Something Different - Grilling Your Turkey
Grilling a turkey adds a smoky flavor and crispy skin, making it stand out at any holiday meal. Unlike roasting, grilling cooks the turkey from the outside in, giving it a deliciously charred crust while keeping the meat juicy and tender inside. The process isn’t as tricky as it sounds. With a few simple steps, you can master grilling a turkey on your backyard grill.
This post will walk you through the process, from preparation to carving, with easy-to-follow steps. Whether you’re a grilling pro or a beginner, you’ll find tips that make this dish successful. So, fire up the grill and get ready to wow your guests with a turkey that’s anything but ordinary!
First Time Grilling
One year in Park City, Utah, we decided to try something different for our turkey – we grilled it on the barbecue.
I’m sure some of you are thinking, “RG, come on. We’ve been grilling our turkey for years. Get with the program.” But for me, it’s always been the oven. I’ve had great success with it, and I’ve never felt the need to change.
Then I read an article in Cuisine, one of my favorite cooking magazines, about grilling a turkey. I asked my wife if she’d be up for trying it. She said yes, so we fired up the grill.
Well, I turned on the gas. I wouldn’t attempt this on a charcoal grill—a 12-pound bird takes about 2.4 hours to cook, and I’m not sure how you’d keep the coals hot for that long.
The turkey turned out juicy with a wonderful smoky flavor. The best part? Grilling freed up our oven for all the other dishes that are essential at Thanksgiving.
You know the drill: heating Scalloped Oysters, baking acorn squash, and keeping pumpkin pie warm while the turkey roasts. With the grill, you have more room for the sides that wow your guests.
Grilling or roasting, the key is cooking the dark meat to at least 170°F without drying out the breast. Easier said than done!
Tips For Grilling a Turkey
From the Cuisine article, I learned an important tip: rotation. Start by cooking the turkey on one side. Flip it to the other side, then turn it so the breast faces up with the legs pointing to the back of the grill. Finish by rotating it again so the breast is up and the legs point to the front. It’s simple but watch out—the turkey gets hot!
Thawing Tip: Allow 6 hours of thawing time per pound of turkey. For a 12-pound bird, that’s 72 hours, or three days. Always defrost in the fridge for safety.
Trimming Tip: Cut out the wishbone for easier carving. I do this with every chicken I roast, too. It’s a game-changer.
Seasoning: After rinsing and patting the turkey dry, season it well. I like to loosen the skin around the breast by gently working my fingers underneath, then seasoning under the skin. Be sure to also season the cavity. Skip the stuffing—make it in your oven instead.
Trussing Tip: Trussing the bird with butcher’s string helps it cook evenly and makes for a cleaner, neater presentation. Plus, no one wants to serve a turkey that looks like it’s about to fly away!
Equipment
You’ll need something to catch the turkey drippings for making sauce and to prevent grease from staining your driveway. We recently bought a new Weber grill after moving back East, and I was happy to see it has a spot for a small tin foil pan to catch the drippings.
Even so, I recommend using a shallow roasting pan to catch all the drippings. Make sure to check your grill to figure out what size you’ll need before you start, or you might find yourself scrambling to the store—only to discover it’s closed for the holiday. Trust me, I’ve been there.
You’ll also need an instant-read thermometer to check the turkey’s internal temperature. I hope you’re not relying on the pop-up timer that comes with some turkeys. If you do, expect a dry bird, and you’ll need plenty of gravy to make it edible.
Finally, if your grill doesn’t have a built-in thermometer, pick up a cheap oven thermometer to monitor the grill temperature while cooking.
Grilling Technique
This method uses indirect heat. You turn on only one side of the grill and place the turkey on the other side.
By doing this, you’re slow-roasting the bird. Keep the lid closed, just like you would in your oven, to maintain even heat. It’s crucial to monitor the temperature.
Control the heat by adjusting the grill lid. If the temperature gets too high, open the lid for a few seconds to cool it down.
I remember cooking our turkey on a crisp, cold day. I kept running back and forth from the football game to the grill, thinking it wouldn’t work. But it did, and we were thrilled with the results.
