Thanksgiving Turkey on the BBQ | Perfecting Turkey
Whether you celebrate with family or prefer to do a Friendsgiving, one thing is for certain: you need to cook the perfect turkey. Explore the benefits of dry brine turkey over wet brine, BBQ turkey over rotisserie turkey, and enjoy the best Thanksgiving turkey on the BBQ that you have ever made.
Purchasing A Thanksgiving Turkey
The perfect Thanksgiving turkey can come from a grocery store or be ordered fresh from your favorite butcher. It doesn’t have to be all natural, organic, and traceable back to a long heritage of delicious turkeys with a pedigree. However, there are things you need to contemplate when purchasing poultry. Plan for about 1½lbs. (680g) of cooked poultry per adult person, this also plans for leftovers as well. If you need a lot, consider getting two smaller birds instead of one gigantic one, which will shorten cooking time day of. You will also want to have your preparation method in mind when purchasing. Some commercially available turkeys – ones in grocery stores – have been injected with water and salt solutions to increase flavor and tenderness. This can directly impact how you prepare your Thanksgiving turkey when you are brining or seasoning.
PRO Tip:
Don’t forget to thaw your Thanksgiving turkey, safely, in the fridge, which takes about 1 day for every 4lbs. (1.8kg) of poultry. Setting an alert on your calendar can help. If you forgot to thaw your bird for the big day, you can use a cold-water bath. It takes about 30 minutes per pound of bird (or 0.5kg), so a 12lb. bird will take about 6 hours to thaw. Change the water frequently to ensure that it remains cold.
How to Dry Brine a Turkey
The perfect Thanksgiving turkey starts with preparation. While many extol the benefits of brining turkey, most poultry brine recipes call for submerging your bird in a salty liquid solution. This takes up a lot of space and leads to a tasty, but waterlogged, turkey. Instead, consider making a dry-brined turkey.
Using a ratio of 1 part baking powder to 3 parts salt, plus seasonings, you can make a delicious dry brine for your turkey that will yield delightfully crisp skin. Prep your turkey the day before by pulling the skin away from the meat using gloved hands. Consider herbed butter or oil between the skin and meat. Then brush or coat the skin with the baking powder and salt mixture. Set your turkey on a rack over a rimmed baking sheet without covering it so that the skin will dry. When you go to BBQ this turkey, a technique that ensures heat circulates around the bird is ideal. Use the rotisserie or a raised rack in a roasting pan.
Charcoal Roasted Turkey
Whether you use your charcoal BBQ or gas, this delightful Thanksgiving Turkey recipe is easy and delicious.
How to BBQ the Perfect Thanksgiving Turkey
Once you have the prep work done, it’s time to get cooking. Preheat your BBQ to 325°F (163°C) using the rear or bottom burners. Turkey cooks at a rate of 15 minutes per pound of meat (15 minutes per 0.5kg). You can use the rotisserie, or you can roast directly on the BBQ. It all depends on the size of your Thanksgiving turkey. Either way you plan on cooking this bird, remember to place a drip tray underneath to catch those precious drippings.
To get the best results, begin basting about halfway through the cook. At the very end, crank the heat up to 425°F (218°C) if the skin needs a little more crisping up. Always use meat thermometers to monitor the internal temperature at the breast and thighs. You are looking for 155°F (68°F) in the breast and 165°F (74°F) in the thigh for finished temperature. This is a little under, but if you pull the meat now and cover it with foil and a couple of towels to rest until you are ready to carve and serve, you will not have a dry turkey. Carryover cooking will finish it off and keep it warm until dinner time.
Maple Bourbon Glazed Turkey
This recipe for Bourbon and Maple Glazed Turkey on the gas BBQ will wow all those who get to partake!
Can your rotisserie handle your Thanksgiving turkey?
Remember, the Heavy-Duty Rotisserie is built to hold foods up to 15lbs. (6.8kg), while the Commercial Grade Rotisserie can support food up to 25lbs. (11.3kg) in weight.
Once the turkey is on the spit rod, ensure that it is well balanced by placing it over the sink or holding it in the palm of your hands. The heavy side will swiftly roll to the bottom. Place the counterweight onto the spit rod with the weight to the opposite side of the heavy side of the bird.
If it’s too big for the spit rod, then roast your turkey on a rack over a roasting pan or drip tray. Ensure that the bird is raised off the grids to get crispy skin all over, and to catch those delicious drippings for perfect gravy.
Stainless Steel Roasting Pan
Grill Roasting Pan
Stainless Steel Rib / Roast Rack
PRO Tip:
Don’t stuff that bird! Stuffing a Thanksgiving turkey will increase cooking time to 25 minutes per pound (25 min per 0.5kg) and can lead to an overcooked dinner while you are waiting for the stuffing to come up to a safe 165°F (74°F). Compare that to taking 15 minutes per pound (0.5kg) for your turkey to cook and everyone can have the crispy bits from the stuffing when you don’t put it in the Thanksgiving turkey.
People Also Asked:
Do you cover turkey with foil when grilling?
When you BBQ a turkey on the BBQ, you generally don’t want to cover it with foil. You can, and should, however, cover the legs and wings with foil if you notice them getting dark or beginning to burn. Do not cover anything else, to ensure that you are getting golden and crisp skin while roasting.
How many hours does it take to grill a turkey?
An unstuffed Thanksgiving turkey will take approximately 15 minutes per pound (0.5kg) of meat. If you stuff or purchase a stuffed turkey, that time goes up to 25 minutes per pound (0.5kg). That means that a 10-pound (4.5kg) unstuffed Thanksgiving turkey will take 150 minutes / 2½ hours. OR, for a stuffed bird, that would be 250 minutes or about 4 hours. Remember to use a meat thermometer to monitor internal temperature and ensure that the meat is cooked perfectly, as time is only an approximation of how long it will take to cook. Environmental factors and even the density of meat on that particular Thanksgiving turkey can alter cooking times.
If you are absolutely strapped for time, consider spatchcocking your turkey. Take out the spine and press the bird flat, breast-side-up. You won’t be able to use the rotisserie, however, this will cut the cooking time down a lot. Ensure that the turkey is not overcooked by using meat thermometers to monitor temperatures.
Cut down on cook time and try this Spatchcocked Turkey reicpe.
Can you cook a turkey in a gas grill?
YES YOU CAN! Cooking your Thanksgiving turkey on a gas BBQ can take an already delicious turkey to new heights! Include smoke, using one of our smoker accessories, free up space in the oven and on the stove by cooking the star of your meal on the BBQ. There are so many reasons you should be cooking your next Thanksgiving turkey on the BBQ!
How do you get crispy turkey skin on BBQ?
Getting crispy skin is easy! Separate the skin from the meat while still leaving it on the bird. Then, using a ratio of 1 part baking powder to 3 parts salt, plus any seasonings you wish, rub the turkey. Place your dry-brined turkey on a rack over a tray in the fridge, uncovered, to rest for at least 24 hours before cooking. Also, consider rubbing between the skin and meat with butter or oil.
The Best Turkey for Any Occasion
Whether you're celebrating with family or hosting a Friendsgiving, grilling the perfect Thanksgiving turkey is within your reach! We've covered everything you need to know to make this turkey the best yet, from choosing the right bird to mastering the art of dry brine turkey. Now, it's your turn to fire up the grill and create a feast that will leave everyone raving. Happy BBQing, and may your Thanksgiving be as delicious as it is memorable! Tell your turkey tales and share your photos and recipes with us on our social pages like Facebook and TikTok using the hashtags #NapoleonEats and #NapoleonGrills.
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