11 Expert Tips for Grilling a Thanksgiving Turkey

Give Your Grill a Tune-up

Ask at your local hardware store, or wherever you bought your grill, if they do tune-ups. "You want to make sure it's clean, there are no clogged burners, and everything's working and up to par," says Karmel. An annual tune-up should do the trick.

Practice, Practice, Practice

If you don't grill often, it's worth reserving a weekend evening before Thanksgiving to practice. You don't need a million sides, but follow the whole turkey recipe, soup to nuts.

Your family and friends will love that they have an extra turkey opportunity followed up by those next-day sandwiches. Trust us, if you're hosting for T-Day, you'll be glad you did a dress rehearsal.

Preheat the Whole Grill for 15 Minutes

If using a gas grill with three burners, as I did, let them all fly at high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, and then kill that middle burner just before plopping on the bird. You want the grill nice and hot, according to Karmel.

Position Your Bird With the Burners

If using a gas grill, position the turkey depending on the direction of the burners. If you have vertical burners, your bird should be vertical; or if horizontal, position it horizontally. This helps the turkey cook evenly along its length.

Get a Grill Thermometer

You want a meat thermometer for the bird, but it's also worth spending $5 for a grill thermometer, according to Karmel. That's because dials on the outside of a gas grill often don't reflect the interior temperature accurately.

You're aiming for a grill temp of 325 to 400 degrees F, but that could mean you have to kick the outside dials up to 600 degrees F. Check the grill thermometer periodically, whenever you check on the bird, to ensure you're grill temp is right on track.

Go With Indirect Heat

Direct heat means that the flames and heat source are immediately below the bird. "You'll burn the bottom of the bird," warns Karmel, and no one wants that.

"With indirect heat, you don't need to touch the food; it's cooked by the rotating heat," says Karmel. "If you're new to grilling, think of indirect heat as roasting or baking. Direct heat is broiling."

Oil Your Bird

Before grilling, it's crucial to oil the whole bird. This keeps it from sticking to the grates or drip pan and makes for a beautiful finish. Karmel likes olive oil for a classic taste, but her chef’s trick is to quickly brush on maple syrup or citrusy Southern Comfort, "something with sugar that'll help caramelize the top."

If You Stuff, Budget for a Longer Cooking Time

"You absolutely can stuff the bird," insists Karmel. "But when you do, it adds a lot to the cooking time, because you have to cook it until the center of that stuffing comes to temperature."

Karmel prefers her stuffing Southern-style—known as "dressing"—cooked on the side. As for the bird, "I'd stuff it with aromatics: an orange with some cloves stuck in it, an onion, and a little bit of celery."

Watch Out for Wind

During my test-grill session, wind blew out the burners a few times without me noticing. "Wind is the only thing that affects the cooking time," says Karmel. "If it's not windy, it doesn't matter how cold it is outside, but wind has a tendency to blow out burners."

Her tip: Before turning on the grill, stand near it for a minute. If you notice the grill is in a windy spot, relocate it to a protected area.

Save the Drippings in a Shallow Pan

Catch those turkey drippings for gravy, but don’t let your bird sit too deep inside a pan, which could prevent the bottom from cooking evenly. I learned this one the hard way.

Your best bet is to use one of those 3-inch tall aluminum pans from the grocery store, and then elevate the bird on a bed of root vegetables or aluminum foil logs. Just make sure the pan's rim isn't so tall that it covers the turkey legs.

Be Creative With Gravy

Gravy is a fun place to think outside the box. Karmel's recipe is wonderful, almost like a French sauce thanks to a few glugs of white wine and butter. She created it for "people who didn't like gravy because it was too gamey." Those people, she says, "end up lapping it up."

To give gravy your own spin, add a touch of orange zest or a few springs of rosemary or sage as it simmers. Other options are "a tiny bit" of maple syrup or a good unfiltered apple cider.