How to Smoke a Whole Turkey on the Grill
Butter under the skin, fruitwood smoke, and a hot indirect cook for crispy skin. Our whole turkey method for a pellet grill, kamado, or kettle.
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey, 12 to 14 lbs, fully thawed
- 1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- Your favorite BBQ rub, about 1/4 cup, plus 1 tablespoon for the butter
- Kosher salt, about 3 tablespoons (only if the turkey is natural and not brined)
Instructions
A whole turkey, butter under the skin, and 3 to 4 hours of fruitwood smoke at 325°F. Thanksgiving, handled.
This is the classic whole bird, the one everybody pictures on the table, cooked over fire instead of in the oven. You free up the oven for the sides, you get real smoke flavor, and the crew has a reason to stand around the grill while it cooks.
The trick is running the grill hot. At 325 to 350°F you still get plenty of smoke, but the skin crisps up instead of turning rubbery, and a 12 to 14 lb bird is done in an afternoon.
Need help buying, thawing, or brining your bird? Start with Turkey 101, then come back here and cook.
Recipe Card
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 3 to 4 hours
Rest time: 30 to 45 minutes
Grill temp: 325 to 350°F, indirect
Done temp: Breast 160°F, thighs 175 to 180°F
Serves: 8 to 10
About the salt: If your turkey says "enhanced," "basted," "contains up to X% solution," or kosher, or you already brined it, skip the salt. It's already seasoned, and adding more makes it too salty. Use a low-salt rub too.
Equipment
A grill that can hold 325 to 350°F indirect. A pellet grill, a kamado with the heat deflector in, or a kettle set up for two zone cooking all work. Make sure the bird fits with the lid closed and a couple inches of space around it.
Fuel. Pellets for a pellet grill, or lump or briquettes for a kamado or kettle.
Wood. Use whatever you've got. I like fruitwood for turkey: apple, cherry, or pecan. For charcoal, 2 or 3 chunks on the coals is plenty.
A leave-in digital probe thermometer. This is the most important tool on the list. You'll be watching the breast and the thigh.
An instant-read thermometer to double check both sides before you pull it.
A sheet pan or roasting rack to carry the bird to and from the grill.
Paper towels for drying the bird.
Foil for resting and for tenting the breast if it runs ahead.
A big cutting board with a juice groove and a sharp carving knife.
Dead Prong Fork for holding the bird steady while you carve and slice the breast.
Dead Grip Tongs for handling the bird
Skull Wipe Grill Towel for the mess.
How to Smoke a Whole Turkey, Step by Step
Thaw it all the way. In the fridge, plan on 1 day for every 4 to 5 lbs. A 12 to 14 lb bird needs about 3 days, so for a Thursday cook, start thawing by Sunday. Dry brining? Start a day or two earlier.
Prep the bird. Pull the neck and the giblet pack out of the cavities. Check both ends, because they hide in either spot. Pull the pop-up timer if it has one. Pat the bird dry inside and out with paper towels. Dry skin is crispy skin.
Salt it (if it needs it). Natural bird and not brined? Season it all over with the kosher salt, inside the cavity too. Enhanced, kosher, or already brined? Skip this step.
Fire up the grill. Get it running steady at 325 to 350°F, set up for indirect heat:
Pellet grill: Set it to 325°F and let it come up to temp. The whole cook area is indirect.
Kamado: Put the heat deflector in, add a few wood chunks to the lump, and dial in 325 to 350°F.
Kettle: Bank the coals on one side for two zone cooking, with the wood chunks on top. The bird goes on the cool side, away from the fire.
Butter under the skin. Mix the softened butter with about 1 tablespoon of rub. Starting at the cavity end, slide your fingers under the breast skin to loosen it, and keep going down toward the thighs if you can, without tearing it. Push the butter in and spread it around from the outside of the skin so it covers the breast meat evenly.
Season the outside. Hit the whole bird with your rub, top and bottom. If you salted it, go easy on a salty rub.
Get it on. Put the turkey on the grates breast side up. Tuck the wing tips behind the back so they don't burn. Set the leave-in probe in the thickest part of the breast, staying off the bone. On a kettle, point the legs toward the fire, since dark meat needs more heat than the breast.
Cook for 3 to 4 hours. Keep the lid closed and hold the grill at 325 to 350°F. On a kettle, rotate the bird about halfway through so it browns evenly, and add coals if the temp drops. If the skin is getting too dark before the bird is done, loosely tent it with foil.
Check for done. Pull it when the breast hits 160°F and the thighs read 175 to 180°F. Check both sides of the bird with the instant-read, since one side almost always runs hotter. If the breast gets there first, tent just the breast with foil and let the thighs catch up.
Rest it. Move the bird to a cutting board or sheet pan, tent it loosely with foil, and let it rest 30 to 45 minutes. The breast will coast up to 165°F, and the bird will stay plenty hot.
Carve it. Pull the legs and thighs off at the joint. Cut each breast off the bone in one whole piece and slice it across the grain into thick slices. Separate the drumsticks and slice the thigh meat off the bone.
Pro Tips
Cook to temp, not the clock. 3 to 4 hours is a guide. Wind, cold weather, and how often you open the lid all change it.
Pull the bird out of the fridge before you light the grill. It takes the chill off while the grill comes up to temp.
Don't stuff it. Stuffing slows the cook and has to hit 165°F itself. By then the breast is overcooked. Bake it on the side.
Bigger crowd? Cook two birds. Two 12 lb turkeys beat one 20 pounder every time, as long as your grill has room for airflow around both.
Save the drippings. Set a drip pan under the bird on a kamado or kettle and you've got the start of your gravy.
FAQ
How long does it take to smoke a 12 to 14 lb turkey? At 325 to 350°F, plan on about 3 to 4 hours. Cook to temp, not the clock.
What temp should I smoke a whole turkey at? We run 325 to 350°F. You still get real smoke flavor, and the skin crisps up instead of going rubbery like it does at 225°F.
What temp is a smoked turkey done at? Pull it when the breast hits 160°F and the thighs hit 175 to 180°F. The breast climbs to a safe 165°F while it rests.
Should I put butter under the skin? Yes. Butter under the skin bastes the breast as it cooks and keeps it juicy. Mixing a little rub into the butter seasons the meat directly.
What wood is best for smoking turkey? Mild fruitwood like apple, cherry, or pecan. Turkey takes on smoke easily, so stronger woods like mesquite can overpower it.
Do I need to salt my turkey? Only if it's a natural bird you didn't brine. Enhanced, kosher, and brined turkeys are already salted.
