Grilling
- Indirect heat with a drip pan; Illinois recommends a covered kettle grill.[6][7]
- A small turkey, 8 to 14 pounds, unstuffed.[8]
- Keep 325°F to 350°F under the hood; a 12-to-14-pound turkey takes about 4 hours. No thermometer on the grill? Use an oven thermometer. Wind, cold and the fire change the time.[9]
- Don't stuff it. Done at 165°F in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.[1][10]
Smoking
- Smoking cooks indirectly and slowly over a drip pan, in a covered grill or a smoker.[11]
- Thaw completely first. A smoker runs low, and a frozen bird would sit too long in the danger zone.[2]
- Put an oven-safe thermometer in the smoker and keep the air between 225°F and 300°F the whole time.[3]
- Expect four to eight hours.[4]
- Don't stuff it. Done at 165°F in the innermost thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.[1]
- Smoked turkey meat is always pink, even when fully cooked.[12]
Spatchcocking
Spatchcocking means taking out the backbone and flattening the bird. With sturdy kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it, then flip the turkey and press down to break the breastbone.[13][14]
Two extension services give the same figure: roast at 450°F for about 70 minutes for a 12-pound turkey. It is still a whole turkey, so it is done at 165°F in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. It cooks faster, carves more easily and takes less room in the oven.[5][15][16][17]
That 450°F figure belongs to a flattened bird only. It doesn't apply to a whole turkey, and the calculator doesn't use it.[5]
Not for frozen birds
Never smoke or grill a frozen turkey: oven roasting is the only method recommended from frozen.[18]
Sources
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Turkeys that are grilled or smoked should not be stuffed. Smoked or grilled, your turkey is safe to eat when the thermometer registers 165 degrees in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
Smoking cooks food at low temperatures, and frozen food would stay in the temperature danger zone too long before reaching a safe internal temperature.
Use an oven-safe thermometer to monitor the air temperature in the smoker or grill. Ensure it stays between 225°F and 300°F throughout the cooking process.
It can take anywhere from four to eight hours to smoke a turkey.
Roast at 450 degrees for approximately 70 minutes for a 12-pound turkey. Again, the innermost parts should register 165 degrees.
Grilling a whole turkey or turkey breast requires indirect heat and a drip pan.
The covered kettle-style grill and medium hot coals are recommended for grilling.
Use a small 8 to 14 pound unstuffed turkey.
If the temperature under the hood is hot enough (325°F to 350°F), grilling a 12 to 14 pound turkey should take approximately 4 hours. If your grill does not have a thermometer, an oven thermometer can be used. Cooking time may vary depending on temperature of the fire, wind and outdoor air temperature.
A whole turkey is safe when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. Check the internal temperature in the wing and the thickest part of the breast too.
Smoking is cooking food indirectly and slowly over a drip pan in a covered grill or smoker.
Turkey can remain pink even after cooking to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F. The meat of smoked turkey is always pink.
Spatchcocking is a fancy term for cooking a whole turkey or chicken by removing the backbone and splaying the bird out flat.
To spatchcock your turkey, use sturdy kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the turkey’s backbone and remove it. Flip the bird over and flatten it by breaking the breastbone.
This method involves removing the backbone and flattening the turkey before roasting. This helps the heat circulate more evenly, allowing a 12-pound bird to cook in about 70 minutes at 450 degrees F.
A whole turkey is safe when cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer. Check the internal temperature in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast.
Among the benefits of spatchcocking are a quicker cooking time, easier carving and a moister turkey, according to the USDA.
Oven baking/roasting is the only method recommended for cooking a frozen turkey. Don’t use an oven bag or cook the frozen turkey in the deep fryer. You should also never smoke, grill or use the microwave to cook a frozen turkey.