How to Cook a Juicy, Flavorful Turkey in a Fire Pit

If the current news cycle makes you want to run screaming into the woods for Thanksgiving, we understand. The upshot? If you know what you’re doing, you can cook a turkey over a campfire.

Especially if you follow Steven Rinella’s advice. An expert outdoorsman and hunter, Rinella is also a damn good cook. He’s the author of six game and wildlife cookbooks. He has a new book coming out on November 20 called The MeatEater Fish and Game Cookbook: Recipes and Techniques for Every Hunter and Angler.

But first, a caveat: Rinella doesn’t actually eat turkey on Turkey Day. “The first Thanksgiving was described as an impromptu affair,” says Rinella, who is based in Bozeman, Montana. “They would have eaten whatever they had on hand. ” The time to hunt wild turkeys—the only kind of turkey Rinella eats—is in the spring. It doesn’t make sense to freeze a bird for six months when there are so many other things that can be harvested in the fall. Take, for example, venison, “which was surely on the original Thanksgiving menus,” Rinella says.

He says, “But I’ve cooked a boatload of turkeys.” He also tells us that his new book has a lot of great recipes for wild turkey. Also, the recipes below can be used for chickens and turkeys that have been tamed. Just make the cooking time longer because tamed turkeys are usually bigger than wild turkeys.

Before diving in, consider this advice from Rinella. Lose any notion of cooking the bird à la Rockwell—that is, intact. He says, “That would be like flying a helicopter.” He means that you’d have to work so hard to make sure the turkey cooked evenly on all sides that it would stress you out. “Lower your expectations. ”.

Cooking a turkey in a fire pit may seem daunting, but it can lead to an incredibly moist, smoky, and flavorful bird that will be the star of your holiday table. With some preparation and patience, you can master this fun and unique cooking method.

Getting Started

Picking the Turkey

Choose a 10-16 lb turkey that will fit comfortably in your fire pit, Allow 1,5 lbs per person A fresh or thawed frozen turkey works best

Supplies

You’ll need

Fire pit
Hardwood logs like oak or hickory
Charcoal
Large Dutch oven with lid
Basting brush
Cooking thermometer

Building the Fire

Start by building a teepee-shaped fire with hardwood logs in your pit. Allow it to burn down to hot coals, about an hour.
Once you have an ample bed of red-hot coals, spread them evenly across the bottom of the pit.
Add a layer of fresh charcoal briquettes to maintain consistent heat.

Prepping the Turkey

Remove giblets and neck from turkey cavities. Rinse turkey and pat dry.
Liberally coat the skin with oil or butter. This helps crisp the skin.
Season the turkey inside and out with salt, pepper and any other desired spices like sage, thyme, or rosemary.
Stuff the cavity with aromatics like onions, apples, oranges, or lemons.

Cooking the Bird

Place a cooking grate over the coals.
Put the turkey in a large Dutch oven, breast side up. Add 1 cup of water or broth to the bottom to help steam it.
Put the lid on top and place the Dutch oven on the grill grate, centered over the coals.
Cook for about 15 minutes per pound, rotating the Dutch oven and adding fresh coals every 45 mins.
Use a meat thermometer to check doneness, inserted deep in breast and thigh. Turkey is done at 165°F.

Finishing Touches

When fully cooked, remove turkey and let rest 15 minutes before carving. This allows juices to redistribute.
Make pan drippings into a flavorful gravy while turkey rests.
Carve turkey and serve piping hot with desired side dishes. Enjoy your delicious fire pit turkey!

Turkey Cooking Times

Cooking time can vary based on size of turkey and heat of the fire pit. Use these general guidelines:

10-12 lbs: 2 1⁄2 – 3 hours
12-14 lbs: 3-3 1⁄2 hours
14-16 lbs: 3 1⁄2 – 4 hours

Turkey is done when thighs reach 165°F and breast 175°F. If using a stuffing, it must reach 165°F.

Maintaining Proper Heat

The key to perfectly cooked pit turkey is maintaining consistent heat. Here are some tips:

Use an oven thermometer to monitor pit temperature. Shoot for 325-350°F.
Add fresh charcoal briquettes every 45 minutes to maintain heat.
If temperature drops below 300°F, add more coals. If over 375°F, close vents to lower temp.
Rotate Dutch oven periodically and add coals underneath to prevent hot spots.

Basting and Browning the Bird

Basting helps keep the turkey moist and promotes browning. Follow these basting tips:

Use a silicone basting brush to apply melted butter, olive oil or poultry drippings.
Baste turkey every 30 minutes, taking care to lift lid only briefly.
Once turkey is nearly done, baste frequently to crisp and brown the skin.
For extra browning, remove lid last 30 mins if pit temperature allows.

