A couple of people have asked me how I do the Thanksgiving turkey and when I tell them I do it in my Weber grill, they ask how I do it. I’ve been doing it this way since I lived in Detroit, so a long time. My brother Pat (Butch) was the one who got started on this, and it is now tradition. The advantages of this method are:
1 The oven is free to cook other things
2. The house isn’t hotter than a grandmother’s house in Florida in August
3. I love the smoky flavor
Soak apple wood chips or wool chips of your choice in water for at least 2 hours before cooking
Turkey prep:
Make sure bird is fully thawed
Salt and pepper inside
Brine turkey for at least 3 hours you can buy kits at your local grocery store.
Stuff cavity with an apple quartered, thyme, sage, garlic, and onion
Inject whole turkey with chicken broth
I then slip 4 tablespoons of butter between the skin and meat on the breast
Rub outside of turkey with canola oil and salt and pepper
Grill:
1 bag of non-lighter fluid charcoal (the big bag)
8 x 8 foil pan to catch drippings
Apple, hickory, or alder wood chips
Soak wood chips for 5 hours before using
Clean you grill grate or buy a new one
Oil grate well
Place foil drip pan on bottom grate of grill
Make sure all air holes are open
Place 20 charcoals on opposite sides of foil pan
Light the coals; wait until the coals are white hot and all the lighter fluid is burned off
Add a handful of wood chips to each side
Cooking time is 12-15 minutes a pound, so a 20 pound turkey should have a 5 hour cooking time depending how hot your fire is.
Place turkey above drip pan
Cover and set timer for one hour
Add 10 coal to each side
Add more wood chips
Set timer for one hour, but check on fire after 30 minutes
Add more coals if needed (you need to continue this step until turkey is done)
A good meat thermometer is important: your target is 165 degrees in the thigh (160 will give you perfect carry over)
if it looks like the breast is getting over done, cover in foil
let the turkey rest at least 30 minutes
Dan's Food Blog 