Fast Answer
Grilling a whole turkey uses indirect heat to roast the bird evenly while adding smoky barbecue flavor. The key is controlling heat zones, monitoring internal temperature, and avoiding flare-ups that dry out the meat.
How to Grill a Turkey on a Gas or Charcoal Grill Without Drying It Out
Grilling a whole turkey adds smoky flavor and crisp skin while freeing up valuable oven space during the holidays. But unlike roasting indoors, barbecue cooking requires heat control, airflow management, and patience.
This guide breaks down how to grill a turkey step by step so you can cook it evenly, avoid flare-ups, and serve juicy meat without guessing your way through dinner.
Start Here
- Best for: Home cooks who want smoky flavor and crisp skin without deep frying.
- Works on: Gas grills, charcoal grills, and pellet grills with indirect heat zones.
- Ideal turkey size: A 10–14 pound turkey cooks more evenly and fits most grills better.
- Your goal: Juicy breast meat, properly cooked dark meat, and evenly browned skin.
- Big takeaway: You are roasting with live fire, not blasting the turkey directly over flames.
Why This Technique Works
- Indirect heat prevents burning: The turkey cooks gently like an outdoor convection oven.
- Airflow creates even cooking: Heat circulates around the bird instead of scorching one side.
- Smoke adds flavor: Wood chips or charcoal create deeper flavor than oven roasting.
- Dry heat crisps the skin: The grill environment helps render fat for better texture.
- Lid control stabilizes temperature: Keeping the lid closed maintains steady cooking heat.
Core Concept
- Think in zones, not flames: Great grilled turkey comes from controlled indirect heat, not direct fire.
- The grill is an outdoor oven: The burners or coals create heat around the turkey, not underneath it.
- Temperature beats time: Internal temperature tells you when the turkey is done, not the clock.
My Turkey Grilling Method
This is the rotation method I personally use when grilling a whole turkey. Rotating the bird helps expose different parts to the heat, encourages more even cooking, and improves browning without burning the skin.
| Stage | What To Do | Turkey Position | Time | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preheat | Preheat grill for indirect cooking | N/A | Until grill reaches temp | Heat grill to 350°F using only one side of the burners or coals. |
| Stage One | Start grilling | Turkey on one side; wings and thighs down; legs facing back | 48 minutes | Place turkey on the cool side of the grill and close the lid. |
| Stage Two | First rotation | Flip to opposite side; wings and thighs down; legs facing front | 48 minutes | Use grill mitts and maintain steady 350°F heat. |
| Stage Three | Second rotation | Turkey on its back; breast facing up; legs toward back | 24 minutes | Begin basting and continue cooking over indirect heat. |
| Stage Four | Final rotation | Rotate legs toward front | About 24 minutes | Continue basting and begin checking internal temperature. |
| Doneness | Check temperature | N/A | As needed | Breast should reach 165°F and thighs 175°F. |
| Resting | Rest before carving | Remove from grill and tent loosely with foil | 20–30 minutes | Resting helps redistribute juices throughout the meat. |
- Monitor grill temperature: Keep the grill between 325°F and 350°F using indirect heat.
- Adjust airflow carefully: Briefly open the lid if temperatures climb too high.
- Use proper protection: The turkey, grates, and handles will all be extremely hot during rotations.
- Stay flexible: Wind, weather, turkey size, and grill design all affect cooking time. Trust the thermometer more than the clock.
Visual Cues That Tell You It’s Working
- Skin: Deep golden brown and slightly blistered, not pale or rubbery.
- Smoke: Thin blue smoke is ideal. Thick white smoke means dirty combustion.
- Sound: Gentle sizzling is good. Loud popping usually signals flare-ups.
- Aroma: The turkey should smell smoky and savory, never bitter or acrid.
- Juices: Clear juices near the thigh joint usually indicate doneness.
What Most Cooks Get Wrong
- Cooking over direct heat: This burns the skin before the inside cooks through.
- Opening the lid constantly: Every peek dumps heat and extends cooking time.
- Using a giant turkey: Large birds cook unevenly and crowd smaller grills.
- Skipping the thermometer: Guessing doneness is how dry turkey happens.
- Not drying the skin: Moisture prevents browning and crisp texture.
- Using too much smoke wood: Heavy smoke can make turkey taste bitter.
Quick Fixes & Pro Tips
- Use a smaller turkey: Two smaller birds often cook better than one giant turkey.
- Shield dark spots: Tent overly browned areas loosely with foil.
- Add moisture: A drip pan with water helps stabilize grill temperature.
- Dry-brine overnight: Salt the turkey ahead of time for better flavor and juicier meat.
- Oil lightly: A thin coating helps browning without causing flare-ups.
