Once you’ve grilled a turkey, you may never go back to the oven-roasted variety. Not only is grilled turkey moist and flavorful, grilling your turkey leaves the oven free for other cooking and baking needs! When selecting a turkey, estimate 1 pound of turkey per adult. Plan ahead – before the turkey even hits the grill, it gets brined overnight. Brining a turkey leaves it plump, seasoned, and ready for hours of cooking without fear of drying out. Be warned – kosher turkeys retain residual salt and should not be brined.
Step 1: Gather equipment and ingredients
Equipment
- Sturdy plastic bag (large enough for the turkey) & twist tie
- Aluminum roasting pan
- Aluminum bread pan or drip pan
- Charcoal grill
- Charcoal briquettes
- Oil or non-stick cooing spray
- Instant read thermometer
- Oven mitts
- Metal tongs
- Measuring cups
- Chef’s knife
Ingredients
- Turkey
- Kosher salt
- Maple syrup
- 12 ounces of beer
- Unsalted butter, room temperature
- Optional: apple cider, lemons, oranges, black peppercorns, fresh herbs (rosemary, parsley, thyme, sage)
Step 2: Brine the turkey overnight before grilling
For every pound of turkey (up to 8 pounds), mix a solution of 1 quart water, ½ cup kosher salt and ½ cup maple syrup. To this mix, you may add additional ingredients to flavor your turkey such as fresh lemons and oranges, crushed peppercorns, or substitute apple cider for some of the water. Stir to dissolve the salt.
Remove the neck and giblets from the cavity. Rinse the turkey with cold water inside and out. Place the turkey in a large sturdy plastic bag, breast side down. Set the bag in the aluminum roasting pan. Pour the brine into the bag, over the turkey, and pull the sides of the bag up, sealing the bag. The roasting pan is just there for support. Chill for 8-12 hours, under refrigeration. Remove the turkey from the brine and pat it dry with paper towels. Discard the brine. Let the turkey sit at room temperature for 1 hour before grilling.
Step 3: Prepare the grill
Open all of the vents in the grill basin. Light the coals. Once the coals are covered in ash, divide them in half and push them to each side of the grill basin. Pour 12 ounces of beer into an aluminum drip pan and place it in the center of the grill basin, between the coals. Lower the grill into place, with the handle positioned over the coals. Let the grill get hot before oiling it and putting the turkey on to cook.
Step 4: Grill the turkey
Stuff the cavity of the bird with some fresh herbs. Cover your hands with softened butter and rub it up under the skin of the turkey, loosening it as you go. Now – head to the grill!
Place the turkey on the hot, oiled grill, breast side up, and put the lid on (leaving all vents open). As the heat builds inside the grill, the beer in the drip pan begins to evaporate, basting and tenderizing the bird. Every hour, simply add 6-9 fresh briquettes on each side of the grill (oven mitts and tongs will come in handy). Estimate 11-13 minutes of grilling time per pound of turkey. If any part of the turkey turns too dark, cover it with foil. Take the turkey off the grill once the internal temperature, measured in the thickest part of the thigh, has reached 165°and juices run clear from thermometer insertion point.
Allow the turkey to rest 30 minutes before carving it.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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