Timing the rotations
As I mentioned above, a lot of flipping, flopping, and turning goes on with this technique, so be prepared with oven mitts or gloves or something so you don't burn your hands. The formula for determining when to rotate your turkey is thus:
Take the turkey's weight, multiply it by 12 minutes per pound, and divide by 3. Therefore a 12-pound turkey would calculate as follows: 12 lbs x 12 min./lb = 144 minutes divided by 3 = 48 minutes per rotation. Well, not really, but read on.
Start by preheating your grill to 350° F.
Stage One - On the side of the grill that is not on (not hot), place the turkey on its side so the wings and thighs are touching the grill and the legs are pointing to the back of the grill.
Close cover. Allow cooking for 48 minutes, but monitor the grill temperature, so it doesn't get too hot or too cool.
Stage Two - When this is done, flip the bird over so the other wings and thighs are down and touching the grill with the legs now pointing to the front of the grill.
Close the grill cover and allow the turkey to cook for another 48 minutes while watching the game or to prepare one of your many side dishes. But, again, be careful to monitor the temperature.
Stage Three - Flip the bird on its back, with the breast facing up and the legs are facing the back of the grill—close cover.
In this position, you will cook the bird for half the amount of time, or 24 minutes, and start your basting. I was so worried about keeping the grill at a constant 350° F, and it turned out it just worked itself out perfectly.
Stage Four - Rotate the bird so its legs face the front of the grill and cook for approximately 24 more minutes. Baste and close the cover.
I say approximately because we want to start checking the bird with our instant thermometers and continue grilling until the breast meat reaches 165° F.
Adding Color To The Bird
To give the bird an incredible color, the recipe in Cuisine suggests you coat the bird with a cranberry glaze during Stage 4, but I started basting in Stage 3, and everything turned out fine.
They warned me to keep a close eye on it so as not to darken (burn) the skin with the sugars from the glaze.
I'm not sure if it was the wine or an exciting football game, but the overall appearance was a little darker than I would have liked so be careful.
Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!
Some of My Favorite Thanksgiving Posts
- The Differences Between Wild Turkeys and Farm Raised Turkeys
- The Surprising History Behind Thanksgiving’s Most Beloved Dishes
- What the Pilgrims Ate For Thanksgiving and We Don't
- Most Loved (and Hated) Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- The Cost of Your Thanksgiving Meal in 2023
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Apples and Maple-Sage Butter Recipe
- 20 Great Tips For Perfect Mashed Potatoes Every Time
- Thanksgiving Stuffing Waffle with Fried Egg
Steve
Your article on grilling a turkey was awesome. I used it to cook a 22 pound turkey on a Weber natural gas BBQ. I have to admit I was extremely nervous since it was my first time grilling a turkey. If it wasn't for your article, I would have been lost. Thanks again! Can't wait to cook one again.
Irene
Greetings~ Yes, one more thing I have to be grateful for this Thanksgiving is finding your article about grilling a turkey. I'm 55 years old and have only attempted preparing a turkey breast a few times...with minimal success. This year, I bought my first gas grill and feeling ready to take on a real turkey, got myself a 15 pounder. Everything's feeling good...except...I have no idea how to cook it. I surfed the web a bit before I came across your EXCELLENT article. I appreciate all the details and pictures you put in it.
I'll be getting the tools you suggested today and look forward to enjoying a wonderfully cooked turkey tomorrow. Thank you soooooo much for your article and all the time and effort of your web site... Irene
Colleen
Hello Irene,
Now - 3 years later, I am 55 - and grilling a Turkey for the first time! Great article, here I go! I'm using a mesquite rub that was absolutely fabulous with chicken this summer. Turning and Trussing were not in my plans, so good thing I found this!
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Val
I have a Weber gas grill - 3 burner style. I was thinking I would turn off the middle flame and leave the outside burners on. What I am confused about is a drip pan. Weber grills have those 'flavor' bars over the actual flames. Do I just put the drip pan directly on the flavor bars? And if so, will the drippings stay in liquid form? I can't imagine having Thanksgiving turkey with no dripping-made gravy! Thank you for your help! Also, do you put any wood chips on the grill?
Nancy Pollard
So happy to see the Reluctant Gourmet is alive and well. I am cooking a turkey on my new Weber Genesis this afternoon and have never done so, so I googled it and saw your site. Thanks for the tips, will let you know. Sending lots of love and hugs to you and Meg and family.
