[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!
Grilling a turkey is a fun way to take your holiday dinner outside and infuse delicious smoky flavor into the meat. But to turn out a properly cooked bird, you need to follow some timing guidelines Here’s what to know about how long it takes to grill a turkey, including factors that affect cook time
Figure About 15 Minutes Per Pound
The most straightforward guideline is to allow around 15 minutes per pound when grilling a turkey. So for a 16 pound turkey multiply 16 by 15 minutes to get 240 minutes total. That equals 4 hours of grilling time.
You want to maintain a medium heat around 350°F. This gives time for the interior to come to 165°F without burning the exterior.
For smaller birds like 10 to 12 pounds, plan on about 2 1/2 to 3 hours grilling time. Larger turkeys around 20 pounds may need up to 5 hours or more.
So use 15 minutes per pound as a starting point, then adjust as needed.
Factor in Shape and Bone Structure
The shape and bone structure of your particular turkey can vary the time. One with more breast meat and thighs will take a bit longer than a slender bird.
And a turkey with more joints and bones radiating heat will grill faster than one with less bone mass.
Add or reduce the estimated time by 30 minutes or so depending on your turkey’s proportions and bone structure. It’s better to allow extra time if unsure.
Grill Slowly Over Indirect Heat
The key to grilling turkey is using indirect heat, meaning the turkey sits off to the side rather than directly over the heat source.
This allows the turkey to cook slowly and evenly without burning the exterior. If direct grilling, it would cook much faster but be prone to charring.
For charcoal grilling, bank coals to each side and place a drip pan in the center where the turkey goes. For gas grills, turn on burners to both sides but off in the middle.
Check Temp Early and Often
The only way to reliably tell when your turkey is finished grilling is to insert an instant read meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh and breast.
Test the temperature about 30 minutes before the estimated finish time. Then check again every 15 minutes until it reaches 165°F in the thighs and drumsticks.
If it’s not quite there yet, keep cooking and testing until it hits 165°F. Then allow it to rest 15 minutes before carving.
Allow Extra Time If Stuffed
One factor that can significantly increase grill time is stuffing the turkey cavity before cooking. The stuffing acts as an insulator, slowing heat penetration into the bird.
So for a stuffed turkey, you need to increase total grill time. Figure on about 30 minutes extra per bird if filled with stuffing.
It’s best to cook stuffing separately to ensure it reaches a safe internal temperature. But if stuffing the bird, factor in added time.
Watch for Flare Ups
With the high heat and fat drippings, it’s common to get some flames flaring up when grilling turkey. This can lead to charring and uneven cooking.
To prevent flare ups, avoid basting with sugary glazes or oils. And have a spray bottle of water ready to quickly extinguish any flames during grilling.
If the skin is browning too fast, tent foil loosely over the breast and thighs while continuing to grill until fully cooked through.
Consider a Two-Step Method
For turkeys larger than 16 pounds, a combined roasting and grilling method ensures the meat cooks through while maximizing flavor.
First, roast the turkey in the oven at 325°F for about 2 hours. This partially pre-cooks the interior.
Then finish on the grill over indirect heat for 1-2 hours until reaching 165°F in the thighs. The two-step method works great for juicy, smoky turkey.
Smoker Grilling for Extra Flavor
Using a smoker box with soaked wood chips imparts delicious smokey flavor when grill-roasting turkey. It doesn’t significantly increase total time.
Just place a smoker box over the heat source and add soaked mesquite, apple, cherry or other wood chips. The smoke permeates the turkey as it slowly grill-roasts.
So look to 15 minutes per pound, factor in the bird’s size and bone structure, check the temperature frequently, and allow proper resting time for perfectly grilled turkey with an awesome smoky essence every time.
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Best Grilled Turkey Recipe
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 Grill a Turkey | Weber Grills
FAQ
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