Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

turkey on the grill

(2 ratings)
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Michelle Teel
Danville, KY

Our oven quit working the night before Thanksgiving so I had to improvise and decided to cook our 28 lb. turkey on the grill. I placed a metal 13x9 pan bottom side up on the grill then a large cookie sheet on top of that. I put the turkey, uncovered (in a turkey roaster pan) on top of that so the bottom would not char. It cooked in half the time it would have taken in the oven and what a wonderful idea it turned out to be... my whole family loved it and it was the juiciest and most tender turkey I have ever cooked! We have cooked our turkey this way every time now and it is always perfect!

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Love this cooking method! The turkey comes out perfectly moist... and tasty, too! It's a very easy way to cook a turkey and frees up space in the oven. The skin is a beautiful golden brown and crispy. After one bite, you'll never want to make your turkey any other way.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(2 ratings)
yield serving(s)
prep time 20 Min
cook time 4 Hr 15 Min
method Grill

Ingredients For turkey on the grill

  • I ALWAYS JUST SEASON TO TASTE. YOU DECIDE HOW MUCH OF EACH IS RIGHT FOR YOU.
  • 1
    turkey, thawed
  • 1 c
    olive oil
  • 1 tsp
    thyme, dried
  • 1 tsp
    sage, dried
  • 1 tsp
    rosemary sprigs
  • 1 tsp
    parsley flakes
  • 1 tsp
    garlic salt
  • dash
    salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp
    ground mustard
  • dash
    cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp
    celery seed

How To Make turkey on the grill

Test Kitchen Tips
We rotated our turkey every 30 minutes to cook evenly. Our 12-pound bird took 2 hours to cook.
  • 1
    Place a 13x9 metal pan bottom side up on grill. Place a large cookie sheet on top of pan. Turn on both sides of grill on low heat.
  • 2
    Place turkey in roaster pan and rub olive oil all over to coat the whole turkey.
  • 3
    Mix all of your spices and seasonings together in one bowl. Sprinkle over the whole turkey inside and out.
  • 4
    Put the roaster pan on top of the cookie sheet on grill, uncovered and close the lid. Check every hour and add water if needed. Baste with the drippings as desired. Cook until the internal thermometer pops out all the way.
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