Can You Grill A Turkey? – How to Grill a Delicious Turkey

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Grill Girl

Can You Grill a Turkey?

Happy Thanksgiving Week to all you Grillers out there. If the weather is cooling down, but you aren’t quite ready to put away your grill for the winter, you might be wondering if you can grill your turkey this week. In fact, grilled turkey the best turkey we’ve ever tasted. We know because Grill Girl had to try it out at the office one day.

You can easily grill a turkey on your gas grill with delicious results. Heat your grill to 325 degrees and use indirect heat, smoking chips, and the spatchcock method. Then get ready for a Thanksgiving meal worth celebrating. Check out details below or watch Grill Girl’s step by step videos!

Grill a Turkey, Step 1: Spatchcock the bird.

If you want to grill your turkey this year, Grill Girl highly recommends cutting out the back bone and flattening the bird down by breaking the rib bones. Then, cook the bird breast-side up. While the inside of the turkey gets cooked, the thighs and wings get done with a crispy skin. Most importantly, the breasts are cooked but not dry.

What’s in Grill Girl’s Roasting Pan?

Combine 1 Cup Apple Cider, 1 Bottle White Wine, 1 Quartered Onion, 2-3 Halved Carrots, 2-3 Halved Pieces of Celery, 3-4 Smashed Garlic Cloves, and 1-2 Teaspoons Ground Black Pepper.
A note from Grill Girl: “Feel free to use one bottle minus one cup of wine in the roasting pan, but drink it AFTER you cut out the backbone of the bird. You need to be sober for that part.”

“Salt The Bird” Tips

Grill Girl’s go-to rub for poultry is 2:1 Herbs de Provence and kosher salt (for a whole turkey, it’s about 1/2 cup herbs, 1/4 cup salt). Herbs de Provence is a blend of dried herbs and spices, that traditionally includes thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaf. If those spices are a little much for you or you simply don’t have that blend, you can use any of those in combination with each other.

Spread the rub all over the skin. Then, work the rub under the skin where you can, including the thighs and the breasts. Lastly, sprinkle the remainder on the underside of the bird’s rib cage.

Grill a Turkey, Step 2: Prepare The Grill

Get smoke flavor into the turkey with smoking wood chips. You’ll need 4 cups of wood chips (whatever type you like best). Use one packet of dry chips and one packet of wet chips for maximum flavor. In other words, soak half the chips for about 15 minutes in water. After that, make 2 packets using aluminum foil with 2 cups of dry chips in one packet and 2 cups of wet chips in the other. Additionally, cut slits in the top of your packets. In the grill, place the packets directly over whichever burner is turned on. Rest the packets on the heat plates or briquettes. You can use a cast iron or stainless steel smoking tray instead.

Grill a Turkey, Step 3: Grill The Bird

First, remove your cooking grids. Heat your grill to 325 degrees. Then, turn off half your grill. Place the roasting pan over the burners that are turned off and the smoking chips over the burners that are turned on. The roasting pan and smoking chips will sit on the heat plates or briquettes you have covering your burners. Finally, replace your cooking grids and put the turkey over the roasting pan on the “off” side of your grill. As a result, the indirect heat and packets of chips create a smokey perfection.

Place an internal thermometer in the thickest part of the breast. For an accurate temperature, be sure the probe is not touching a bone. Cook your turkey to 165-170 degrees internally. For example, Grill Girl grilled this 12 lb bird for about 3 hours.

Grill a Turkey, Step 4: Remove, Slice, and Serve.

Currently, this is our favorite way of cooking the Thanksgiving bird here at GrillPartsSearch.com. With browned, crispy skin, and a beautiful pink smoke ring in the meat, our crew polished off this turkey in no time.

Likewise, running out of space in the kitchen? Throw your potatoes or other vegetables on the grill with your turkey for a complete, grilled Thanksgiving meal.

In short, Get Grilling and Happy Thanksgiving!

-Grill Girl

Late Summer Grilling

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Grill Girl

Try a fresh piece of fish for your next grill meal!

Let’s admit – by the time we all get to August, we’re kind of done with the burgers and hot dogs. Even if you’re not totally sick of them, you should give it a break for just a few weeks because they will certainly become your staple again once football season starts back up.

For an alternative grilled dish, give a nice fresh fish a try! One of my favorites to throw on the grill is salmon. It has a pretty sturdy flesh which makes it much easier to maneuver on the grill.

