Buzz
Photo: Lisegagne/Getty ImagesEver considered grilling your turkey this Thanksgiving? Grilling not only saves valuable oven space for your favorite vegetable dishes and pies, but if you're lucky enough to have warm weather, you can bring the party outdoors and make the turkey on the grill the star of the show.
"Grilled turkey is always a hit, and you'll become the Thanksgiving hero," says Elizabeth Karmel, the founder and executive chef of New York City's Hill Country barbecue restaurant. "When you bring that turkey off the grill, expect a standing ovation." If you do it just right, you could even cut around 45 minutes off the cooking time for a 14-pound turkey.
I followed our grill expert's basic turkey recipe, and the results were fantastic: juicy, slightly smoky, incredibly easy, and full of flavor. I learned a lot through the process, so here are 11 tips—most from the expert, and a few from an amateur griller—for a perfectly grilled bird.
1. Give Your Grill a Check-Up
Check with your local hardware store, or wherever you purchased your grill, to see if they offer tune-up services. "It's essential to ensure everything's clean, there are no blocked burners, and everything is in good working order," says Karmel. A yearly tune-up should be sufficient.
2. Practice, Practice, Practice
If grilling isn't something you do often, consider setting aside a weekend evening before Thanksgiving to rehearse. You don't need a ton of side dishes, just follow the entire turkey recipe from start to finish.
Your family and friends will appreciate the extra turkey, plus those delicious leftover sandwiches the next day. Trust us, if you're hosting Thanksgiving, a practice run will be totally worth it.
3. Preheat the Grill for 15 Minutes
If you're using a gas grill with three burners, as I did, set them all to high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn off the middle burner right before placing the turkey on the grill. You want the grill to be nice and hot, as Karmel suggests.
4. Arrange Your Turkey According to the Burners
When using a gas grill, place the turkey based on the orientation of the burners. For vertical burners, position the turkey vertically; for horizontal burners, set it horizontally. This ensures the turkey cooks evenly throughout.
5. Invest in a Grill Thermometer
A meat thermometer is essential for checking the turkey's internal temperature, but Karmel also recommends spending $5 on a grill thermometer. This is important because the temperature dials on the outside of a gas grill often don't give an accurate reading of the grill's interior heat.
Your target grill temperature is between 325 and 400 degrees F, but to hit that range, you may need to turn the exterior dials up to 600 degrees F. Make sure to check the grill thermometer periodically when you check on the bird to ensure the temperature is correct.
6. Use Indirect Heat
Direct heat occurs when the flames and heat source are directly beneath the bird. Karmel cautions, "You'll burn the bottom of the bird," which is something to definitely avoid.
With indirect heat, there's no need to handle the food; the heat circulates around it. As Karmel explains, "If you're new to grilling, think of indirect heat as roasting or baking. Direct heat is broiling."
7. Apply Oil to Your Bird
Before you start grilling, it's essential to coat the bird with oil. This prevents it from sticking to the grill grates or drip pan and gives it a beautiful, golden finish. Karmel prefers olive oil for a classic flavor, but her secret chef's tip is to quickly brush on maple syrup or a dash of Southern Comfort with citrus notes—"something with sugar that'll help caramelize the top."
8. If You Stuff, Plan for a Longer Cooking Time
"Stuffing the bird is definitely an option," says Karmel. "However, it adds significant time to the cooking process, as you need to cook it until the stuffing's center reaches the right temperature."
Karmel's preferred stuffing is Southern-style dressing, cooked separately. For the bird, she suggests stuffing it with aromatics like an orange with cloves stuck in it, an onion, and a touch of celery.
9. Beware of Wind
During my grilling test, the wind blew out the burners several times without me realizing. Karmel points out, "Wind is the only thing that affects the cooking time." She adds, "If it's not windy, the temperature outside doesn't matter, but wind can easily blow out the burners."
Her advice: Before firing up the grill, spend a minute near it. If you notice it's in a windy spot, move it to a more sheltered location.
10. Save the Drippings in a Shallow Pan
Don't forget to catch the turkey drippings for gravy, but avoid placing the bird too deep in a pan, as this could prevent the bottom from cooking evenly. I learned that lesson the hard way.
The ideal solution is to use one of those 3-inch tall aluminum pans from the store, elevating the bird on a bed of root vegetables or aluminum foil logs. Just be sure the pan's rim isn't too high, as it could cover the turkey legs.
11. Get Creative with Gravy
Gravy is a fantastic canvas for culinary creativity. Karmel's recipe stands out, almost like a delicate French sauce, enriched by a splash of white wine and butter. She crafted it specifically for "those who shy away from gravy because it felt too gamey." According to her, these very people, she claims, "wind up savoring every drop."
To give your gravy a personal touch, try adding a hint of orange zest or a few sprigs of rosemary or sage as it simmers. Alternatively, you can add "just a dash" of maple syrup or a splash of rich, unfiltered apple cider.
