Charcoal Grilled Turkey Half Recipes

SLOW-GRILLED TURKEY

Steps:

• Let turkey sit at room temperature at least 1 hour. Stuff turkey with aromatics or stuffing of your choice; tie the cavity closed.
• Open grill vents. Place a chimney starter on the small lower grill grate, put 50 charcoal briquettes in starter, and ignite; let burn until ash gray. Remove chimney starter, center roasting pan on grate, and pour out coals, dividing evenly on each long side of pan. (Be careful not to spill ashes into pan, since it will collect the turkey drippings needed for gravy.) Top with main grill grate.
• Combine oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Rub or brush mixture all over turkey.
• Place turkey on top grate, directly over roasting pan, and cover with grill lid (keep lid vent open). Every 45 minutes, add 8 unlit briquettes on each long side of roasting pan to keep heat even. (Some grills have a grate with space on the sides that allows for this addition. Otherwise you'll need a helper to lift the grate with the turkey while you add the coals.) Cook turkey until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (and the stuffing) reads 165 degrees, 2 to 3 hours (about 10 minutes per pound with aromatics, 12 minutes with stuffing). Remove from heat, and let rest 20 minutes before carving.

CHARCOAL GRILLED TURKEY HALF

Steps:

• Mix first 8 ingredients together in small dish, put onion, carrots, and celery in center of foil pan that you plan on using for grilling or roasting; sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons of seasoning mixture onto vegetables, add turkey broth.
• Rinse bird inside and out; pat dry.
• Try to loosen up some of the skin.
• Mix together olive oil and lemon juice; rub onto turkey.
• Sprinkle inside, outside, and under skin of bird with the remaining seasoning mixture.
• PUT TURKEY CUT SIDE DOWN IN FOIL PAN AND REFRIGERATOR FOR ONE HOUR . (Try to get veggies covered by the turkey so that the flavors can saturate the meat a bit).
• Prepare grill: all grill vents (including the cover) are OPEN. (Our grill has 3 vents on bottom and 1 on the lid, open them all up).
• Put 50 briquettes in grill.
• Set grate in place.
• Allow the coals to glow red hot, then change into a light coating of gray ash, which might take about 35 minutes, with the temperature reaching 350°F (medium heat) or so that your hand cannot tolerate the heat for more than 2 seconds-w/o touching grate, of course.
• Put foil pan onto grate; close 2 of the 3 bottom vents, COVER with grill cover that has its 1 vent HALFWAY OPEN.
• Grill for about 90 to 120 minutes, or until the meat thermometer temperature is 165 degrees F. (Allow 15 to 18 minutes per pound).
• Start checking 25 minutes before the minimum amount of cooking time. (If parts of the turkey begin to get dark before the bird is done, drape those areas with foil.).
• Remove turkey from grill and let sit for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

GRILLED TURKEY

Steps:

• Dissolve the salt and sugar in 2 gallons cold water in a large (at least 16 quart) stockpot or a clean bucket. (You can also add fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme or bay leaf, or aromatics like onions and garlic.) Add the turkey, cover and refrigerate, or set in a very cold place (that stays somewhere between 32 to 40 degrees F) for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Remove the turkey from the brine 1 hour before grilling. Rinse well under cold water and pat dry to remove the salt.
• Prepare a charcoal grill for indirect grilling. The temperature inside the grill should be 350 degrees F.
• Place the turkey on the grill, cover and grill until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 175 degrees F, 2 hours 15 minutes to 2 1/2 hours. Let the turkey rest 1 hour before carving.

TURKEY ON THE GRILL

Steps:

• Remove neck and giblets; reserve for other uses. Remove and discard excess fat. Rinse the bird inside and out and pat dry. Season body cavity with salt and pepper. Tie legs together and twist wing tips under back. Brush turkey with oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange turkey breast side up, in center of cooking grate. Place lid on grill.
• Cook 11 to 13 minutes per pound or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh not touching bone registers 180 degrees and the juices run clear. Transfer turkey to a platter. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving.
• Method for the Charcoal Kettle Grill: Open all vents on the grill. Use charcoal dividers to hold the charcoal briquettes. Divide the briquettes evenly, place them in the dividers and place the dividers on either side of the charcoal grate, as close as possible to the outside edges. Ignite the briquettes and, keeping the lid off, let them burn until lightly covered with a gray ash, about 25 to 30 minutes. If necessary, use long-handled tongs to rearrange the briquettes so the coals will burn evenly on both sides. Place a foil drip pan on the charcoal grate between the baskets of coals. Put the cooking grate in place, positioning the hinged sides of the grate over the briquettes so that more charcoal can be added easily. Arrange the bird breast side up in the center of the cooking grate. Place lid on the grill, leaving all vents open, and grill as directed above. Add briquettes as indicated on the chart below at the end of each hour to maintain the heat.
• Charcoal Briquette Guide for Kettle Grill: For a 26 3/4-inch grill, use 30 briquettes on each side for the first hour of grilling and add 9 briquettes to each side every hour to maintain heat.
• For a 22 1/2-inch grill, use 25 briquettes on each side for the first hour of grilling and add 8 briquettes to each side every hour to maintain heat.
• For an 18 1/2-inch grill, use 20 briquettes on each side for the first hour of grilling and add 7 briquettes to each side every hour to maintain heat.
• Method for the Gas Barbecue: Ignite the grill and turn all burners to high. Close the lid and preheat 10 to 15 minutes to bring the grill to 500 to 550 degrees. Turn burners down to medium heat. Place turkey breast side up in a roast holder inside a foil drip pan. Position pan in the center of the cooking grate and place the lid on the grill. For three burner grills, set front and back burners to medium and turn off center burner. For two burner grills, turn the front and back burners to medium. Keep grill covered.