How to Smoke a Turkey on a Grill

If you don't have a smoker, you can still smoke your turkey by using your barbecue grill. You get that smokey flavor you are looking for, which is something different from the traditional roasting of your turkey in the oven. Your turkey will still be moist and delicious as long as you follow the instruction on how to smoke your turkey using your grill.

Things You'll Need

• Grill
• 12-14 lb. turkey
• Vegetable oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Hickory chips
• Water
• Apple juice
• Meat thermometer

Instructions

1. Thaw out your turkey in the refrigerator for two days. Make sure it is still in its packaging sitting on some kind of plate.

2. Remove the giblets and the turkey's neck and wash your turkey inside and out with cold water.

3. Season your turkey with some garlic powder, salt and pepper. If you have a favorite blend of seasonings you can use it. The main flavor will come from the smoke. Coat the outside of your turkey with vegetable oil to get the skin golden and crispy when cooking. Apply the vegetable oil with a spoon or a brush.

4. Soak some hickory chips in a mixture of 2 parts of water and 1 part apple juice.

5. Start preheating your grill to 325 degrees.

6. Strain out your wood chips and add the liquid to some water and place in the water pan.

7. Take the wood chips and put them in with your charcoal.

8. Place your turkey in a foil pan and put it in your grill's roasting rack. Cover with your grill's lid.

9. Cook your turkey for about four hours. Check to make sure the turkey is done by inserting a meat thermometer. The thermometer needs to read 165 degrees F in the deepest part of the breast.

10. Set your turkey out for about 15 minutes before carving and serving it to your family.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't smoke a turkey that weighs more than 14 lbs. The turkey may not reach 165 degrees F fast enough, which could make you sick.

• Do not stuff a turkey that is being smoked. It won't reach the correct temperature and won't taste good with a smokey flavor. Do not use pine, cedar, fir, or spruce wood when smoking your turkey. It will cover your turkey with a black pitch.