How to Cook a Thanksgiving Turkey on a Charcoal Grill

If your oven is packed with sweet potato casserole and baked corn--or you're just looking for a new Thanksgiving flavor--cooking your turkey on a charcoal grill can be a fresh way to prepare this Thanksgiving favorite. Surprisingly, this method results in juicy, succulent meat and a golden brown appearance that will look gorgeous on your dinner table.

You'll need a charcoal kettle grill with a lid, a defrosted turkey and the usual accouterments like seasonings and vegetable oil. You'll also need a bag of charcoal and an aluminum pan to catch the drippings.

Here's how to cook your turkey on a charcoal grill:

Step 1: Prepare the turkey. Remove the neck and giblets, and pat the turkey dry. Rub the outside of the turkey with vegetable oil. (You can also use olive oil or melted butter). Season as desired. Close the skin over the neck with a metal skewer, and tuck in the legs and wings.

Step 2: Prepare the charcoal grill. You'll need about 30-60 pieces of charcoal, depending on the size of your grill. Place the aluminum pan in the center of grate, and evenly arrange the pieces of charcoal around it. Remove the pan, but do not rearrange the charcoal. Light the charcoal, and let it burn until it's gray on the outside and bright red on the inside. When the charcoal is ready, return the pan to the center of the grill, and place the cooking grate in the proper position.

Step 3: Position turkey. Place the turkey in the center of the cooking grill with the breast side up. It should be above the aluminum pan so that the pan can catch any drippings (which can later be used for gravy). Put the lid on your grill.

Step 4: Monitor the grill. Every hour, add about 10-20 extra pieces of charcoal to grill, evenly distributing them. It's important that the heat is even inside the kettle grill. If you notice that one side is hotter than the other, try moving the charcoal around with some tongs to spread out the coals.

Step 5: Check the turkey. The turkey needs to cook for about 12 minutes per pound, although you should check it with a meat thermometer to ensure the center reaches the appropriate temperature (at least 165 degrees when testing the thigh).