How to Marinate Turkey for Grilling: A Step-by-Step Guide

Let’s be honest: Cooking a turkey can be super stressful. Stovetop and oven space are at a premium, plus it’s easy to worry about keeping the turkey moist and cooking it all the way through. It’s time for a change: Put the turkey on the grill!

Thanks to our incredible marinade, this grilled turkey not only cooks up tender and juicy, it also frees up the oven for your favorite side dishes. The heat of the grill infuses the meat with an extra smoky flavor, especially if you’re cooking on a charcoal grill.

Grilling turkey can take your barbecue from basic to gourmet with little effort when you know how to marinate it properly A flavorful marinade helps keep the lean meat moist and tender while infusing it with herbs, spices, acid, and other seasonings With the right marinade, you’ll have a juicy, delicious grilled turkey ready to wow your family and guests.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to marinate turkey for grilling to perfection. We’ll cover:

Why Marinate Turkey for Grilling
Choosing a Turkey Cut for Grilling
Picking a Marinade for Grilled Turkey
Marinating Time for Turkey
Marinade Ingredients for Grilled Turkey
How to Make a Turkey Marinade
Applying the Marinade
Grilling the Marinated Turkey
Serving Suggestions

Follow these simple steps for tender, juicy grilled turkey bursting with flavor every time.

Why Marinate Turkey for Grilling

Marinating before grilling is crucial for a few reasons:

Moisture: Marinades help keep lean turkey meat from drying out on the grill. The liquid penetrates the meat to keep it juicy and tender.
Flavor Marinating infuses the turkey with lots of extra flavor from herbs, spices, acids, oils, and other ingredients.
Tenderness Acid ingredients like vinegar or citrus help break down tough muscle fibers
Browning: Oil and sugars in the marinade help promote nice caramelization on the grill.

So take the time to marinate for the best results when grilling turkey!

Choosing a Turkey Cut for Grilling

For easier handling on the grill, choose a boneless turkey breast or turkey tenderloins rather than a whole turkey. Other great options include:

Turkey breast halves or fillets
Turkey cutlets or steaks
Turkey kebabs or skewers
Ground turkey patties or burgers

Dark meat turkey legs and thighs also hold up well to grilling. Opt for skinless cuts to reduce fat and calories.

Picking a Marinade for Grilled Turkey

The possibilities are endless when it comes to marinade flavors! Consider:

Herbs: Fresh options like rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, cilantro, and basil are excellent in marinades. Avoid dried herbs as they can burn.
Spices: Garlic, onion, paprika, cumin, chili powder, curry, ginger, and pepper add warmth.
Acids: Lemon, lime, orange, vinegar, yogurt, buttermilk, wine, and soy sauce tenderize meat.
Oils: Olive, vegetable, sesame, or nut oils add moisture and help browning.
Sweeteners: Honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, and other sweet ingredients promote caramelization.

You can also use commercial marinade mixes, salad dressings, teriyaki, barbecue sauce, or other prepared sauces. Get creative with global flavor profiles!

Marinating Time for Turkey

For the best results, marinate turkey in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. The longer the better, as this gives the flavors more time to penetrate deeply into the meat.

If short on time, you can marinate for as little as 30 minutes to 1 hour. But don’t skip this step altogether or the turkey won’t reap the full benefits.

Marinade Ingredients for Grilled Turkey

A basic marinade has 3 key components:

Acid: Lemon or lime juice, vinegar
Oil: Olive, vegetable, or other
Seasonings: Herbs, spices, garlic, shallots

Follow this formula as a starting point, then customize with your favorite ingredients:

1⁄4 cup acid
1⁄4 cup oil
2-3 teaspoons dried herbs or 2 tablespoons fresh herbs
1-2 cloves grated or minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together the ingredients or blend until smooth. For bolder flavor, double the amounts.

How to Make a Turkey Marinade

Here is a simple step-by-step method:

Combine the acid, oil, and any wet ingredients like honey, yogurt, juice, etc. Whisk together.
Add dry spices, herbs, garlic, salt, and pepper and whisk again until blended.
Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. It should taste a bit strong, as the flavors will mellow when marinating the turkey.
Place the turkey in a shallow dish or zip-top bag. Pour the marinade over to coat all sides.
Seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 1-2 days, flipping occasionally.

And that’s all there is to it! Now the turkey is ready to grill.

Applying the Marinade

To evenly distribute the marinade:

Place turkey in a shallow dish and pour marinade over the top, turning to coat.
Put turkey in a large zip-top bag and add marinade. Seal and massage to disperse.
Use a pastry brush to brush marinade over turkey. Turn to cover all sides.