- Trust the thermometer: The grill lies. The thermometer tells the truth.
Quick Diagnosis Strip
- Skin burning → Heat too high or direct exposure → Move turkey farther from the heat source.
- Turkey cooking unevenly → Uneven grill temperatures → Rotate the turkey during cooking.
- Rubbery skin → Skin stayed wet → Pat dry and cook at slightly higher heat.
- Dry breast meat → Overcooked internal temperature → Pull the turkey earlier and rest properly.
- Bitter smoke flavor → Too much wood or dirty smoke → Use less wood and improve airflow.
At-a-Glance Turkey Grill Planner.
| Category | What Matters Most | Why It Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Thawing | Fully thaw before grilling | Partially frozen turkeys cook unevenly and can stay raw near the bone. |
| Seasoning | Use a dry rub or herb butter | Seasoning under the skin adds deeper flavor and helps the meat stay juicy. |
| Trussing | Truss loosely or leave untrussed | Better airflow helps the turkey cook more evenly. |
| Grill Setup | Cook over indirect heat at 325–350°F | This turns the grill into an outdoor oven and prevents burning. |
| Drip Pan | Place a pan under the turkey | Reduces flare-ups and catches flavorful drippings for gravy. |
| Cooking Time | Plan for 12–15 minutes per pound | Use timing as a guide, but trust internal temperature for doneness. |
| Temperature | Breast: 160°F | Thigh: 175°F | Dark meat needs higher temperatures to fully tenderize. |
| Basting | Baste lightly and sparingly | Too much lid opening causes heat loss and longer cooking times. |
| Resting | Rest 20–30 minutes before carving | Resting keeps juices inside the meat instead of on the cutting board. |
FAQ for Grilling a Turkey
How long does it take to grill a turkey?
Most whole turkeys cook in about 11–15 minutes per pound at 325°F to 350°F using indirect heat. Weather, grill type, and turkey size all affect timing.
Should I grill turkey over direct or indirect heat?
Always use indirect heat for the whole turkey. Direct heat burns the outside long before the inside finishes cooking.
What size turkey works best on a grill?
A 10–14 pound turkey is easiest to manage and cooks more evenly on most backyard grills.
Can I stuff a grilled turkey?
It is safer not to. Stuffing slows cooking and makes it harder for the turkey to cook evenly.
Should I brine the turkey first?
Dry-brining overnight works especially well for grilled turkey because it improves seasoning and helps retain moisture.
What wood works best for smoked turkey flavor?
Apple, cherry, pecan, and mild hickory blends work well. Avoid over-smoking delicate turkey meat.
How do I keep the turkey from drying out?
Use indirect heat, avoid overcooking, monitor internal temperatures carefully, and let the turkey rest before carving.
Why is my grilled turkey skin rubbery?
Usually because the skin stayed wet or the grill temperature was too low to render and brown properly.
Do I need a drip pan?
Yes. A drip pan helps prevent flare-ups and stabilizes the cooking environment.
Can I grill a turkey on a gas grill?
Absolutely. Gas grills make temperature control easier for most home cooks.
81 Responses
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.
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
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!!
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?
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 🙂
Good to hear from you Nancy. I’ll pass your hugs to the girls. Let me know how your turkey turns out.
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.
oh, whew! I was going to use a roasting pan IN the BBQ .. no?
I have four burners, use outside two.
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.
I use a roasting pan
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!
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….
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.
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
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.
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!
You are very welcome Bonnie and I’m glad to hear you bird was a success. Happy New Year!
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.
You are very welcome Amy and thank you for letting me know.
How would you cook a half turkey? Same as for whole just adjust cooking times?
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.
Thanks for sharing your results Bill and Happy Thanksgiving. – RG
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….
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.
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!!
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.
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?
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.
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?
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!).
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Bob, sounds great and thank you for sharing your tips.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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!
Paul, thanks for sharing you experience with grilled turkey.
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
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!!
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.
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.
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!!
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 ?!!?
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/
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?
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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
I hope you have better results. Please let me know. Happy Holidays.
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
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.
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.
You are welcome and thanks for letting me know.
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!
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!
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.
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!!
Thanks for letting me know. Enjoy.
instead of multiplying by 12 and dividing by 3, why not just multiply by 4 instead?
Very much here for this math critique 7 years after the fact.
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!
You are very welcome and thanks for coming back each year. Happy Holidays.
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!
Yes, I do still own this blog and read every comment. Thanks for sharing your tip. I’m sure my readers will appreciate it.
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.
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.
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!!!!
Hi Chris, thanks for letting me know and glad you had a good first experience with grilling your turkey.
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.
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.
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.