Rotisserie Turkey on the Grill: The Juiciest, Most Flavorful Way to Cook Turkey

Cooking turkey on a rotisserie is one of the best ways to get moist, delicious meat with crispy skin. The constant rotation over the heat source allows the turkey to baste in its own juices while evenly cooking the breast and thighs. While roasting a turkey in the oven is the traditional method, switching to the grill can take your holiday bird to new flavorful heights.

Why Cook Turkey on a Rotisserie?

There are several advantages to using a rotisserie for cooking turkey:

Even cooking: The rotisserie allows the turkey to cook evenly from all sides, preventing the common issue of overcooked breast meat and undercooked thighs when oven roasting. The turkey bastes itself as it rotates, keeping the meat deliciously moist.
Crispy skin: The dry ambient heat from the grill is perfect for getting super crispy turkey skin, which is nearly impossible to achieve in a humid oven environment. The skin gets beautifully golden brown and crunchy.
Incredible flavor: Grilling over an open flame adds delicious smoky notes to the turkey. Wood chips or herbs can be added right to the coals for more flavor. The drippings hitting the fire also create smoke that gets absorbed.
Frees up oven space With the turkey on the grill, your oven is free for cooking side dishes. This makes timing everything for a big holiday meal much easier.
Lower risk of burning: With the turkey rotating on the spit, there’s less chance of one area getting burnt as can happen in the oven. You don’t have to worry about carefully rotating pans.

Trussing and Balancing the Turkey

To get optimal results, the turkey needs to be properly trussed and balanced on the rotisserie spit. Here are some tips:

Tuck the wing tips under the body and tie the legs together with butcher’s twine This helps compact the turkey for more even cooking.
Skewer or tie any loose skin into place. You don’t want anything flopping around as the turkey spins.
Position the spit prongs in the center of the breast and back to balance out the weight. Pack the cavity well to distribute weight.
Make sure the turkey is centered and snug on the spit before tightening the prongs down. Give it a test spin to check for wobbling.

Rotisserie Cooking Times and Temperatures

Whole turkeys can take 2-3 hours to fully cook to a safe internal temperature on a rotisserie. Use these cooking guidelines for various turkey sizes:

12-14 lb turkey: Cook for approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the thigh reaches 170°F and the breast 165°F.
14-18 lb turkey: Cook for about 3 to 3 1/2 hours until thighs reach 170°F.
18-22 lb turkey: Cook for roughly 3 1/2 to 4 hours until the thighs hit 170°F. Monitor temperature closely.

Always use a good instant read meat thermometer to check for doneness in multiple areas. Carryover cooking will continue to raise the temperature slightly after removing from the grill. Let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Rotisserie Grill Setup

Properly setting up your grill is essential for rotisserie success:

Place a drip pan directly under the turkey to catch the juices for gravy. Use a disposable foil pan on a charcoal grill or a metal baking sheet on a gas grill.
For charcoal, bank all the coals to one side of the grill. This gives you indirect heat for gently roasting the turkey.
On a gas grill, turn the burners to medium heat. The turkey only needs to rotate over mild heat to cook slowly.
Add a water pan or wood chips to the cooler side for extra moisture and flavor.
Keep the lid closed as much as possible to contain the heat. Open vents on a charcoal grill if needed.

Preparing a Juicy, Flavorful Rotisserie Turkey

Follow these tips for the best grilled turkey you’ve ever tasted:

Brine the turkey: Soaking the turkey in a saltwater brine ensures juicy, well-seasoned meat. Brine for 12-24 hours in the refrigerator.
Rub with herbs and oil: Coat the turkey with olive oil or melted butter and rub in chopped fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme and sage. This adds great flavor.
Fill the cavity: Stuff the cavity with aromatics like onion, apples, citrus fruits, garlic and fresh herbs. This infuses the meat as it cooks.
Use a flavorful basting liquid: Combine melted butter with herbs, citrus juice or other liquids. Baste the turkey every 30 minutes while grilling.
Let it rest before carving: As tempting as it is, don’t carve the turkey right off the grill. Letting it rest allows juices to redistribute for better texture.

With minimal effort, you can have the star of your holiday meal be a juicy, rotisserie grilled turkey with incredible smoky flavor. Trust me, once you go rotisserie, you’ll never oven roast a turkey again! Give this method a try and prepare to wow your family and guests.

rotisserie turkey on the grill

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Putting a chicken on the rotisserie is second nature, turkeys, however, do not seem to get as much spinning love. I find this a missed opportunity, as a rotisserie turkey is one of my favorite preparations. The self basting action of the rotisserie’s spin makes for an almost foolproof dinner. I’ve never had a dry and disappointing turkey. Ever.

