Has anyone used a gas grill to roast a turkey?

[Miss Mary]

Normally I'd post this on the Community Forum but with Thanksgiving around the corner, I thought time is of the essence here. My husband and our youngest daughter traditionally cook the TG meal. We usually have 4 to 8 people that day. This year - 22! So we're trying to figure out how we'll fit everything in the oven. We have an Amish fresh turkey ordered. 24 - 26 lbs. Then I saw a recipe for grilling turkey. Looked interesting but the recipe called for a 12 lb turkey.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

And before anyone suggests a turkey fryer, we have a peanut oil allergy in the family. So that is not an option.

Thanks so much.

Mary

[Aquawind]

I grill them all the time in Weber charcoal grills. Gas I am sure can be done, but I would find a Weber.. That's a big turkey so it better be a big grill. Maybe a neighbor has one to borrow..

[Miss Mary]

We're probably just going to use the oven but it would be another option - using our gas grill. Yes that is a large bird and the top grates would get in the way I'm sure. Maybe two 12 pound turkey's would have worked but it's ordered now. Poor thing is probably enjoying fresh air still.......anyway, thanks for the feedback. We've roasted chickens on the grill but they've been around 5 lbs.

Mary

[senorpepr]

Yeah, my family uses a gas grill for Thanksgiving turkey a lot. Although, as of lately, they've been using a gas smoker. Either way, we've found you can end up with some phenomenally moist turkeys using a gas grill/smoker. Definitely the way to go.

[Dionne]

A 24-26 lb turkey on a gas grill? You better put it on later today if you want it ready for Thanksgiving!!!!


I have a weber charcoal grill.......the large one. We cook turkeys all the time on it. What I do is mix pecan wood with the charcoal. So it works like a hot smoker. It is an all day affair.

It is definitely worth the effort.

[Miss Mary]

Yeah, well we're not going this route but it was a thought. We're roasting it in our oven. Thanks for the replies though!

M.

[JenBayles]

For future reference, try this when you have a smaller bird, or even just a turkey breast. Our gas grill can operate on either one, or both sides. Season the bird however you like, then spray it liberally with Pam. Use the Pam spray on enough aluminum foil to wrap the bird in, and place on the side of the grill that does NOT have the flame under it. I like to use some moist hickory chips to give that great smoky flavor to it. You'll be surprised how it gets into the foil and flavors the bird. I also like to stuff 'em with cut up oranges and every so often squeeze on another orange section as a basting fluid during cooking. About the last hour, unwrap the bird, turn heat up if necessary and brown it.

Since the bird is wrapped in foil, you can get away with higher cooking temps and get it done faster. My mom has passed down her oven roasted turkey chart to all of us kids, and it only takes 4.5 hours to do a 25 pound bird. Season and stuff however you like, spray the bird and the foil with Pam, and follow this chart for roasting at 425:

8 lbs 3 hours
14 lbs 3.5 hours
20 lbs 4 hours
26 lbs 4.5 hours

Open foil the last 30-45 minutes to brown; after removal from oven, allow to turkey to stand with foil open for 30 minutes before carving. This helps get some of the pan juices back into the bird. We have NEVER had a dry turkey using this method, and since it takes so little time, it frees your oven up for other things as well.

[alicia-w]

we have used a gas grill in the past, but prefer to use a smoker instead.

[O Town]

I am throwing a 17 pounder on the smoker Wed. night and letting it smoke while I sleep. Not much work, and the best turkey I have ever eaten. You should really try it sometime Mary, if not for the holidays maybe do a small one just for the heck of it sometime during the summer.

[alicia-w]

or cornish game hens......OMG

[Jack8631]

Yeah, well we're not going this route but it was a thought. We're roasting it in our oven. Thanks for the replies though!

M.

You really should try the grill once; you'll never go back to the oven again! Perhaps Thanksgiving isn't a good time to experiment, but another time when the outcome isn't so 'critical'.

