Cooking Tips: Grilling a Holiday Turkey

Outdoor cooking of a big bird for the holiday meal is becoming a popular cooking method. During grilling, a turkey cooks by indirect heat in an outdoor covered gas or charcoal grill and a pan of water is placed beneath the grilling surface to catch the fat and juices that drip from the turkey as it cooks. Cooking is done by the hot, smoky, steamy air. Grilled turkey is one of our fave Christmas recipes!

Turkeys that are 16 pounds or less are the recommended size for safe grilling. Do not stuff the turkey. Because cooking is at a low temperature, it can take too long for the temperature of the stuffing to reach 165°F. Also, smoked stuffing has an undesirable flavor.

For additional information on cooking turkey, read Turkey: Alternative Routes to the Table on the US Department of Agriculture's site.