Make sure turkey is fully submerged or coated in the marinade during marinating.

Grilling the Marinated Turkey

Follow these tips when grilling:

Use a clean plate when removing turkey from the marinade to avoid cross-contamination. Discard used marinade.
Grill over direct medium heat, turning once halfway through. Avoid flaming as this can burn.
Brush with a bit of oil or reserved marinade to keep moist. Grill until done, about 6-8 minutes per side.
Let rest 5 minutes before slicing. Juices will redistribute through the meat.
Check internal temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure doneness. Turkey should reach 165°F.
Watch closely to prevent overcooking or charring which can cause dryness. Adjust heat as needed.

Serving Suggestions

Slice the grilled turkey and serve it:

On salads
In wraps or sandwiches
Diced in pasta or grain bowls
On cheese boards or antipasto platters
On pizza
In fajitas or tacos
With roasted veggies
On skewers or kabobs

However you serve it, marinating is the key to flavorful, tender turkey off the grill. With this foolproof technique, you’ll have a hit at your next cookout. Just mix a few simple pantry ingredients, let the turkey soak up the flavors, then toss it on the barbecue. Enjoy your fantastically delicious grilled turkey!

how to marinate turkey for grilling

Step 2: Marinate the turkey

marinating the turkey in a large oven bag Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home

We use oven roasting bags to keep cleanup easy. To make sure the bags don’t leak, place one oven roasting bag inside the other. Then, put the turkey inside the inner bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bags, pressing out as much air as possible, and turn them once or twice to coat the turkey.

Place the bags in a shallow roasting pan. Refrigerate the bird overnight, turning the bag a few times to evenly distribute the marinade.

What size of turkey should you buy?

In general, this depends on the appetites of your party and how much you want left over. A good rule of thumb is to buy 1 pound of turkey per person for birds up to 16 pounds. For birds over 16 pounds, you can plan closer to 3/4 pound per person. Keep in mind that if you want leftovers you may want to bump these numbers up by 1/4 to 1/2 pound per person.

For grilling, especially using indirect heat on a charcoal grill, a 12 to 16 pound turkey is the best size. The drip pan will fit underneath, the turkey won’t cook right on top of the hot coals and the cover should close, which is needed to regulate the heat.

NO MARINADE GRILLED TURKEY FOR BEGINNERS | GRILLED TURKEY RECIPE | DIARYOFAKITCHENLOVER

FAQ

What is turkey marinade made of?

Step 1: Mix up the marinade Simply combine the water, chicken broth, soy sauce, lemon juice, minced garlic, ground ginger and black pepper in a large bowl. Set one cup aside for basting. This is one of our favorite turkey marinades because you don’t have to heat any of the ingredients.

How long is it safe to marinate a turkey?

Most recipes for marinating meat and poultry recommend six hours up to 24 hours. It is safe to keep the food in the marinade longer, but after two days it is possible that the marinade can start to break down the fibers of the meat, causing it to become mushy.

How do you marinate meat before grilling?

Your marinade should include an acid (think vinegar or citrus) to help infuse flavor and tenderize the meat; a fat (such as olive oil) to keep meat moist and bind ingredients together; and seasoning to add said flavor—whether it’s something simple that will highlight the flavor of the meat like McCormick’s new Grill …

What helps tenderize a turkey?

After roasting countless turkeys over the past few decades, I can confidently say that giving your bird a dunk in a luxurious saltwater brine (also known as a wet brine) results in extra tender, impossibly juicy meat.

How do you marinate a turkey breast on a grill?

In a gallon-sized resealable bag, mix together vegetable oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, honey, basil, and black pepper. Add turkey breast to bag and let marinate for at least 4 hours (or overnight). Remove turkey breast from bag and discard marinade. Preheat grill to high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place turkey breasts on the grill.

How do you marinate Turkey Tenderloins on a grill?

Scrape the grates of any possible food residue, then generously coat the grates with a wad of paper towel that has been dipped in olive oil. Remove the tenderloins from the marinade and make sure to shake off any excess marinade. Place the turkey tenderloins on the grate and grill, covered, for 8 minutes.

How long should you marinate a Turkey before cooking?

Here are some time-tested tips for marinating: If the marinade recipe requires you to heat the ingredients, be sure to let the heated marinade cool to room temperature before pouring it over your turkey. For recipes that call for a short marinating time, make the marinade several hours in advance so it can develop its full flavor.

How do you marinate a Turkey in a bag?

Then, put the turkey inside the inner bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bags, pressing out as much air as possible, and turn them once or twice to coat the turkey. Place the bags in a shallow roasting pan. Refrigerate the bird overnight, turning the bag a few times to evenly distribute the marinade.