Don't know much about gas grills, but I cook turkeys on my Weber all the time. I like to put one of those cheap throw-away aluminum pans under the bird partially filled with water, then build the coals around the tray. Keeps the drippings out the coals (and the grill itself), and helps keep the turkey moist. Honestly, doing it this way I don't think it takes much longer than cooking in the oven if you keep the coals hot.

[CajunMama]

That's how my husband cooks his too jack. BBQ'd turkey is great. I also inject the bird with seasoning using the cajun injector. And if i remember correctly we coat the bird with vegetable oil.

http://www.amazon.com/Cajun-Injector-Ho ... B0006LOVQ2

[Jack8631]

That's how my husband cooks his too jack. BBQ'd turkey is great. I also inject the bird with seasoning using the cajun injector. And if i remember correctly we coat the bird with vegetable oil.

http://www.amazon.com/Cajun-Injector-Ho ... B0006LOVQ2

I have to try that sometime. Looks great! What a nice twist..

Yes, one or two coatings with veggie oil while the bird is cooking will help keep the skin from drying out. My better half likes the skin crunchy, so I'm usually light-handed with the basting brush.

[azsnowman]

Yup...I've BBQ'd MANY a turkey, my secert, I split the bird in half along the backbone so there's no chance of uncooking it...it cooks evenly too

I inject my turkey also...I use a combination of:

Olive oil
Natures Seasoning
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Chilpoltle seasoning

[HurricaneGirl]

This topic is making me Hungry!

[Pburgh]

Oh Mary, I read this and it sent a chill up my spine. I could picture something like out of a Chevy Chase movie!!! --------- Mary, standing on the snow covered deck, a can of beer in one hand and a spatula in her other mitten covered hand wearing her boots and snowsuit and looking down at a half cooked bird on the grill --------- and the relatives all drunk and eating green beans and jello salad at the dining room table!!!!

No Mary, don't do it!!!!!!!

[JenBayles]

There's a world of difference between grilling and smoking. Plan a good 10-12 hours on a smoker for a large turkey. The grills (gas in particular) have the heat source so close to the grill, you really need to use the off-sides method of cooking (fire on one side, food on the other). Grilling is faster than smoking, but you can still get the smoky flavor by putting wet chunks of hickory, pecan, or even fruit wood in loose aluminum foil with holes poked in it. Place the foil packet over the side of the grill that has the flame going. Just another tip I remembered from my pre-smoker days. I love my New Braunfels smoker!

[Dionne]

I have just today been informed that I WILL be in Memphis on bird day. No cooking for me this year. I thought as we aged life became simplier? This will be my first time in Memphis on Thanksgiving......would requesting BBQ ribs be considered unacceptable?

[Miss Mary]

Oh Mary, I read this and it sent a chill up my spine. I could picture something like out of a Chevy Chase movie!!! --------- Mary, standing on the snow covered deck, a can of beer in one hand and a spatula in her other mitten covered hand wearing her boots and snowsuit and looking down at a half cooked bird on the grill --------- and the relatives all drunk and eating green beans and jello salad at the dining room table!!!!

No Mary, don't do it!!!!!!!

Don't worry, I'm passing on firing up the grill. LOL I love Chevy's movies though.....I wish we'd have snow on Thanksgiving!!!! Latest forecast I read calls for highs in the upper 50s!

We're going with the traditional roast method. But I did consider using the gas grill. This bird is just too darn big. I have the beer and soda chilling in the garage, so there's room in the fridge for it. Come Thursday, something else is gonna have to go before oven time. So that beer is nice and cold ya know...yeah a second fridge would be nice.

This thread turned out comical!

Mary

[JenBayles]

I have just today been informed that I WILL be in Memphis on bird day. No cooking for me this year. I thought as we aged life became simplier? This will be my first time in Memphis on Thanksgiving......would requesting BBQ ribs be considered unacceptable?

Ribs unacceptable? In the South?! No way! One year I put everything on the smoker - turkey, ribs, beef brisket, sausage - and got rave reviews for the dinner. I say whatever you want to eat is acceptable, even on Turkey Day.