Grill Your Thanksgiving Turkey! Free Your Oven!

Let’s Talk Turkey (and Sides)

Grill Your Thanksgiving Turkey! Free Your Oven!

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Tom and I have been hosting Thanksgiving dinner for more than three decades (as some of the photos in this post will attest)!  On our first Thanksgiving, Tracy set the turkey on fire (not on purpose) and our beagle ate the cranberry bread (definitely on purpose). We’ve come a long way.

Early on in our 30+ years of hosting Thanksgiving, we realized that since we did not have a double oven, we needed to find a way to cook the turkey to free up the oven. Living in Southern California where the weather is a usually in the mid-70s for Thanksgiving, grilling the turkey was a no brainer. We have a charcoal Weber kettle-grill and have grilled turkeys from 14 to 22-pounds (that one BARELY fit!). There are tons of videos and recipes for grilling a turkey but this is what works best for us.

The first time we decided to grill the turkey was when relatives visited from Seattle in 2006. With family and friends, our Thanksgiving group would be 18, so we purchased a 22-pound turkey. Of course, I didn’t have a clue as to how long it should be on the grill. Tom went online and looked at various websites (including Weber’s), and the consensus opinion was that it would take 4 ½ hours to grill a 22-pound bird between 300 and 350 degrees. Our guests were arriving at 4, so we put the turkey on a little after noon. A new tradition was born (although, as you’ll see, the first attempt at barbecuing provided as many questions as answers), And that’s when the stressing began.

The charcoals were lit. The grill reached about 325, the bird was situated in the center; it was time to relax and pour a glass of wine. Everything was perfect. Not really. Within 10 minutes the temperature inside the grill plummeted to 225, and Tom’s face was suddenly as ashen as the coals. The venting was correct, but the temperature was not. Adding coals didn’t help … the temperature never rose above 250. At this point we thought we might be eating around midnight.We basted every 30-45 minutes and added coals as directed, but the temperature hovered at 225. The turkey was browning nicely, but I figured I was about to ruin Thanksgiving for our out-of-state relatives. After a couple of hours, with the temperature still low, I put a thermometer into Mr. Turkey to see how many more hours it would take. Meanwhile, Tom was hoping we had stocked enough wine to keep the guests inebriated. Pulling the thermometer out, we were shocked to see it was already well on its way to being done.

At a little over 2 ½ hours, the turkey was a little above 165 degrees and perfectly browned. Time to take him off the grill. It was 2:30, and our guests would not be arriving for another 90 minutes, so we loosely tented with foil. We waited until a little after 5 to carve. It was the best turkey we had ever cooked, which, of course, made no sense to us.

Since that day, we have grilled the turkey nearly every year. It seems no matter how many pounds the turkey weighs and what the temperature of the barbecue checks in at, it takes 2 ½ hours to grill. I am writing this the day after Thanksgiving 2023. We grilled a 16-pound turkey at a consistent 325 – 350 degrees. It took 2 hours and 25 minutes. We no longer stress when it comes to grilling a turkey (well, Tom still does, but that’s just him)..

Chose a Smaller Bird

Generally we order the largest turkey that will fit in the Weber (22-24 lbs.). In 2023, we went with a smaller bird (16 lbs.) and it was the best we have ever made probably because smaller birds tend to be more tender. The rule of thumb for turkey is 1.25 to 1.5 pounds per person but also consider how many side dishes you have and how many children will be attending in your calculation. Last year’s 16 lb. turkey fed 14 people with leftovers to spare.

Defrost that Turkey!

Defrosting in the refrigerator is safest. Count on one day for every 4-5 pounds to defrost, so a 20-lb. turkey will take 4 to 5 days to defrost. Leave it wrapped in its original packaging, breast side up on a rimmed baking sheet to defrost in the refrigerator. Use the turkey within four days after thawing.

For last minute thawing, you can defrost it in a bucket of cold water. Leave the turkey in its original packaging and submerge completely in a bucket or container of COLD water (so the turkey stays at a safe temperature). Change the COLD water every 30 minutes. The turkey defrosts one pound every 30 minutes, so a 20-lb. turkey will take 10 hours to defrost. Mon-dieu! According to the USDA the turkey must be cooked immediately if you are using this method.

Bring the turkey to room temperature before grilling … because a cold turkey takes longer to cook.

