How Long to Cook a Turkey on a Charcoal Grill: The Complete Guide

This year, as Ive done for several years now, Ill cook our Thanksgiving turkey on the charcoal barbeque grill. This is, in my humble opinion, the best way to cook a turkey, hands down. And it frees up the oven for more important Thanksgiving fare, like pie, stuffing (and more pie).

Heres what youll need to cook up your turkey on the grill. My method is optimized for your standard 22-inch Weber charcoal grill, so your mileage may vary with other kinds. I have no idea if this will work on gas grills, so if you try it and it doesnt work dont blame me.

We started off with 12-pound a free range turkey from Diestel Turkey Ranch. Diestels birds have a great old fashioned turkey flavor, and are really worth the extra money. You can go up to about 22 pounds or so, but any bigger and you might not be able to fit the lid on your grill. This happened to me one year when I tried to cook a big 24-pound bird. Closing the lid is important, since were not really grilling so much as roasting/smoking the turkey on the grill.

This recipe works fine with either brined or plain birds. We usually dry brine the turkey ahead of time (see Serious Eats Food Lab guide to brining for all the details), but it turns out fine without it, too. You can also buy one of those pre-brined ones which means one less thing you have to do.

Dry it thoroughly inside and out, if necessary. Make sure you remove the giblets in their bag (I forgot to do this once… yuck). Rub it all over with olive oil, and liberally season with salt and pepper, or just pepper if youve brined the turkey. Stuff the cavity with the onion, lemon, and herbs—I just grabbed a handful of stuff growing in our herb garden, but rosemary, sage, thyme, and oregano all work well.

Soak a cup of wood chips in water for 30 minutes. Build a medium sized charcoal fire, and when the coals are ready, divide them evenly into two piles on opposite sides of the grill. Scatter the wet wood chips on top of the coals. This will create smoke which will in turn give our turkey a subtle smokiness.

Place your foil pan between the piles of coals, and pour in your bottle of wine. (You can pour yourself a glass if you want, too.) The wine will add moisture and a little flavor to the turkey. If you dont want to use wine, you can substitute chicken broth or even water.

Put the grill grate on, making sure you position the handles over the piles of coals, as shown in the photo. Place your turkey on the grill, cover, and adjust the vents on the lid and on the bottom of the grill so they’re about half-way open—you want a pretty slow fire here so the turkey gets cooked through evenly.

Now go back in the house and watch football or something for a while. You’ll want to check on your bird every half hour or so, adding two or three charcoal briquets to each side if needed.

Cook your turkey until the temperature in the thickest part of the breast reads 161ºF. Our test bird took about 3 hours. Remove from the barbeque and let rest, tented with aluminum foil, for half an hour.

Congratulations—youve barbequed your Thanksgiving turkey! Taste it, and youll probably decide to do it this way again next year.

Making Gravy with Your Grilled Turkey

Gravy is the glue that binds Thanksgiving dinner together, and cooking the turkey this way does complicate things a little in the gravy department. The good news is that gravy is no problem, but youll have to use a slightly different technique than youre used to.

I usually start off by making a stock by simmering the turkey neck and giblets with some low-sodium chicken broth (4 cups or one 32-ounce container will do) and a carrot, an onion, and a celery stalk. Let this simmer for a few hours while you prepare and cook the turkey.

When the turkey is done and resting, remove the foil drip pan and its contents (the wine and turkey drippings) from the grill. In a large saucepan, make a roux with 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour and 4 tablespoons unsalted butter. Slowly add the turkey stock you prepared earlier and some of the drip pan contents to the pan and whisk in. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened and gravy-like. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

The proportions of turkey broth and drippings are up to you. The drippings will impart a smokey taste to the gravy, so use more for a stronger flavor, and less for something more subtle. Youll also want to use less of the drippings if youre cooking a brined turkey, since theyll be pretty salty.

Needless to say, you shouldnt stuff a turkey that youre cooking on the grill. Just make it in a pan in the oven and youll be set.

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Charcoal Grilled Turkey

FAQ

How long does it take to cook a turkey on a charcoal grill?

Using meat thermometer, cook turkey to internal temperature of 180° F in thigh and 170° F in breast. 10 to 16 lb. turkeys will take 2 to 3 hours to grill.

Do you cover turkey with foil when grilling?

Place turkey, breast-side down, into the roasting pan and scoop seasoning mixture over top. Cover the pan tightly with foil and place onto the grill. Grill until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 3 to 4 hours.

Does a charcoal grill cook faster with the lid on or off?

Leaving the grill lid up will slow the cooking process by reducing the temperature around the meat. For thicker cuts, you want to close the lid to keep the temperature high and even.

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 long to cook a Turkey on a charcoal grill?

With the right preparation and grill setup, your charcoal grilled turkey will turn out perfect! Cooking times can vary based on grill temperature and other factors, but in general you can estimate 15 minutes per pound for a whole turkey on a charcoal grill using indirect heat at 350-375°F.

How do you cook a turkey breast on a charcoal grill?

1. Preheat your charcoal grill to medium heat. 2. In a large bowl, combine the butter, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. 3. Brush the turkey inside and out with the butter mixture. 4. Place the turkey on the grill, breast-side up. 5.

How long does it take to grill a Turkey?

If the temperature is too low, the turkey will take too long to cook and may dry out. The amount of time it takes to grill a turkey will vary depending on its size. A 12-pound turkey will take about 3 hours to cook, while a 20-pound turkey will take about 4 hours.

How long do you cook a turkey breast on a grill?

Cooking the Turkey Breast: Place the turkey breast skin-side down on the preheated grill. Replace the grill cover and cook for 1 hour before checking the temperature. Flip the turkey breast over and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, monitoring the temperature periodically.

Can you cook a turkey breast on a gas grill?

Whether you’re using a gas grill or a charcoal grill, cooking with indirect heat is the best way to insure a perfectly cooked, juicy turkey breast. If you were to cook it over direct heat, the outside would get overcooked before the internal temperature was where it needed to be.

How do you cook a Turkey on a gas grill?

Put the turkey on the grate over the drip pan (not directly over coals). Keep the grill vents open to allow air flow and temperature control. This 2-zone indirect heat method prevents the turkey skin from burning while the inside cooks. The ideal temperature for grilling turkey is 350-375°F.