Grilling Your Thanksgiving Turkey on Your Barbecue

Believe it or not, grilling a whole turkey is becoming somewhat popular. Personally, I’m not doing it and the biggest reason is you should not stuff your turkey when you grill it. I prefer the stuffing to the turkey.

OK - So the first rule is do not stuff the turkey.

The second rule is to not grill a turkey that weighs over 16 pounds. It takes too long to grill and remains at a low temperature for too long a period.

You want to cook your turkey over indirect heat. The turkey needs to be on the barbecue for a long period, so indirect heat is a must to keep from burning it. It’s a very good idea to have a 2nd tank on hand in case your first one runs out. Figure approximately 15 to 18 minutes per pound. The internal temperature must be a minimum of 165 degrees - I recommend a final temperature of 175 degrees but the turkey will continue to cook once you remove it.

You want turkey gravy - I know you do. A pan of water under the turkey will catch the drippings. Here’s a neat little barbecue technique. Get one of the aluminum throwaway pans and add some wire to the corners and maybe each center and tie that to the grill, hanging it a few inches below the turkey. This will catch the drippings.

I put this out a week before the big day so if anyone has any suggestions or tips, you have time to add them.