Nancy
Still in Park City 🙂
G. Stephen Jones
Good to hear from you Nancy. I'll pass your hugs to the girls. Let me know how your turkey turns out.
Glenn Varnon
Just put the drip pan on top of the flavor bar and then put the grill over the drip pan. Set the turkey on top of the grill.
Colleen
oh, whew! I was going to use a roasting pan IN the BBQ .. no?
I have four burners, use outside two.
Jeff Taylor
I know this is three years later but here's an answer if anyone is looking. I have a four burner grill. I take a couple of sheets of aluminum foil, dump a couple of handfuls of wood chips in the center, then wrap the foil around it to seal it. Poke a couple of dime sized holes in the top then toss it on the grill over one of the burners. The wood begins to smoke but doesn't get enough air to catch fire and will create far more smoke than you'd believe. One wrapped package will smoke for a couple of hours.
Michael OBrien
I use a roasting pan
dallas mcmillan
Great way to cook bird. My grill is 4 burner with flavor bars, so I cook in the middle at 350-375 degrees, directly on the grate. put the drip pan under the grate on top of the flavor bars over unlit burners. only burners 1 and 4 are used, so you don't have to rotate the bird. i season with butter and a home-made bbq rubinvolving sea salt, garlic and onion powder, a dash of paprika and either cajun seasoning or memphis bbq seasoning depending on my mood! add some hickory chip smoke and voila! Southern BBQ grilled turkey!
Mark Stone
followed these directions las time and the Turkey turned out better than any I had ever cooked, on the grill or off. Frankly, I think keeping your grill at 350 may be key to success....
Matt
Total perfection. I've done turkeys numerous times in the oven, with mixed results, and was nervous about making the switch to the grilling method. This is by far the most straight-forward, idiot-proof way of getting the perfect bird.
Highly recommend brining for at least 12 hrs beforehand, then liberally putting olive oil and whatever rub one chooses. We took our bird out of the refrigerated brine about 45 mins before it went on the grill.
We have a 3-vertical burner Weber Genesis, and only ran the far right-hand side burner. That alone kept the grill temp at 350, which was perfect. Also put a small aluminum tray filled with soaked hickory chips over the live burner, beginning at pre-heat, and added a cup of "fresh" soaked chips every 45 mins or so.
The tip to use a roasting rack inside the aluminum drip pan is great advice -- if the bird & grill sizes allow, highly recommend putting the bird/rack/pan combo on the grilling surface, to reduce exposure to direct flame. (We put the hickory chip pan directly on the "flavorizer" bars over the live burner, and removed the grilling rack above.
16.3-lb bird cooked to absolute perfection based on the formula in the article, which worked out to be 65 mins, turn, 65 mins, flip, 32 mins, turn, and 32 mins to completion.
Thanks again for helping grill a bird that some very exacting foodies deemed to be a wonderfully moist and delicious meal -- easily the best we've ever done.
The Reluctant Gourmet
Matt, hurry for your success and thank you for your informative comment. After reading this, I may just have to go back to the grill. Happy Holidays
Karen D., Michigan
I learned about 5 yrs. ago from the Cooks Classic cookbook, to brine a turkey before it is cooked; oven, grill, or however; it always turns out tender and juicy.
My brother, Steve, has roasted turkey on grill for years. So we always keep 1" or so of water in bottom of pan so drippings don't just burn. Keep grilling ...Grilled turkey is our favorite way to cook it.
Bonnie
Our power has been out for the last 8 days due to an ice storm during this Christmas season, and still is out until who knows when! Yikes! Our Christmas turkey thawed and needed to be cooked. I looked on the trusty internet for information on grilling a turkey and found your site. Your directions were clear and easy to follow. So my husband and I decided to give it a try. We have a small gas grill so were a little concerned if it would work. I figured out the rotation schedule for our 16lb turkey and proceeded to follow your directions for each stage, adjusting the time to suit the low cooking temp. The grill didn't hold the 350 degree temp, more like 250 degrees, probably due to the very cold weather and the wind. Also that little grill probably just doesn't run as hot as a larger grill. I also added broth to the pan periodically during the roasting process. When the internal thermometer was at 165, I checked the other side in the breast and it wasn't quite there yet, it was only at 152. I rotated the turkey again and kept roasting until the temp on that side was at 165 also. The whole roasting process took about 5 hours but the little grill did the job! And it was SO worth it! My husband and I agreed that this is the best tasting turkey I have ever made! In the past 43 years! We will definitely do this again even though we have power to run the oven. Thanks for the tips!