About an hour before we are planning to grill, I unwrap the turkey, remove the parts (yuck), pat it dry inside and out. Then I season the inside with salt and pepper. Spread a compound butter (I use salted butter and herbs de Provence) under the skin of the breast and thighs by gently lifting the skin to make room for the butter. Insert a few slices of apples, onions, fennel, a couple of sprigs of sage in the cavity and neck to keep everything moist, tie it shut and it is good to go.

Brining, basting, and other assorted methods of cooking your turkey. Everyone has their own method of cooking a turkey. When I was growing up my mom would arise before dawn to get the turkey in the oven by 6 a.m. where it cooked ALL DAY. I don’t know why it wasn’t dry as a bone but it never was. Of course, back then they STUFFED the turkey which kept it moist but no one ever ate that wet stuffing preferring the crispy, yummy dressing in the side dish.

I like to baste our turkey with melted butter, herbs de Provence and a big splash of Frangelico liqueur. (I also drizzle the dressing with Frangelico and melted butter before cooking.) If you haven’t tasted Frangelico it adds notes of hazelnut to the butter. Come to think of it, I don’t think we have ever actually poured a Frangelico, we just use it for Thanksgiving. 

Confession: I have never brined, marinated, smoked or fried a turkey but if someone wants to invite us over to try their recipe, we are in!

Let the grilling begin!

Light the charcoals 30 minutes before grilling. Tom uses 22 briquettes in each grill basket (44 total) on either side of the grill for indirect heat. The briquettes are ready when they are ashed-over. Be sure the hinged part of the grate is over the grill baskets so you can open them to add more briquettes.

Place a small foil pan in the center of the grill to catch the drippings and to prevent flare-ups.

The bottom vents should be about a quarter of the way open. The top vent halfway open to start. The open vent will help increase the temperature.

Place the turkey, breast side up, in the center of the grill, baste and shut the lid.

The temperature should be between 325 and 350. If it gets too hot CLOSE the top vent; OPEN it if you need to increase the temperature. Keep an eye on the temperature.

Don’t you DARE open that lid (like Tom does too often) except to add more charcoal and baste and then do it as fast as possible so the heat doesn’t escape. Baste every 30 or 40 minutes. Cover the wings with foil if they start to get too browned.

Check the temperature of the turkey after an hour and a half and then every half hour until it is done. Check the temperature both in the thickest part of the breast and in the innermost part of the thigh. The USDA says the turkey is fully cooked at 165 degrees (don’t forget, it will continue to cook while resting).

Let it rest! Your turkey should rest a minimum of 30 minutes. Weber recommends to, “Let it rest for 20-30% of the total cooking time. You can loosely cover the turkey with a piece of aluminum foil while it is resting or you can just leave it open.”

Mai Tai Tracy’s Tips:

Carving knives ~

Importantly, don’t sharpen your knives the day before Thanksgiving … sadly I wasn’t the only injury on this day.

Side Dishes. Let’s be truthful, this is the heart and soul of Thanksgiving and why everyone loves it! We have a few that must be on our table every year:Mrs. Cubbison’s dressing spruced up with celery, onions, fennel, dried cranberries, dried cherries and pecans. Occasionally someone brings a stuffing with sausage which I love, but Tom insists Mrs. Cubbison dine at our table. (Tom note: Old School, baby!)

Tom’s  Mom’s “Make Ahead” Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes 

Don’t forget the green beans! Our favorite is the Bacon Wrapped Green Beans (although I love all three of the green bean recipes in the link).

Guest starring sides over the years:

Tom’s Make-Ahead Gruyere Mac and Cheese

Apple and Snickers Salad! It’s a thing … really!

Helen’s Cranberry Pineapple Jell-O Mousse 

Baked White Cheddar Leek Dip from Simply Scratch is simply phenomenal and easy to make. Highly recommend this appetizer with crostinis. 

And don’t forget dessert! If you smartly saved room for dessert, last year Gema made Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake from the Preppy Kitchen that was out of this world … 

If I have time, I make Mincemeat Oatmeal Bar Cookies with Bourbon Glaze as mincemeat is a Thanksgiving tradition for Tom but truthfully, I think if I gave him a bowl of hard sauce (butter, powdered sugar and bourbon) that would suffice.

That being said, sometimes it is just easier to drink your dessert!

Pumpkin Pie Spice Vanilla Vodka Martini

NYC Salted Caramel Martini

So that’s our Thanksgiving menu in a nutshell.

No matter what you serve or how you cook it, the point of the holiday, at least for us, is to spend time with our loved ones and give thanks for … everything. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Weber also has a handy video for tips on grilling: