How to Cook a Juicy Turkey on a Gas Grill: The Ultimate Guide

[This grilled turkey post is sponsored by The Home Depot! I’ve been working all year with their Weber Genesis II E315 grill and I absolutely adore it. It would make a fantastic gift for the holidays! p.s. right now, The Home Depot! is offering free delivery on all grills purchased online and free assembly on all grills purchased in-store!]

If you’re anything like me and feel that Thanksgiving is 99% about the sides dishes and the pie, and you could possibly take a plate WITHOUT turkey? Well, this is for you. A grilled turkey that tastes incredible, is super moist and loaded with flavor. Buttery, herby goodness.

So you guys know that every year, we roast a turkey and also smoke a turkey. They both turn out incredible and everyone loves having the two options.

But, this year I’m going the grill route. All year I’ve been working with The Home Depot, using the Weber Genesis II E315 grill and it has changed the game for me. Grilling this turkey was about 50 times easier than using our smoker and now there is no looking back.

Not to mention, it’s a fantastic way to switch up your traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Without going too untraditional.

First, the turkey only took about 3 hours total. The prep is super simple. The ingredients are all things you most likely have on hand.

Second, it has SO much flavor. Super smoky and delicious. The skin is ridiculously crispy and irresistible, just like it is when you roast it in the oven. And! You can still make gravy with the drippings. You can even make the gravy right on the grill if you’d like!

I like to stuff the turkey with some onions and lemons and herbs – all of the aromatics for increased flavor. I don’t stuff the bird with stuffing on the grill (though guess what? An incredible grilled stuffing (!!!) recipe is coming up next!), but I do fill the pan with a bit of stock and more aromatics.

Also! The key is to use a disposable roasting pan and double it up. This prevents your quality roasting pan from discoloring and warping on the grill and it makes clean-up easy on the holiday when you have the most dishes!

Cooking turkey on a gas grill is a great way to free up oven space and infuse delicious smoky flavor into your bird. With the right technique, you can cook a moist, flavorful turkey on the grill every time. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to grill a perfect turkey from start to finish.

Benefits of Grilling Your Turkey

Here are some of the main benefits of grilling your turkey instead of roasting it in the oven

Frees up oven space: With the turkey on the grill, your oven is free to cook sides, pies, rolls, and more. No need to juggle oven space and cook times.
Infuses smoky flavor The smoke from the grill gives the turkey a wonderful smoky flavor you just can’t achieve in the oven
Allows for easy basting: Grilling makes it simple to frequently baste the turkey with butter, herb mixtures, or other flavorful liquids to keep it moist and tasting amazing.
Cooks faster The turkey cooks faster on the higher heat of the grill reducing your total cook time.
Lower chance of burning: With the turkey elevated on the grill instead of cooking in a pan, there’s less chance of the bottom burning.

Choosing and Prepping the Turkey

Choosing the right turkey and proper prep are key to grilling success:

Weight: Plan for 1-1.5 pounds of turkey per person. A 15 pound turkey feeds 10-15 people.
Thaw: Thaw the turkey completely in the refrigerator over 24-48 hours. Never cook a frozen turkey.
Remove giblets: Check inside both body cavities and remove the giblets and neck.
Pat dry: Pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels.
Brush with oil or butter: Coat the skin all over with oil or melted butter. This helps the skin brown and crisp.
Season: Generously season inside and out with salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, sage, rosemary, or your favorite blend.
Stuff (optional): Stuff the cavities with aromatics like onions, oranges, garlic, herbs, or stuffing.

Setting Up Your Grill

Proper grill setup is vital for even cooking:

Clean: Scrub the grates clean so no residue burns onto the turkey.
Preheat: Get the grill very hot, around 450-500°F, before placing the turkey. This helps sear and brown the skin.
Use indirect heat: Keep the turkey to the side of the burners or coals so it cooks by indirect heat. This prevents burning.
Add smoker box/pan: For extra smoky flavor, add soaked wood chips in a smoker box or foil pan over the burners.
Use roasting pan: Place the turkey in a roasting pan, legs first, to catch drippings for gravy.