The Reluctant Gourmet
You are very welcome Bonnie and I'm glad to hear you bird was a success. Happy New Year!
Amy Levine
Grilled my first turkey (21 lbs) last night for a group of 20+ people. Followed these steps precisely, and it was AMAZING! We have some finicky eaters amongst our friend's kids, and even they said, "This is the best turkey I ever had!" Truly, the best compliment a chef can receive 😉 Thanks for publishing this.
G. Stephen Jones
You are very welcome Amy and thank you for letting me know.
Jacquie
How would you cook a half turkey? Same as for whole just adjust cooking times?
Bill Grubb
We cooked a 15 pounder on the grill this weekend. Cut it in half and put it in the turkey pan on the grill. I added a 15oz can of chicken broth. 2 burners on the opposite side struggled to stay at 350, but it cooked well at 300. At 2 hours, I took it out of the pan and put it on the heated side for about 10 minutes per side, then back in the pan. At 3 hours, a little melted butter over each one. Done in 3.5 hours. The skin was brown, the meat was moist and it had a very delicious flavor. I am going to do this again.
G. Stephen Jones
Thanks for sharing your results Bill and Happy Thanksgiving. - RG
Shannon
Is stuffing the bird out of the question? I love the stuffing and it just doesn't taste the same when cooked outside of the bird....
G. Stephen Jones
I'm not going to say stuffing is out of the question but you have to be very careful to make sure it is cooked completely and hits all the right temperatures. There is tons of information on the Internet with the pros and cons of stuffing any turkey whether you are cooking it in your oven or on the grill. I suggest reading as much as you can and then make a decision. Happy Thanksgiving Shannon.
Shannon
Also .... If I have three burners running the short way in the grill, would I turn off the middle one only or turn off the middle and one of the other side ones? Thanks for the help!!
G. Stephen Jones
If I'm picturing your grill correctly, I would turn off the middle and either the left or the right burner and have the bird on the other side. If you can't get the grill to heat up to the correct temperature, you may have to use your middle burner but I don't think that will be a problem.
Guy
When looking at your phase 1 description of how to place the bird on the grill (on its side), you did not say as to whether the TOP or BOTTOM of the bird should face the side of the grill that has the burners lit. Also, when studying the flipping technique you have described in phase 2, it seems like the same part of the bird would still be pointed toward the lit side of the grill *as was pointed in phase 1). Is that indeed correct? And would you advise the top OR bottom of the bird be facing the lit side of the grill in both phase 1 and 2?
G. Stephen Jones
Hey Guy, I think what may be confusing to you is the photo which should have been a beauty shot at the end and I will try to retake this photo in the future. Better yet, I'll take photos of each phase and post.
Anyway, in phase 1, the turkey should be placed on it side with the legs pointing to the back of the grill. This means the turkey is literally on its side with the wing and thigh touching the grill. In phase 2, you flip the bird over so the other wing and thigh on now touching the grill and the legs are pointing to the front of the grill.
In phase 3, you place the bird so the breast is facing up and the legs are facing the back of the grill. Finally in phase 4, you only rotate the bird so the legs are now facing the front of the grill and the breast is still facing up.
Now that you ask, I'm wondering how much it would matter if instead of pointing the legs to the front and back of the grill, what would happen if you pointed them to the left and right sides of the grill. This may be the case if you have a small grill or an extremely large turkey. If anyone tries it that way, please be sure to let us know.
Donna
We raise our own turkeys and on Sunday we killed the smallest one and he dressed out @ 38#, yep, thirty eight lbs.! He is dry brinning in the fridge as I type. Problem is my oven nor any pan I own is large enough. That's the reason I begun my search for a way to grill this bird on my Weber Genesis gas grill. It has 3 burners. The turkeys too big to think about being able to turn it front to back at all. Do you think it will dry out before it gets cooked through? Or should I just go ahead and plan on cutting it up before cooking?