Troubleshooting Pitfalls

Cooking turkey in a fire pit has some challenges. Here’s how to avoid common pitfalls:

If flame flares up, spray water on coals to reduce temperature.
Use foil or a diffuser under Dutch oven if coals are too hot.
Rotate turkey if one side is cooking faster than other.
Add broth to Dutch oven if drippings evaporate and start to burn.
If turkey skin burns, tent foil over it while continuing to cook.

Food Safety Tips

When handling raw poultry and cooking over a fire pit, follow these food safety guidelines:

Defrost turkey thoroughly in fridge before cooking. Do not thaw at room temp.
Use separate knives, cutting boards, and prep surfaces for raw turkey.
Wash hands, utensils, and surfaces with soap after touching raw turkey.
Cook turkey to minimum internal temperature of 165°F to eliminate bacteria.
Do not let turkey sit in temperature danger zone between 40-140°F too long.
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Reheat to 165°F before serving.

Make It a Feast

A fire pit turkey needs delicious side dishes. Consider these flavorful recipes:

Maple Baked Sweet Potatoes – Roast sweet potatoes wrapped in foil next to the turkey.
Green Bean Casserole – This classic is easy to assemble beforehand.
Cranberry Sauce – Simmer cranberries, sugar and orange juice on a camp stove.
Pumpkin or Pecan Pie – Prebake your favorite pie to serve for dessert.
Herb Stuffing – Sauté bread cubes, onions, celery, herbs and broth in a skillet.
Wine Gravy – Use turkey drippings and red wine to make a rich gravy.

Get Creative with Leftovers

Leftover turkey is a wonderful problem to have. Get creative with these leftover ideas:

Turkey Enchiladas – Dice turkey and mix with salsa, beans, and cheese.
Turkey Wild Rice Soup – Simmer turkey, veggies, broth, and wild rice.
Turkey Pot Pie – Make a roux, add turkey, vegetables, and cream. Top with pie crust.
Turkey Tacos – Shred turkey and mix with peppers, onions, cheese, and salsa.
Turkey Caesar Salad Wrap – Toss romaine, turkey, parmesan and caesar dressing in a tortilla.

With the right preparation and patience, you can masterfully cook a turkey in a fire pit. Follow these tips for a juicy, smoky bird with crispy skin that will be the highlight of your holiday table. Just be ready for the delicious leftovers!

how to cook a turkey in a fire pit

Choose Your Adventure

There are two ways to cook a bird over a fire. The first is to spatchcock it. To the uninitiated, spatchcocking means butchering a bird so it lays flat. Basically, you cut down the backbone with kitchen shears, then either break or remove the breastbone. Rinella says that patchcocking turns something 3D into 2D, which makes it much easier to cook everyone the same amount of food. If you want to serve your Thanksgiving meal as One Big Bird, choose this route. The other option is to cut your bird into pieces. Rinella likes to butcher a raw turkey into two breasts, two bone-in thighs and drumsticks, and two wings. The benefit here is that you can cook each piece for exactly as long as needed.

For a Spatchcocked Bird

Place it over the grate, skin side down. (Don’t remove the skin before cooking for either of these methods. Skin keeps the bird moist, and it’s delicious. ) After about four minutes, give the turkey a light baste with clarified butter, then turn it over. You’ll keep basting and turning every four minutes or so as it cooks. Your turkey will not cook evenly, no matter what you do. “So you’re going to eat in stages,” Rinella says. In old Westerns, they cut off small pieces of meat and eat them while the big piece of meat keeps cooking. That’s exactly what you’ll do with this method; you’ll bast and turn the meat as you eat it. As long as you have a lot of wine, eating a few bird bits at a time feels festive and social, and you won’t feel bad about not having a full, sit-down meal. If your bird is big, you might have to wait 40 minutes to an hour before you can start digging in. (Its done when a meat thermometer reaches 160 degrees and the juices run clear. ).

Cooking a Whole Turkey Over a Campfire | Off-Grid Camping Adventure

FAQ

How long does it take to cook a turkey on a pit?

That will mostly depend on the size of the turkey and the amount of heat being generated by the pit. But generally, a 12-pound turkey should be cooked and done after three hours. The temperature you’re aiming to get is 165 F. Once you get it, take out the turkey and leave it covered while resting for 20 minutes.

How to cook on an outdoor fire pit?

Cooking successfully over open flame is all about timing. Wait until all the large logs in your pit have fully caught fire. Also key is to hold off until the fire dies down a little. It’s fine to have some flame, but ideally you want to cook over hot coals, not a raging inferno.

Should I smoke a turkey in a pan or on the grate?

My solution is to smoke the turkey directly on the grill grates, with a roasting pan filled with 1″ water underneath the grates, about 3-4 inches from the meat. This will keep the cooking environment moist but let the turkey get evenly crisp on the outside. 2. Turkeys should not be trussed.