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:

• BBQ sauce
• Basting brush
• Meat thermometer
• Tongs
• Heavy duty oven mitts

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

6. Oil the grill's grate.

7. 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.

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. Baste the turkey regularly with your favorite barbecue sauce.

12. 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.

13. 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.

Tips & Warnings

• 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.
• 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.

Resources

• For great BBQ sauce recipes visit RecipeZaar.com.
• Find a delicious barbecue rub recipe at cooksrecipes.com.
• Visit bbq-porch.org for more information on how to BBQ a turkey.

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[ahansen3]

on 8/12/2009 What an interesting innovation - a definite improvement over the typically bland Thanksgiving turkey. I'm an editor at http://www.recipelion.com/, and we feature a Plantain-chorizo dressing recipe:
http://www.recipelion.com/Thanksgiving-Recipes/Plantain-Chorizo-Dressing
I think it would be a perfect compliment to your turkey, if a bit too spicy for the most delicately-palated of Thanksgiving guests!