S Suppes
Just wanted to say thanks. This is now the 3rd year in a row I have referenced your site before I cook "my" legendary grilled turkey. It makes my relatives love me and my neighbors jealous.
Thanks for posting (and keeping this posted!).
Michael
Stephen,
Greetings from a bit down Parley's! We had to move to a new home before the kitchen remodel was ready. As a result we have no range or oven and likely won't any time soon. We have a frozen bird that thawed enough during the move that we don't dare re-freeze it. We have a four burner grill. What would you think of firing the far left and far right burners to get the temperature to 350 and set the turkey over the middle two burners while leaving them off?
Cheers,
Michael
G. Stephen Jones
Michael, that sounds fine as long as none of the flames from the left or right burner touch the bird. You must have one big gas grill.
Camille
It was my intention to smoke a turkey yesterday however cold temps and rain prevented me from attempting that endeavor. I Googled "How long to bake a turkey in a gas grill" and your site came up. My choice was 4 hours in my gas oven or 2 1/2 on my grill. Fortunately I have a Redi Check thermometer. I was able to read in the house on the receiver the gas grill temp and the food temp. I placed the turkey on a rack on top of a roasting pan on the grill grates. Wood chips soaked in water for 1 hour were placed in a metal pan on one of the lit burners. I used a Weber grill with the two outer burners running and the one immediately under the turkey pan was off. I flipped the turkey as you recommended. My 12 pound bird was done in 2 1/2 hours. I brought it in and covered it with foil and placed dish towels on top for about 20 minutes to let it rest. The turkey was so moist and the flavor was amazing. My family requested I prepare it this way again. All I can say is thank you. Camille
The Reluctant Gourmet
Hi Camille, thank you so much for letting me know about your success. It's always great to hear when a dish turns out like you want it to especially when trying something new and different. It's even better when the family appreciates your efforts and request more. Best to you and your family.
Bob
I cooked a 13 pound turkey on my gas grill and it was the best we ever tasted. I Rubbed it with garlic butter after cooking it on both sides and I also put a cedar board I soaked in water on foil on the side of my grill that was turned on for the last hour and 15 minutes. It took about 3 hours rotating the bird every 50 minutes and 24 minutes to finish.No mess in the house either.
The Reluctant Gourmet
Bob, sounds great and thank you for sharing your tips.
Barb
Hi, I am thinking of grilling a 12 lb turkey for Father's Day but have an old Weber Genesis grill with burners running horizontal front to back. How would I manage to grill on indirect heat? Seems like part of the turkey would be over heat all the time? Thanks for your help.
The Reluctant Gourmet
Hi Barb, that's exactly why I just asked and received a new Weber Genesis grill with 3 burners that run vertically from front to back for my birthday so I can turn two of them off and use one to keep the grill at a constant temperature while I roast the turkey. Basically, you are using your grill like an oven when you cook indirectly with the cover on. I'm not sure it's possible to cook a big turkey on your grill without part of the bird being constantly exposed to direct heat. Chickens, a duck, quail yes, but turkey no although I can see you cooking a turkey breast or stuffed leg.
Roseann Rice
I will be grilling our turkey this thanksgiving as we can no longer afford the propane for our stove. We cook on the grill, and electric burners. Our grill doesn't have the numbers to tell what temp to set, just lines! It does however have two sides that light. Do I just light one side and just guess at the temp setting and set the turkey in the pan on the unlit side?
The Reluctant Gourmet
Hi Roseann, yes, you roast the turkey on the grill using indirect heat so the oven essentially becomes your oven. I would suggest you purchase an inexpensive oven thermometer so you can monitor the heat under the cover. Remember, every time you open the grill cover, you are losing the heat. Good luck this Thanksgiving and please let me know how it works out for you.
Paul
Our gas line is down because of a leak and we were supposed to host a friendsgiving dinner. I came across your page after searching for advice on how to cook a turkey on the grill and all your tips are great! Our turkey was the best ive ever had and our guests loved it. It looked nice and brown, the flesh was moist and it had a delicious smokey flavour. It took slighky less time to cook than indicated (2.5 rotations, skipped the last bit) and i struggled a bit to keep the temp at 350 on my Genesis 3 burner, had to have the middle burner on halfway so the turkey had some direct heat but it did not seem to matter in the end. I threw an aluminum foil with a soaked cedar plank over the active burner and it added a ton of flavour. Also loved the rubbing under the skin. That's it for me, thanks again for your great advice!
