Grilling a Turkey on a Weber® Gas Grill

Before You Get Started

The following information is useful for cooking any turkey.

Do not roast the turkey in an oven temperature lower than 325° F. Poultry should be roasted at a Minimum of 325° F. or higher to avoid potential food safety problems.
Do not roast the turkey in a brown paper grocery bag. Present-day grocery bags may be made of recycled materials, and they are not considered safe for food preparation.
Do use a meat thermometer (available at most grocery stores and kitchen shops) to determine the correct degree of doneness. Turkey is done when the meat in the thigh reaches 180°F or the meat in the breast reaches 170°F.

8 to 12 pounds — 2 3/4 to 3 hours

12 to 14 pounds — 3 to 3 3/4 hours 1

4 to 18 pounds — 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours

18 to 20 pounds — 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours

20 to 24 pounds — 4 1/2 to 5 hours

8 to 12 pounds — 3 to 3 1/2 hours

12 to 14 pounds — 3 1/2 to 4 hours

14 to 18 pounds — 4 to 4 1/4 hours

18 to 20 pounds — 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours

20 to 24 pounds — 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours

Before you place your turkey on the grill, some preparation is necessary.

Take out the grill grates.
Place two aluminum disposable drip pans between the burners and the grill grates to catch the drippings.
Preheat your grill to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
If grilling on a Weber® Genesis, put the first burner on the medium setting. Turn the second, middle burner off. Turn the third burner on medium. The idea is to have the middle burner off when the drip pans are above it, cooking with indirect heat from the sides.
Preheat the grill for 10-15 minutes.
If it is cold outside, let the grill preheat for an extra 10-15 minutes.
Monitor temps with a wireless meat thermometer and a grilling app. Wireless meat thermometers come with temperature probes for meat and grill temps, which also allow you to set alerts if there is any temperature fluctuation. Place the probes in the turkey before you put it on the grill.
Always have a spare propane tank as an extra, so you don’t run out during the cook.
Wear temperature-resistant gloves or chef’s mitts while cooking on the grill.

Once the grill is preheated, it is time to start grilling your turkey.

If you brined the turkey, let it drain before you put it on the grill.
Place the turkey into a grill roasting basket. Position the turkey upside down (breast side down) for the first half of the cook.
A 20lb turkey will take 3-4 hours. For Weber® gas grills, a rough guide is 18 mins per pound, approx., set at 325-350 degrees INDIRECT HEAT.
Halfway through the cook, when the turkey is about 125 degrees, take the turkey off the grill (lifting from the grill basket) and place it in a drip tray. Use tongs placed inside the turkey on each end to help flip it over. Rub the turkey with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Now is also the time to add a bacon wrap if you choose. Then place it back on the grill and continue cooking.

When the turkey breast meat is 170 degrees, remove it from the grill.

Let the turkey rest for 20-30 minutes before serving.
If you can push your thumb into the turkey and it leaves an impression, you know you have a beautifully cooked, moist turkey.