Maybe the thought of spinning a 14 pound bird seems daunting. Don’t worry, it’s not. As the saying goes, if you can spin a chicken, you can spin a turkey. It’s that easy.

While I have grilled rotisserie turkeys on both my Summit Grill Center and Performer, the kettle is my grill of choice. Turkey’s are big, obviously, and the Kettle Rotisserie ring provides more than enough vertical space for such a big piece of poultry.

If you are planning to wow your guests at your next holiday gathering, look no further than the rotisserie. There is nothing more tasty than a dizzy turkey.

What you need : 1 fresh or thawed turkey, 12-16 pounds olive oil salt and pepper butcher twine

Prepare the grill for indirect medium high heat, 350-400 F.

When using the rotisserie, I mound all of my charcoal to one side of the grill.

Use a Char-Basket Charcoal Fuel Holder and an aluminum drip pan to help out.

With a pair of kitchen shears, remove the wing tips.

Wing tips do not have a lot of meat and worse, they are apt to burning if they stick out from the body. They are worth losing.

Generously salt and pepper both the inside and outside of the turkey.

Lightly rub olive oil all over the skin.

For a rotisserie turkey, I up my trussing.

Not only do I tie the legs together and wrap the body, I also add additional trussing up over the wings. The last thing we want after hours of spinning is a wing to break loose and burn.

Mount the turkey on the spit.

Push the forks together before tightening the set screws, so that the turkey is compact and secured.

Place the spit on the grill.

If grilling with the rotisserie ring, be sure to set the counterweight to the side opposite of the breast meat. This helps balance out the turkey and reduces stress on the rotisserie motor.

For a 14 pound turkey, figure about 2 to 2 ¼ hours of grilling, when the deepest part of the thigh reads 170 F with an instant read thermometer or iGrill to easily monitor your turkeys temperature.

Rotisserie Turkey on the Gas Grill

FAQ

Can you rotisserie a turkey on the grill?

For the turkey: Prepare a grill fitted with a rotisserie attachment according to the manufacturer’s instructions for cooking over medium-high heat. Truss the turkey with butcher’s twine so it is compact, then mount the turkey on the rotisserie spit.

What temperature should the grill be for rotisserie?

Note that Weber only recommends keeping the rotisserie burner on for the first 10 to 15 minutes of cooking. Longer than that will cause the outside of your food to be overdone.) No matter what you are to cooking, use with indirect medium-low heat and the temperature should stay right around 350F.

Can you rotisserie on a gas grill?

Most rotisseries for gas grills are paired with a rear infrared burner, which sends out direct waves to warm food on the rod, rather than a conventional gas burner that would flare up with every other drip of fat.

How long does it take to grill a turkey at 250 degrees?

The most important thing is to set the vents so that the grill maintains a temperature of 250 degrees. Periodically toss in about half a dozen briquettes. Cook 11–13 minutes per pound or until the internal temperature reaches 175°F for the legs and 165°F for the breasts and the juices run clear.

How do you cook a Turkey on a rotisserie?

Secure the spit forks and tighten the screws. Mix the brown sugar, paprika, 2 tablespoons salt, and 1 tablespoon pepper in a small bowl. Rub the turkey all over with oil and sprinkle with the seasoning. Place the spit on the rotisserie. If using a large kettle-style charcoal grill, position a 9-by-13-inch disposable aluminum pan under the turkey.

How do you Grill a Turkey on a rotisserie ring?

Mount the turkey on the spit. Push the forks together before tightening the set screws, so that the turkey is compact and secured. Place the spit on the grill. Make sure the counterweight is positioned on the side opposite the breast meat when using the rotisserie ring for grilling.

Can you cook a turkey breast in a rotisserie?

If you have time, dry brine the turkey breast with the spice rub: Rub with spices the night before, or up to 48 hours before cooking. Wrap the turkey in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until 2 hours before cooking. Grill with Rotisserie attachment (I use a Weber Summit with an infrared rotisserie burner.

How do you truss a rotisserie turkey?

Generously salt and pepper both the inside and outside of the turkey. Lightly rub olive oil all over the skin. For a rotisserie turkey, I up my trussing. In addition to wrapping the body and tying the legs together, I also add more trussing up over the wings.