 divided by 3 = 40. This tells you to rotate your 10 lb. turkey every 40 minutes.
Defrost your turkey only in your refrigerator.
You can't stuff a grilled turkey. You will have to make the stuffing separately in your oven.
Most grills will only fit a turkey up to 12 pounds.
For safety reasons it is important that you grill your turkey until the dark meat is at least 170 degrees F and the breast meat is 165 degrees F.
Do not use a pop up timer, instead it is best to use a thermometer to test the meat. A pop up timer isn't reliable if you want a juicy turkey.