The absolutely easiest way to cook fish on the grill is by putting it in an aluminum foil tray, smothering it with a garlic-herb butter and then just putting the tray directly onto the grill grids. You won’t get that pretty grill sear, but you are guaranteed that the fish won’t stick!

You can also use a cedar plank, just a sheet of aluminum, or put it directly on the cooking grid. Just make sure that if you do choose to put it on the grid, you oil it properly before placing the fish on it. The safest way to oil a cooking grid is to put some oil on a paper towel and rub that thoroughly on the grid. Also, try to put your fish where the grid is the smoothest and the cleanest.

For even more tips, check out this video I made to answer a question from a customer!

That’s it for now! Do you have any tips on grilling fish? What’s your favorite thing to grill at the end of summer?

As Always- Happy Grilling!!
-Grill Girl

Hot Hot Hot!

Posted on July 13, 2015 by Grill Girl

Temperatures all around the country are HOT and getting Hotter!

Whether your means of cooling down is an air-conditioner that blasts 24/7 or an open window with a fan and a desperate hope, there’s absolutely no need to heat up your living space more than necessary!

That’s right folks, avoid those ovens and stove tops like the plague! You can cook SO many things on the grill using indirect heat and some roasting pans. Today, I’m dreaming of a nice crisp salad to end my day. You know me though, as the Grill Girl, I couldn’t have a salad without a lovely grilled chicken breast, or maybe some sliced grilled steak.

Doesn’t that sound amazing?

I don’t consider myself a chef, but here’s how I would build my dinner salad:

Get that grill going and throw on your choice of protein; how about grilled steak, chicken, salmon, or even shrimp? If using chicken, pound it out a bit so it’s nice and thin. It will take less time to cook. I like to add some citrus into my foods, so drizzle fresh-squeezed lime or lemon (your choice) along with some salt onto your meat before putting it on the grill. It is summertime after all!

Start your salad with a bed of romaine. In the hot summer months, nothing compares to the cool, watery crisp of romaine lettuce. Atop that, I would add some corn. If I have leftovers from a cookout I would definitely put that to use, or just open a can of sweet corn. Then throw on some chilled cherry tomatoes and sliced avocado. Add your meat and finish off with a sprinkle of Parmesan. Then, try making your own summer dressing instead of purchasing one from the store. Fresh is best! Here’s my all time favorite:

Cilantro Lime Dressing

The ratio you need is 2:1, oil to lime juice. I use olive oil, but you could also use canola. Then, add in some chopped cilantro, salt and pepper and fresh garlic! I blend in up and it gets pretty creamy. It’s very yummy and so easy!

Ok everyone, get outside to cook! Let the grill and the sun battle it out for who’s the hottest, while you get a great meal and run back inside to keep cool.

Happy Summer Grilling!

-GG

Grilled Bacon

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Grill Girl

Have you ever been tempted to try your hand at bacon on the grill?

With the social sharing sites like Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter all loving the idea of bacon and loving the method of grilling, it’s a short jump to grilled bacon.

However, it’s definitely easier said than done!

Doesn’t a bacon wrapped burger, stuffed with cheddar cheese, grilled to perfection sound amazing?

It looks even better according to the “oh so easy” picture by picture instructions found on pinterest for this recipe. Aspiring for wife of the year, a pinterester found and attempted this recipe. It resulted in the above photo, along with a full blown grill fire, complete with singed eyebrows.

So should we toss in the grill tongs when it come to bacon on the barbie?

***If you like to play it safe, yes. Just do bacon wrapped stuff in the oven.***

If you’re set on the adventure, here are a few tips before you get started.

Do not grill bacon over open flame
- heat the grill with one burner on low and place the bacon on the opposite side, using the indirect heat to cook it.
- if using charcoal, wait until the flames die down and cook over a hot bed of coals.
Grill bacon on aluminum foil or over a pan so the grease is not dripping into the grill
Low and Slow is the way to Go
- high heat is not your friend in this situation
Use a temperature gauge to check the internal temp of the food wrapped by bacon to ensure it’s cooked.
Make sure it’s easy to cut off fuel supply to your grill in case of fire.

Even taking these precautions, please remember that bacon is a very fatty food. Grilling it creates a high likelihood of your food and/or grill catching on fire. Just be careful!

