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This delicious Grilled Turkey recipe will not only become a Holiday favorite, but you’ll cook it off-season as well.
Contents hide
1 🍽️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
2 🦃 Ingredients
3 🔥 Grilling Instructions
4 💡 Recipe Tips
5 👨🍳 Recipe FAQs
6 Grilled Whole Turkey
We don’t cook turkey enough, but we’re going to change that right now. Grilled turkey is so easy to make since it is virtually hands-off after you spend 15 minutes preparing it, just like the Smoked Spatchco*ck Turkey. It quietly grills into perfection while you are off working on your honey-do list. Just make sure your better half is convinced that the grill (and your beer 🍺) needs a lot of monitoring!
We decided to do an off season grilled turkey as we wanted to make a larger piece of meat that we could turn into several additional meals throughout the next week. We could see that our calendar was backed up and this was an easy way to have the main meat course grilled ahead of time and now we could either make full recipes or simply add vegetables and salads. I found the turkey on sale right after thanksgiving, and waited until I had some time to put it on the grill.
This bird would be fantastic if you are having out of town guests coming, where you need to feed a crowd or need meat to make sandwiches to take guests out on the trail to hike.
🍽️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- You will have around 12 servings, so it’s great for a crowd!
- The turkey is super moist and flavorful.
- You only need 3 ingredients.
- Only requires 15 minutes of prep time.
- There is an option for meal prep.
🦃 Ingredients
As I mentioned, you only need a few ingredients, and it will be one of the best birds you could eat!
Olive Oil | It’s going to help allow the herbs to stick to the turkey. You could swap it for any other oil you like, but we prefer the results with olive oil.
Herbs | You can use a combination of any of your favorite herbs. We liked to use rosemary, thyme, and sage.
Salt & Pepper | Add as much or as little as you like to enhance the meat’s flavor.
🔥 Grilling Instructions
Step One: Set the grill to 325 degrees on indirect heat and bring it up to full temperature. I used the plate setter on the Big Green Egg.For a gas grill, turn off the center burners.
Step Two: Combine the olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary and thyme into a container and stir.
Note: I used dried herbs as they seem to do better during long grills. Fresh herbs tend to turn black. I think they still taste great, but it isn’t as aesthetically pleasing.
Step Three: Clean the turkey and remove the neck and package of the organs. Keep them for the gravy, though. Spray the roast and rib rack so the turkey doesn’t stick. Yes, it will stick as I tested that before, unintentionally! Rub the turkey with the olive oil mixture and place in the turkey rib rack.
Step Four: Place the rack on a disposable aluminum pan and add the turkey. I tied the legs using butcher’s twine to keep it neat and tidy. Add some wine, water or chicken broth to the drop pan. Some folks use the drippings for gravy, but I haven’t had a lot of luck with that. At best, it stops the drippings from hitting the charcoal and creating an acrid smoke. The drip pan does a great job protecting the bird.
Step Four: Place the turkey on the grill and grill for 12-15 minutes for each pound. Ours was a 13 pound bird, so we started monitoring the temperature closely after two hours. Rotate the bird if you notice one part of the skin is getting darker than other areas. It is time to take the turkey off the grill when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
💡 Recipe Tips
Definitely freeze the leftovers. I recommend cutting it up and placing the pieces in freezer safe Ziploc bags. I also like to double wrap mine with Press n Seal to give it a little bit more security. It might be overkill for a lot of people, but I spent a lot of money and time on the food so I try to protect it as much as I can. I hate it when my food gets freezer burn!
There are great meal prep options for you:
- Clean out the turkey and pat it dry. Cover it and set in the refrigerator overnight.
- Prep the olive oil and herbs into a container or jar. Simply shake and spread in the morning before placing it on the grill.
- Prep the rib rack and drip tray to have on hand so you aren’t scrambling to find them in the morning.
Try to Dry Brine the turkey using the process we showed on the Dry Brined Chicken recipe. It takes a few days of advance planning, but the flavor was worth it!
👨🍳 Recipe FAQs
Can I add more herbs?
Absolutely! We like the herbs to be subtle and not overtake the flavor of the turkey itself. Feel free to adjust and add whichever herbs you like best.
