How to Smoke a Turkey on the Grill

www.foodandwine.com/cooking-techniques/smoking/how-smoke-turkey-kettle-grill


Smoking is a great way to cook a turkey for a few reasons. It frees up the oven for Thanksgiving side dishes and pies. It gives the cook—and their guests—a good reason to hang out outside, around the fire, for the better part of the day. And most of all, smoking turkey at home can give you the perfect Thanksgiving centerpiece: a turkey with gorgeous, lacquered skin and flavorful, juicy meat.



Plan on smoking the turkey for 12-15 minutes per pound for a small (12- to 14-pound) turkey. A small turkey is best, so the bird can sit away from the coals, and cook from the indirect heat and smoke adjacent to the coals versus grilling directly over them.



If you have a backyard smoker, the process is pretty straightforward, but you can also make a Simple Smoked Turkey on a kettle grill, using the lid and the vents to regulate the flow of air in the grill.