Step-by-Step Grilling Process

Follow these simple steps for grilling success:

Prep turkey: Thaw, remove giblets, pat dry, coat in oil/butter, and generously season inside and out.
Preheat grill to 450-500°F. Get it very hot to help sear the skin when turkey is first placed on.
Place turkey in roasting pan: Put legs first into pan to catch drippings for gravy.
Put turkey on grill, off direct heat: Place pan with turkey to the side, not directly over burners or coals.
Quickly close lid: Close lid as soon as turkey is on to maintain heat and cook evenly.
Reduce heat to 325-350°F: Turn down burners after about 30 minutes to maintain lower roasting temp.
Baste every 30-45 minutes: Lift lid briefly to baste with butter/broth using a brush or bulb baster.
Cook to 165°F internal temp: Insert probe thermometer in thickest part of thigh. Cook until it reaches 165°F.
Let rest 30 minutes: When done, transfer turkey in pan to a cutting board to rest before carving.
Carve and serve! Use forks to hold turkey in place while carving. Slice breast meat and serve!

Turkey Grilling Tips and Tricks

Follow these tips and tricks for the very best results:

Monitor the grill temperature closely and adjust burners as needed to maintain even heat.
Use wood chips, herbs, citrus, or spices in smoker box for extra flavor.
Baste the turkey every 30-45 minutes to keep the skin from drying out.
Insert probe thermometer in thickest part of thigh, not touching bone, to check temp.
Let turkey rest at least 30 minutes after grilling before slicing to allow juices to redistribute.
Carve turkey by slicing breast meat first, then leg quarters into drumsticks and thighs.
Use the flavorful drippings in the pan to make a delicious turkey gravy.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Reheat thoroughly to 165°F before serving again.

Get Grilling!

Cooking turkey on a gas grill results in a juicy, smoke-infused bird with crisp skin and amazing flavor. With the right prep, setup, and technique, you can master grilling turkey and free up your oven at the same time. Try this tasty alternative to oven roasting and enjoy rave reviews from your family or guests! Just follow the step-by-step process and turkey grilling tips above for success.

how to cook turkey on a gas grill

Best Grilled Turkey Recipe

how to cook turkey on a gas grill

IT FREES UP YOUR OVEN SPACE!

Oh yes. On a day where you have a million dishes going at once, we’ve just eliminated the one that tends to take the most time. This way, you can have space to make sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, brussels gratin, kale gratin and homemade parker house rolls. Even all at once!

Grilling your turkey is a must at this point.

It seriously blows my mind how effortless this is. I do recommend checking on the bird every 20 to 30 minutes, as well as your grill, to make sure you don’t run out of propane. But if you start with a full tank, you’ll be golden! And you’ll just be dyyying over how incredible the turkey looks and smells and tastes.

In my kitchen gift guide earlier this week, I shared my Weber Genesis II E315 grill. Sure, I know it doesn’t go IN your kitchen, but it has become my outdoor kitchen. If you follow along on instagram, you know that we grill ALL THE THINGS and this grill is perfect. It’s easy to use and makes the process work seamlessly.

It would make such a fantastic gift for the holiday season! Especially because The Home Depot is offering free delivery for online grill orders and free assembly for in-store grill purchases! Go go go grab the Weber Genesis II E315!

Now go make all the plans for this beautiful bird to appear on your table.

How to cook a Turkey on a Gas Grill

FAQ

Can I cook a turkey on my gas grill?

This turkey cooked on a gas grill comes out juicy with a crispy brown skin. The Allrecipes Test Kitchen staff are a team of culinary pros who make and vet recipes using only equipment you’d find in a home kitchen.

Do you cover a turkey with foil on the grill?

We’ve found that covering a turkey in foil yields much moister results than roasting it without foil, and we favor simply covering up the breast to even out cooking time. Some people swear that roasting a turkey breast-side down and flipping it halfway through achieves the same results as a foil covered breast.

How to barbecue turkey on Weber gas grill?

At least 22Lb in foil pan covered with foil on a rack so it doesn’t boil,temp 450-475 degrees measured on the hood, cook for about 2 1/2 hours, finished and let set for 1 hour. Results are very tender and juicy. Butterball always works for me. The last 20 minutes I use hickory or apple chips and I never baste the bird.

How long does it take to grill a turkey at 350?

How long do you grill a turkey?

Weight	Cook Time
8 to 12 lbs.	1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hrs.
12 to 14 lbs.	2-1/2 to 2-3/4 hrs.
14 to 18 lbs.	2-3/4 to 3-1/2 hrs.
18 to 20 lbs.	3-1/2 to 4 hrs.