How long does cooked turkey last in the fridge?
Leftovers will last in the fridge for around 3-4 days. This is a great option if you like to meal prep, so you have something quick to grab.
Can I freeze leftovers?
Yep, absolutely! I recommend removing the meat from the bones and saving just the meat. Keep it in an airtight container or freezer bag, then freeze for up to 4 months.
Related Recipes
- Grilled Spatchco*ck Turkey with Yucatan Dry Rub
- Smoked Turkey Breast
- Smoked Turkey Thighs
- Amazing Grilled Turkey Legs
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with me through social media by following me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!
Grilled Whole Turkey
Amazing and EASY grilled turkey recipe that keeps the bird nice and moist. This is a mildly seasoned bird that can please everyone and is ready to make into additional meals with leftovers.
5 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours hours
Total Time: 3 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 334kcal
Author: Jason
Ingredients
- 1 Turkey 12-15 pounds
Simple Turkey Rub
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 tbsp Herbs dried, we used rosemary, thyme and sage
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Herb and Olive Oil Mixture
Mix the dried herbs and the olive oil in a small glass bowl
Rub the inside and outside of the turkey with the herb and olive oil mixture
Prepare the Grill
Set up the grill to 325 degrees using indirect heat.
Grill the Whole Turkey
Use butcher's twine to tie the legs together
Place a disposable aluminum tray on the grill grate. Fill it with a cup or two of water. As the juices from the turkey drip, it will fall into the water and will eliminate excessive acrid smoke if it had dripped into the charcoal.
Place the turkey in a rib/roast rack and place it over the disposable pan.
Check the turkey after about two hours. If a hot spot is developing, rotate the bird to get an even cook.
The turkey is done when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let the turkey rest for an hour before slicing and serving.
Notes
Drip Pan: Some people like to reserve the turkey drippings for making gravy. I have seen folks add white wine or even a fruit juice to the disposable pan, but I have not been successful in using the drippings for a gravy. It just didn’t taste that great, so I just use water to avoid the excessive smoking.
Mild Taste: This is a great MILD turkey! That was the goal here. The herbs do not overwhelm the bird which allows you to enjoy it without concern of the rub being overpowering. This is great as well as it allows you to use the leftovers without hesitation as there aren’t too many opposing flavors.
Amp up Flavor: If you want a more robust bird, use fresh herbs and place underneath the skin and in the turkey cavity. Lemons and oranges also will add quite a bit of flavor when put into the cavity of the bird.
Meal Prep Options:
- Clean out the turkey and pat it dry. Cover it and set in the refrigerator overnight.
- Prep the olive oil and herbs into a container or jar. Simply shake and spread in the morning before placing it on the grill.
- Prep the rib rack and drip tray to have on hand so you aren’t scrambling to find them in the morning.
Freezer Friendly: Leftovers can be frozen in freezer safe gallon bags. Make sure to get all the air out and double wrap if these aren’t going to be eaten quickly within a month or so.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Leftovers for Meal Prep Lunches/Dinners: Consider using leftovers to make a few freezer meal prep lunches/dinner with grilled veggies to pull out when you don’t want to cook.
Nutrition
Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 155mg | Sodium: 241mg | Potassium: 481mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 147IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @kitchenlaughter or tag #kitchenlaughter!
Jason C
Jason’s been firing up the grill for over 30 years after graduating from the US Coast Guard Academy. His love of finely-grilled steak and chicken led him to buy his first Weber grill to put on his apartment patio in 1992. Each military move led to a new grill (a mixture of gas and charcoal) until he fell in love with the Big Green Egg in 2008. Since then, he has added another 4 grills to the collection. Yes, he has a problem. Jason loves smoking in the ceramic BGE with exotic woods including olive wood from Egypt and hard to find varieties such as sassafras and orange wood. Jason takes the term “foodie” to a whole new level, jumping at the chance to take food tours and cooking classes during foreign travels. These have provided inspiration to incorporate new ideas into recipes when he gets back home. He has been featured in Fox News, Parade, Yahoo News, Kansas City Living and more. After retiring from the military and moving to southwest Florida, he has focused grilling and smoking locally sourced meats and fish (read: he likes to catch his own fish!)
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