The Reluctant Gourmet
Paul, thanks for sharing you experience with grilled turkey.
MajorMike
Hope someone sees this today. Was going to cook a 19# on the charcoal grill, but takes too long . I have a Charm-Glow 3 burner (vertical) propane grill. What temp should I maintain for how long. I read the turn info and calulated that.
Also should I just turn on the left and right burner and leave the middle off and set the turkey on there. Only thing I am concerned about is this grill seems to get very hot. Thanks
Drew
This is my 3rd run at this and every single time I have felt like an all-star chef when it's all done! I do have some cooking experience in my past and have always loved to BBQ, but the idea of being responsible for the Thanksgiving turkey seemed a little daunting when I considered trying this 2 years ago. My 1st time following these instructions was T-Day 2013 and now here we are 3 turkeys later and I really don't want to eat it any other way!
I am thankful to have a nice gas Ducane BBQ with a 3' grill and 3 burners. I will say that being able to turn on the outside 2 burners and leaving the center one off is the way to go. I use a roasting rack to set the turkey on and then put it on the grill, after having followed the instructions above.
I also use a glaze similar to the one suggested.
Thank you all so much for this. My neighborhood friendsgiving is set!!
The Reluctant Gourmet
Thanks for coming back and letting me know about your experiences with grilling your turkey. We cooked two turkeys this year, one in the oven and a smaller one on the grill. I didn't trust my instant thermometer or gut for that matter and tried using the times I suggested in the recipe and thought it was a little overcooked. You really need to trust your cooking judgement and your instant thermometer. So glad to hear yours was perfect. Thanks for sharing Drew.
Ed Lopez
Best recipe for grilling out the turkey!! I've followed on 4 occasions it to the letter as written, and every bird was perfect, thank you for the great post...btw, Merry Christmas.
Steven P
After 4 years in a row, I finally make a comment: Tonight was my most successful turkey venture yet. Using your grilling technique combined with a YouTube video from the culinary institute of America on carving, I knocked it out of the park.
Tips: just follow the instructions and and start measuring the temperature as soon as you flip it on its back, it will be amazing.
Thank you!!
clive wickett
This may sound a bit silly , but as a single Grandpa, raising my 14 year old grand daughter Catherine, I have made it our tradition to always have our holiday "bird". I have a 3 burner Coleman B-Q with a heavy duty rotisserie, is there a way of using it to cook a small turkey , about a 7 to 8 pounder ?!!? I am also wondering , what you mean by "brining" and is this brining necessary ?!!?
The Reluctant Gourmet
Clive, not silly at all but I think you may have trouble with your rotisserie and a turkey because of the size. As long as you can get the rotisserie high enough so the turkey doesn't hit the grill, you should be alright. I find when I do a rotisserie chicken, if the bird is too big I have a problem. Otherwise, I'm sure it would be delicious. As for brining, is it necessary? Not necessary but it does help keep the bird moist and adds a lot of flavor. See my post at http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/brining-really-is-better/
First Timer
Need to grill my turkey this Thanksgiving as we are in the middle of a kitchen reno and will have no oven. My question, what does everyone do about gravy?
G. Stephen Jones
If you put an aluminum pan under the grill below your turkey since you are using the burners from the other side of your grill, you can collect the drippings as the turkey cooks and then follow my directions for turkey gravy at http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/turkey-gravy-recipe/
An early Happy Thanksgiving to you First Timer and let me know how it works out for you.
Rob
Hello there. We will be grilling a Turkey for the first time this year, we are so excited and thanks for sharing this great article. I have a very basic question about indirect heat, and hoping you can help out. We have a 4 burner grill and I am unsure how to properly do indirect heat on a 4 burner. I have read in some places that I should turn on two adjacent burners on one side of the grill, leave the other two off and place the turkey over the two that are off. I have also read in other places that I should turn on the two outer most burners, leaving the middle two off and place the turkey over the middle two. Not sure which is the most appropriate method, hoping you can chime in. Thanks.