And feel free to share your triumphs OR failures with us [email protected]

Happy Grilling!
-GG

For more hilarious pinterest fails, see pinstrosity.blogspot.com

Whip Up Your Own Spiced Rub

Posted on September 30, 2014 by Grill Girl

People say fresh is best! While it may not be true in every single case (like wheat versus beer 😉 ), in the case of spices and herbs, it definitely holds up!

When you grill, marinating your meats beforehand can do well to keep them from drying out. However, if you’re interested in a lot of flavor, try rubbing on a spice mixture of your own concoction. All you need are some fresh herbs and an oil of your choosing.

Try this out next time you get chicken or pork ready to grill:

>>Two cloves garlic (peeled), one shallot (peeled), a few leaves of sage, a sprig rosemary, and a teaspoon each of kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

>>Throw them all into a food processor or blender along with one to two tablespoons of oil and blend!

>>Rub the mixture on the surface (or under the chicken skin) and throw it on the grill.

The seasonings will cook into the meat and the salt will flavor and tenderize at the same time!

Don’t be afraid to throw your own herbs together! Cilantro, oregano, thyme – each would make a unique and flavorful addition to the simplest of menus. Even if you don’t have fresh herbs, mix together your own spices – and remember to check the dates on those spices! They are always best in the first 1-2 years (the fresher the better)!

What’s your favorite way to season your grilled food?

Happy Fall Everyone

-GG

Gas Grill Hacks – Smoke

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Grill Girl

Many hard-core smoker fans out there will make the gas grillers feel inferior when they swap grilling stories.

Chins up all my gas grill friends! They can spend all their waking (and sleeping) hours over that hot smokey grill while you and I go on with our lives!

America’s Test Kitchen (one of my FAVORITE resources) has come out with a video detailing how to get that same smokey flavor on your gas grill.

Sure, you’re thinking – I know! – wood chips. But America’s Test Kitchen has put many different methods of using wood chips to the test and here’s what they came up with. Check out this short but sweet (or should I say smokey?) video that shows you how to get the PERFECT packet of chips!

You can thank me later!

Enjoy!!

-GG

Visit GrillPartsSearch.com’s profile on Pinterest.

Cinco De Mayo On The Grill!

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Grill Girl

According to Wikipedia, Cinco De Mayo “originated with Mexican-American communities in the American West as a way to commemorate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War, and today the date is observed in the United States as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride.”

Most Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants around the country are holding celebrations or offering specials to commemorate this great excuse to party!

If you’re looking to grill something at home with a beer you don’t have to pay $5 for, try out some of these recipes!

Tequila Lime Chicken with a Margarita!
Pro Tip – leave the skin on the chicken breast when you grill it. That way if it chars, you can easily remove the charred part before serving. Yum!

Grilled Chili Lime Fish Tacos with Negra Modelo beer
Pro Tip – Tilapia has a short marinating time so this recipe is great for a last minute meal idea!

Grilled Tamales with Poblanos and Fresh Corn
Pro Tip – This recipe is more in depth and might take an hour to prepare – not for the faint hearted but promises to impress!

Grilled Mexican Steak Tacos with Chimichurri Sauce
Pro Tip – Throw all these ingredients on a bed of romaine instead for an amazing grilled salad!

Also check out our pinterest for even more ideas!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!!

-GG

Meatless Monday – #Grilled

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Grill Girl

Have you ever heard the term “Meatless Monday?”

Let me tell you, I hadn’t, until recently. I grill. I grill a lot. My favorite season to grill is “warm.” In other words, if it’s warmer outside than I want my house to be inside, I’d rather grill and leave my house cool. That being said, I will grill at any time as long as it’s not pouring down rain.

Wikipedia defines Meatless Monday as “an international campaign that encourages people to not eat meat on Mondays to improve their health and the health of the planet.”

How to Grill Vegetables

Here are a few general rules about vegetarian grilling.

Tofu
Tofu is a great meat replacement. With its hearty consistency, you can highlight it on the grill and not miss the meat you’re avoiding.

Purchase firm or extra firm varieties of tofu for the grill.
Always press the tofu to remove excess moisture.
Marinate tofu in any sauce you like, from BBQ sauce to soy sauce to salad dressing -overnight in the fridge is best. A sauce with sugar will create some yummy caramelization when you throw it on the grill.
Brush your grill grids with oil because tofu will stick as you cook it.
Try using shish kebabs for an easier way to cook tofu on the grill.

