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How to Smoke a Turkey on a Weber Charcoal Grill

Smoking a Turkey on a Weber Charcoal Grill 

Do you plan to prepare a smoked turkey but are unsure of how to use a Weber charcoal grill for smoking? Don’t fret over it. Your Weber charcoal grill is perfectly capable of slow-roasting the turkey to achieve the same tender and moist result you’d expect from a smoker.

When you are grilling turkey, a flavorful brine of apple juice, spices, and brown sugar may help you in keeping turkey tender, juicy, and delicious. For better results, you have to brine the turkey for 24 hours in the refrigerator before cooking.

In this blog, we are going to discuss a very easy and simple recipe for smoking a turkey on a Weber charcoal grill.

How to Smoke a Turkey on a Weber Charcoal Grill

Smoking the turkey may take you about 3 to 4 hours after bringing it as it depends on the size of the bird. Aside from a weber charcoal grill, you may also use a gas or charcoal grill for this recipe.

Along with it, you also have to use a good-quality grill thermometer for measuring the inside temperature and to avoid overcooking the turkey. And you can also check the meat at different points with the help of a probe thermometer to make sure that it is fully cooked or not and safe to eat.

Recipe of Smoking a Turkey on a Weber Charcoal Grill 

Ingredients you may need

  • 1 cup Kosher salt
  • 1 pound brown sugar
  • 3 large oranges (quartered)
  • 2 quarters apple juice
  • 3 quarters water
  • 15 whole cloves
  • 115 grams fresh ginger (thinly sliced)
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 6 large bay leaves
  • A pack of hickory chips
  • Vegetable oil (for brushing on the bird)
  • 12 to 14-pound turkey

Instructions to Cook a Turkey 

  1. Take a large saucepan and put brown sugar, salt, and apple juice in it. Bring this mixture to a boil and continue heating it unless the salt and sugar get dissolved.
  2.  Remove any foam that may form on the top of it and let it cool.
  3. Get a large stockpot or a similar container that might be 5-gallon or larger enough to combine the apple juice mixture along with 3 quarters of water, ginger, garlic, bay leaves, and oranges.
  4. Trim off any fatty deposit you may find on the turkey and everything from its body cavity.
  5. Now place the turkey in the brine mixture and place it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. You have to make sure that the turkey remains completely submerged in the brine.
  6. Put the hickory chips in water and get ready for your grill for indirect grilling the turkey on medium heat.
  7. Get the turkey out from the fridge and then brine and pat dry with the help of paper towels.
  8. Then tie the legs of the bird together with a string and lightly brush it with vegetable oil.
  9. Preheat your weber charcoal grill to about 325 degrees F or 165 degrees C. And arrange the turkey on a roasting rack inside a foil pan. Put on the grill but away from direct heat.
  10. After 30 to 40 minutes, you may have to wrap the wings in foil to keep them away from burning.
  11. Now brush the turkey with vegetable oil time by time. If the breast appears to get too brown, cover it with a foil. Your smoked turkey will be done when the internal temperature reaches almost 175 degrees F or 80 degrees C in the thigh (or legs) and almost 165 degrees F or 75 degrees C in the breast. You may have to expect it to take about 12 to 14 minutes a pound.
  12. When it seems that your smoked turkey is done, remove it from the grill and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
  13. It is ready to cut and serve with your desired sauces.

How can you set your charcoal grill to smoke a turkey on it?

First of all, you have to set the grill for indirect cooking. For smoking a turkey on the grill, you may need to arrange the coals in a circle around the exterior of your grill and leave the space in the middle without coals. In this central vacant space, you can put a pan to catch any juices that drip out from the turkey while cooking. The bird will go over the pan.

One of the main and tricky parts about smoking a turkey is that this bird is typically large. For this, you have to be prepared to dispose of your charcoal grill for about 5 to 6 hours. Make sure that the inside temperature of the grill will stay around 200 degrees F. It may keep your turkey smoking and cook at a very good rate.

What do you have to do if your smoked turkey is done too early?

If the bird hits the temperature that is 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast and thigh sooner than expected, do not worry at all. You may know that a turkey may rest for a minimum of 20 minutes before carving and serving, for the juice to settle down.

In case the bird is done way too early, cover it with aluminum foil and put it in a 200 degrees F oven. Put a pan of water on the rack beneath the turkey. Moreover, it can also keep it warm and moist unless it is ready to eat.

Final thoughts

As you now know how to smoke a turkey on a Weber charcoal grill. So, now you can get yourself a smoked turkey this Thanksgiving. If you are the one who is hosting the get-together, then all you have to do is get your smoker ready with charcoal or wood chips.


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