Grilling a turkey takes some time, but it also frees up your oven for other dishes that need to be cooked. If possible, cook the turkey with the lid closed to avoid losing heat.
Set up your grill for indirect heat and preheat it for 10-15 minutes before adding your turkey. Check our temperature and pound guide for cooking times.
Prep the Turkey
While it may seem counterproductive to add extra fat when grilling, a good slathering of butter or olive oil on the outside of your turkey and under the skin helps protect and insulate it from over-direct heat. It also gives the turkey an added level of flavor that you can’t achieve by simply seasoning. Baste the turkey several times (every 30 minutes or so) during the cooking process using either additional melted butter or by basting with the juices in the bottom of the roasting pan.
A disposable roasting pan works best for this purpose, since it can be placed directly on the grill. Make sure to loosely cover the turkey with aluminum foil.
If you’re using a charcoal-covered grill, arrange the coals in a crescent moon shape, so your turkey is not sitting over direct flame. This will help prevent the legs and thighs from burning before the breast meat is done.
Once the turkey is ready, remove it from the grill and allow it to rest for 30 minutes before carving. Be sure to use a reliable leave-in thermometer to check the internal temperature of the turkey. It should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure that it is fully cooked and safe to eat. If the turkey is not at 165 degrees, return it to the grill and continue basting with the juices in the roasting pan.
Preheat the Grill
Grilling a turkey is easy with the right preparation and technique. It is also convenient and helps free up oven space for other Thanksgiving dishes. The turkey’s cooking time is much shorter on the grill as well. It takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes for the turkey to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
The first step is to lift the grate of the grill and place a shallow disposable aluminum pan or drip pan on top. Turn the burners down to low and then place the grate back on the grill. Place the turkey, breast side up on the aluminum pan.
You can use any type of disposable aluminum roasting pan that is big enough to hold the turkey, but a drip pan is best because it will catch the turkey drippings and help make a delicious turkey au jus. Using a drip pan will keep the turkey away from direct heat and prevent the skin from burning.
If you don’t have a drip pan, you can use a roasting pan with a bottom rack. Add a few pieces of foil to the bottom of the pan to prevent spills. You can also prepare a charcoal-covered grill. Move coals to one side of the grill, making sure they are ash white, and then place a foil drip pan in the center of the grate. Leave the vents on the grill open and position the turkey over the drip pan, breast side up.
Place the Turkey on the Grill
A heavy duty aluminum tray is a great choice for holding your turkey while it cooks on the grill. It not only provides support for the turkey but it also catches all the drippings which can later be used to make your delicious turkey au jus!
Once your grill is preheated and ready to hold the turkey, lift up the grate and add the aluminum pan on top of the grates. This will prevent your turkey from falling off of the grate and burning. It will also catch all the juices as they drip out which will help keep your turkey moist and a little more flavorful.
Place the seasoned turkey, skin side up in the pan. Baste with melted butter: cut 4 tablespoons of butter into small cubes and tuck them under the turkey’s skin, over the breast and legs.
When your turkey is finished basting and the skin is starting to brown, turn the grill heat down to medium or low. Place the turkey’s legs over the unlit burner on your gas grill (if you have a two burner gas grill, then put the turkey legs over the other half of the grill). For a charcoal grill use a layer of indirect heat: arrange coals in a pattern that doesn’t directly cover the grate. Keep in mind that indirect heat will take longer for the turkey to cook, so be sure to check it often!
Cooking Time
If you are grilling a whole turkey, it will take about three hours to cook the bird throughly. If you separate the turkey into sections, it will finish cooking more quickly and will be more evenly browned. It also allows you to add more smokiness and flavor by moving the pieces of turkey around the hotter or cooler parts of the grill during the grilling process.
When you are ready to start grilling the turkey, remove it from the fridge and bring it to room temperature before you put it on the grill. Also, make sure you have enough propane to cook the turkey from start to finish and that your grill is in a good location (far away from your house, deck or overhanging branches).
Place the turkey in a disposable roaster pan and season it with salt and pepper. Close the lid and cook it for two to three hours, basting every 20 minutes. If you are using a gas grill, turn off one of the burners and place a large pile of charcoal over it to create indirect heat. You can add wood chips to the pile to create smoke, or you can make a foil packet of wood chips for added smokiness.
Check the turkey with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh or breast to ensure it is cooked through and the juices run clear. When the turkey is finished, transfer it to a serving platter or rimmed baking sheet and cover it loosely with aluminum foil. Rest the turkey for about 30 minutes before carving.