Veggies
You’re probably used to slicing up some onions and throwing them on the grill packaged up in tin foil. Keep your vegetables out of aluminum on Meatless Monday so they can be grilled heroes of the night.

Slice your veggies in a uniform manner, but keep their surface area as large as possible. This will help them have a similar cooking time but also make it easier to flip them.

See how this cauliflower is sliced in a thin manner but still has a large surface area to grill?

Use olive oil sparingly so your vegetables won’t stick but you don’t have oil dripping into the grill either.
Season with salt and pepper or your favorite grill seasoning mix.
For denser vegetables like potatoes, sear them on the main cooking grid and then allow them to finish cooking on the warming rack so they cook all the way through without getting burned.
Use kebabs or grid toppers to make the job easier.

Fruits
Throw some fresh fruit on the grill to bring out the sweetness and add a perfect healthy end to your Meatless Monday

For the easiest fruit dessert, turn to hard fruits like apples, pears, pineapples and citrus.
Slice the fruit in the same manner as vegetables – thinly with large surface area.
Leave the skin on – it will keep the fruit in one piece and be easy to remove after it’s done cooking.
Soak in cold water with a drop of lemon juice for 20-30 minutes before grilling to keep in the moisture.
Brush the fruit sparingly with a light cooking oil to keep it from sticking to the grill (the flavor of olive oil is too overpowering).
Clean the savory bits (from the meat or veggies) off your grill before throwing on the fruit and spray the grid with a light cooking oil.
Fruit needs no seasoning or addition- just cook on medium until your desired tenderness and serve warm.
A dollop of ice cream is a perfect end to that hot fruit.
If you’re feeling adventurous, experiment with nutmeg or cinnamon and alcohol instead of the lemon water marinade. You’ll have a big flare up once you throw the fruit on the grill so beware if you like how you look with eyebrows.

There are so many recipes available for vegetarian meals but not as many that offer meals you can actually cook on the grill. I’m always on the lookout for a good grill recipe to try and you can follow my Pinterest board here.

For today, though, I’ve compiled some meatless recipes that look absolutely delicious.

Two options for an entree:

Grilled Eggplant and Pesto Burgers

Tofu Kebabs with Cilantro Sauce

Outside the box take on grilled sides:

Caramelized Grilled Asparagus

Grilled Cauliflower Steaks with Fresh Corn and Black Bean Salsa

So, how does Meatless Monday sound now?

Think you might try it? If so, let us know!

Happy Spring!!

-GG

Visit GrillPartsSearch.com’s profile on Pinterest

Pancake Day – Pancake Burgers

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Grill Girl

Grilled Pancake Burger

It’s Mardi Gras. Some people refer to this as pancake day because pancakes were a great way to get rid of the indulgent things in the house like flour, eggs, milk, and sugar. Whether or not you give up something indulgent for the Lenten season, we think it’s a great excuse to eat pancakes.
Well, we saw a recipe for savory “pancakes” as the bun for a burger over at jamesvsburger.com. We wanted to see how it tasted with a classic pancake that had some sweetness to it.
Of course we kept the bacon.

Season Ground Beef – we used Monterey Jack cheese, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper

I like to roll the ground beef into balls to help regulate the size, then they’re easy to smash into round patties

You’ll need to heat the grill with the griddle on it. We started that early because it was cold here today

Start the bacon on the griddle and grill burgers on the remaining space

When the bacon is done, start the pancakes on the griddle using the bacon grease

I used the warming rack as a holding space for the cooked pancakes. They stayed warm and crispy

The Result

See those grid marks from the warming rack?

Then we had a party. #pancakeday Happy Fat Tuesday!

You’ll Need:

Pancake mix and ingredients needed to follow directions (We used the “just add water” version)
BACON
Ground Beef
Burger seasonings of your choice (we used cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and ground black pepper)
Monterey cheese (optional)

Directions:

Make burgers
Grill bacon on griddle
Grill burgers
Make pancake batter (according to box)
Grill pancakes on griddle in bacon grease
Assemble
Enjoy!!

Happy Fat Tuesday Y’all!!
-GG

Visit GrillPartsSearch.com’s profile on Pinterest.

