Grill Your Thanksgiving Turkey

November 21, 2011, By Jim Higley 1 comment

The best turkey I ever tasted was made by my good buddy Richard over twenty years ago. He cooked it on his Weber grill on a beautiful North Carolina autumn day. Richard and I spent a few hours manning the grill while the kids ran around rolling in the backyard leaves. It was a perfect day. It was a perfect turkey. And it was the perfect opportunity for me to learn something new.

At my request, Richard wrote down his cryptic instructions—including some drawings to better explain the set-up—on a small notecard. He handed it to me before we left their home, with bellies full and memories forever notched in our hearts. Every Thanksgiving since, I have pulled out that notecard to help me prepare what's now become my traditional grilled Thanksgiving turkey. And, if I do say so myself, there's not been a bad one yet.

The benefits of grilling a turkey are plentiful. It frees up precious space in the kitchen oven. It gives the guys—or whoever the designated grilling team is—an important task. Kids find it fascinating. And, perhaps most of all, it's different. And what better time than a holiday to shake things up and add a little spice to your life?

My—er, Richard's—recipe is pretty simple. It doesn't call for stuffing (although you certainly can add stuffing, which likely will change your grilling time). This is a recipe you can modify to give it your special signature.

And while my tried-and-true version uses a good old-fashioned Weber grill, I'm sure you can adapt it to your specific grill.