G. Stephen Jones
Great problem to have Rob. It means you have a huge grill. Yeah!!! I have always put the turkey on one side and used one burner on the other side to heat up the grill with cover down. That's because I didn't have a big enough grill to put it in the middle of two grills. I don't think it matters as long as the heat is not directly under the turkey pan (direct heat) but I like the idea of having the lower heat source coming from both sides of the grill for more even heat distribution and cooking. I have never done it that way, so I can't tell you for sure but that's the way I would go and see how you do. Just make sure there is enough room so you are indirect heating only. And please take a photo of your set up and send it to me with you results so I can post them on this page for others to see. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving.
Shan Foisy
Thanks for the in-depth tips! I've got a 20 lb bird this year (everyone got married and the family doubled!) I realize I am going to can through a lot of propane for that large of turkey. My biggest concern is whether attempting to grill a bird that large is a good idea. Our grill is pretty large and uses Infrared heat. Do you have any suggestions based on your experience? This is my first time trying the method.
Thanks!
G. Stephen Jones
Hi Shan, I do not have infrared heat so maybe someone with experience using them can advise you but I don't think you are going to go through as much propane as you think. Once you get the temperature where you want it and don't keep lifting the lid to take a peak, you may have the burner(s) on low to medium. Saying that, you might want to start with a full tank and if you did run out and I don't think you will, you can always move it back into the oven in the house. Please take some photos and send them to me so I can share them with my visitors.
Shan Foisy
Thank you! I will for sure share photos. My biggest concern was cooking time, but based on your calculations, it doesn't seem that it is much different from standard oven roasting. I came out with 4 hours total with two 80 min phases and two 40 min phases. We are refilling the tank tonight and hoping for the best tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for your input and contributions!
Don S.
This technique is fantastic! I have used it to cook our Thanksgiving turkey since 2012, and every year the turkey is moist and delicious! As the recipe talks about, grilling the turkey frees up the oven for our other dishes. This allows us to get everything done at the same time. There is no need to keep things warm, while other dishes finish cooking.
The equation to determine total cooking time and cooking time of each rotation was great advice. We cook a 20+ lb. turkey. The first year I followed the suggested time -- in my case it was 80 minutes per rotation. The turkey was good, but it seemed like each side was a little over done. Since then, I decided to cut the rotation time in half and do eight rotations. For whatever reason, doing it this way works slightly better for me with the larger turkey. This is just a suggestion if you a cooking a larger turkey.
Thanks Reluctant Gourmet for giving our family an excellent Thanksgiving tradition!
len
I tried grilling a turkey on a charcoal grill last year and needless to say, it did not tun out well----Burned, Burned, Burned; and my cat and dog ate well LOL---This year I will be using my gas grill following these instructions and am wishing for the best this time around
G. Stephen Jones
I hope you have better results. Please let me know. Happy Holidays.
Heidi H
This will be my first attempt at grill/roasting a turkey. I have a 4 burner infrared grill. If I use the two outside burners and leave the inner ones off, do I need to rotate the turkey? I plan to use a roasting pan.
H
G. Stephen Jones
Hi Heidi, I have never grilled with an infrared grill so I'm not sure I can answer your questions and hope one of our infrared grill experts jump in with an answer. Saying that, you are basically using your grill as an oven so as long as the grill gets hot with the cover closed and you can manage that heat, you should be able to roast your turkey in it. I would still use the two left or the two right burners for my heat source and place the turkey on the non heated sided. And yes, you still need to rotate the bird. If you are suggesting by placing the bird in between the two outside burners, you are getting heat sources from two sides so why rotate? Interesting idea and one that should be tested but not sure at this time. Thanks for that suggestion.
Mike Roberson
I grilled my first turkey today after carefully reading through the instuctions and notes above. Turkey was 16lbs and I used a 4 burner grill. Used outside burners only. I had no issues with maintaining 350 and I only lifted the lid to turn the bird. Seasoned and rubbed with butter, pepper seasoned salt, black pepper, and Grill Mates herb seasoning. 64 minutes at each stage. Turkey turned out perfect. Thanks for all the help.
G. Stephen Jones
You are welcome and thanks for letting me know.
Dr.Adams
Have been following your grill rotation advice for years.I don’t
even use my meat thermometer anymore.Turns out perfect
every time.Just keep an eye on grill temp!
Dick & Jan Renard
Hi Stephen!