Retro Recipe Monday – Polynesian Shrimp

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Grill Girl

Polynesian Shrimp – Retro Recipe

A couple years ago we helped a good friend move his grill parts business out of his gigantic warehouse. He was downsizing/partially retiring. We inherited some real gems. Among the treasure was a stash of recipes and cookbooks from the 70s and 80s. Use skewers to make this an easy Polynesian shrimp on-the-grill!

polynesian shrimp retro recipe

Polynesian Shrimp Ingredients:

1lb fresh or frozen shrimp – peeled and deveined, 6-8 bacon slices – cut in half, 1 banana, 1 6oz can pineapple chunks, brown sugar or honey, fish marinade (see below)

Polynesian Shrimp Directions:

Soak shrimp in marinade for 1hr. Wrap shrimp in bacon slice before placing on skewer. If very small shrimp are used, wrap 2 or 3 together. Alternate shrimp and fruit on skewers. Brush with honey or brown sugar. Place on grill and cook, turning and basting frequently with remaining honey or brown sugar, for 12-16 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and bacon is crispy.

Fish Marinade:

Equal parts white wine, soy sauce, and salad oil. Note: lemon juice may be substituted for white wine.

Enjoy it! And I think “salad oil” would be olive, or canola oil. Not 100% sure on that..

Enjoy!!

-GG

Visit GrillPartsSearch.com’s profile on Pinterest.

Can You Grill a Turkey?

Grill a Turkey, Step 1: Spatchcock the bird.

What’s in Grill Girl’s Roasting Pan?

“Salt The Bird” Tips

Grill a Turkey, Step 2: Prepare The Grill

Grill a Turkey, Step 3: Grill The Bird

Grill a Turkey, Step 4: Remove, Slice, and Serve.

-Grill Girl

Temperatures all around the country are HOT and getting Hotter!

I don’t consider myself a chef, but here’s how I would build my dinner salad:

Cilantro Lime Dressing

So should we toss in the grill tongs when it come to bacon on the barbie?

If you’re set on the adventure, here are a few tips before you get started.

Even taking these precautions, please remember that bacon is a very fatty food. Grilling it creates a high likelihood of your food and/or grill catching on fire. Just be careful!

People say fresh is best! While it may not be true in every single case (like wheat versus beer 😉 ), in the case of spices and herbs, it definitely holds up!

When you grill, marinating your meats beforehand can do well to keep them from drying out. However, if you’re interested in a lot of flavor, try rubbing on a spice mixture of your own concoction. All you need are some fresh herbs and an oil of your choosing.

Try this out next time you get chicken or pork ready to grill:

>>Two cloves garlic (peeled), one shallot (peeled), a few leaves of sage, a sprig rosemary, and a teaspoon each of kosher salt and cracked black pepper.

>>Throw them all into a food processor or blender along with one to two tablespoons of oil and blend!

>>Rub the mixture on the surface (or under the chicken skin) and throw it on the grill.

The seasonings will cook into the meat and the salt will flavor and tenderize at the same time!

What’s your favorite way to season your grilled food?

Happy Fall Everyone

-GG

Have you ever heard the term “Meatless Monday?”

Here are a few general rules about vegetarian grilling.

Tofu Tofu is a great meat replacement. With its hearty consistency, you can highlight it on the grill and not miss the meat you’re avoiding.

Veggies You’re probably used to slicing up some onions and throwing them on the grill packaged up in tin foil. Keep your vegetables out of aluminum on Meatless Monday so they can be grilled heroes of the night.

Fruits Throw some fresh fruit on the grill to bring out the sweetness and add a perfect healthy end to your Meatless Monday

For today, though, I’ve compiled some meatless recipes that look absolutely delicious.

Two options for an entree:

Outside the box take on grilled sides:

So, how does Meatless Monday sound now?

Directions:

Polynesian Shrimp – Retro Recipe

Polynesian Shrimp Ingredients:

Polynesian Shrimp Directions:

Fish Marinade:

Tofu
Tofu is a great meat replacement. With its hearty consistency, you can highlight it on the grill and not miss the meat you’re avoiding.

Veggies
You’re probably used to slicing up some onions and throwing them on the grill packaged up in tin foil. Keep your vegetables out of aluminum on Meatless Monday so they can be grilled heroes of the night.

Fruits
Throw some fresh fruit on the grill to bring out the sweetness and add a perfect healthy end to your Meatless Monday