Gobble, Gobble! 

Great timing for this topic.  Each year, Thanksgiving dinner rotates between family members which means that I don’t cook the turkey very often (and don’t get leftovers).  This has given me the chance to try to perfect my grilled turkey on my household without risking a catastrophe on a larger family event…..AND, I have an entire turkey’s worth of leftovers.

Below is an adaptation from several recipe sources and some trial and error:

Injector Sauce:

• 1.5 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons rub (recipe follows)

For the Turkey:

• 1 turkey, thawed (I usually try to get a 15 lb fresh bird)
• 4 tablespoons rub (recipe follows)
• 1 tablespoon butter

Rub

• 3 tablespoons kosher or sea salt (finely ground)
• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 3 tablespoons ground pepper (finely ground)
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

Also Need

• Kitchen syringe
• 4 cups Wood chips (I like hickory) soaked an hour in water
• Aluminum Foil

1. Remove the giblets, and the neck and any other junk in the turkey cavity and rinse the inside with cold water. Season the inside of the turkey with 2 tablespoons of the rub.
2. Combine and mix the chicken stock and 2 tablespoons of rub in a bowl for the injector sauce. Fill the kitchen syringe with the injector sauce and inject the breast thighs and drumsticks. Repeat until run out of sauce or the turkey is fat and juicy.  Make sure to use a good syringe that will allow the chunks of spices thru the needle. I picked up a good one at Barbeques Galore – http://www.bbqgalore.com/accessories/utensils/219709
3. Tie the drumsticks together with butcher’s string. Rub the outside with butter and season the outside thoroughly. Put the turkey in a turkey pan or large disposable pan.
4. Prep 2 foil packets with wood chips that have been. Bring grill up to high to get the first foil packet smoking directly over the flame. If you have a smoker box, you can use that instead of aluminum foil packet. Turn heat to medium (325-350) and cook with indirect heat with a closed lid.
5. About 1 hour into cooking (see Cooking Times below), add the second wood chip foil packet directly over the flame. Cook until t reaches 170 degrees or thigh reaches 180 degrees. If the bird begins to get too crispy, you can cover with aluminum foil.
6. Let the turkey rest covered for 20 minutes before carving.

Cooking time will vary with the size of your turkey. An 8-12 pound turkey will take about 2-3 hours, 12-16 pounds will take about 3-4 hours.  16 to 20 pounds will be about 4-5 hours.

Enjoy!  And let me know if you have any tips of your own.  I will post pictures after I cook my Thanksgiving Turkey this year.