This is the 3rd year we've used your recipe and every year it gets better and better! We use a 4 burner propane BBQ and it's perfect every time! It doesn't matter whether it's 80 degrees (Last year) or 50 degrees and raining (This year), our turkey just falls apart. We have cooked birds from 15 to 21 pounds and if you just follow the math and the temperature, it is truly amazing. Thanks so much, I'll never cook a Thanksgiving turkey in the house again!
Ellie Davis
Thank you for pointing out that when you are cooking a turkey on a gas grill you want to make sure and have something to catch the drippings. My husband wants a gas grill and I want to make sure and find him the right one. I'll have to do some research and find the best grill for him.
Gene
Many Thanx!!!! Best (7most sensible) directions I could find on line, by far.....Will try to remember to let you know how this works out!!
G. Stephen Jones
Thanks for letting me know. Enjoy.
rich
instead of multiplying by 12 and dividing by 3, why not just multiply by 4 instead?
Matt
Very much here for this math critique 7 years after the fact.
Matt
Been returning to this site every Thanksgiving for 5 years now. Invaluable resource for those of us who grill a turkey once a year but LOVE how it turns out. Thanks!
G. Stephen Jones
You are very welcome and thanks for coming back each year. Happy Holidays.
Notnewtogrillingturkey
Not sure I'd you still own this blog or read comments anymore, but I grill my turkey on celery, you should try it, the turkey gets grilled perfectly and is not dry. Thanks for all the pretty valuable information!
G. Stephen Jones
Yes, I do still own this blog and read every comment. Thanks for sharing your tip. I'm sure my readers will appreciate it.
Chris
Hi, trying this for the first time in a couple of days. When I place the turkey on its side in the first phase, should the breast be facing in towards the heat or facing outside away from the heat? That is how your photos look.
Then when the bird is flipped over, the breast is still facing away or towards the heat? Just need some clarification.
Also, what do you use to flip the turkey? Gloves, tongs?
Thanks! I cant wait to try this.
G. Stephen Jones
Hi Chris, I use silicon gloves to handle the hot turkey and yes, towards the heat as shown in the photos. Happy Thanksgiving and let me know how it turns out.
Chris
Hi, I'm happy to report back that the turkey turned out great! Followed the instructions to a "T" and it came out awesome.
The only thing I didn't do was the basting/glazing part at the end.
I also did a 3 day dry brine on it.
My main concerns going in were: How to turn the turkey and if I was going to run out of propane.
Neither turned out to be an issue. I had a full tank of gas and don't think I used half of it. Total cooking time for a 14 lb turkey was almost 168 minutes.
My grill has 5 burners on it. I used the two far left ones on full for heat and kept the two far right ones off, where the turkey sat. I then used the middle burner to regulate temp changes as needed along with opening the lid for quick relief.
It turned out perfect! Thanks for your help!!!!
G. Stephen Jones
Hi Chris, thanks for letting me know and glad you had a good first experience with grilling your turkey.
John Shea
You are way over communicating this ! I have been cooking turkeys on my Weber gas grill for decades. 325 for 3 hours is ideal for a 13 lb bird. Put it in the middle with the two outside burners on low. Middle one off. The bird should be on a great suspended above the catch pan. Not necessary to turn it on its side.
Doug
I’m really glad I found this article and have been following it for the past few years, so thank you. Until this year, I didn’t place the bird directly on the grill. Instead, I used a roasting pan with a wire rack that helped keep the bird in the right position when on its side. This year I tried placing the bird directly on the grill, but I couldn’t get the bird to stay on its side for those two stages. Is there a trick to this?
Also, the times of the third and fourth stages haven’t been enough for me. Not even close. I use a Weber gas grill and keep it at a constant 350F by propping the lid up a bit. This year, when I carved the bird and saw how pink it still was inside, I basically broke up the bird and grilled the pieces over an open flame like I do when I’m grilling BBQ chicken drumsticks. It actually turned out amazing this way. Just thought I’d share this experience.
Another thing: I’ve been cooking heritage turkeys, so I don’t know if that means I have to adjust the temperature and timing.
G. Stephen Jones
Hi Doug, thanks for the comment. As you can see in the photos, I just laid the bird on each side, and it stayed, so no, there is no trick I can offer. You could try balling up some aluminum foil to hold it in place.