This BBQ Turkey Recipe brings together a whole turkey, rich butter, sweet apples, onions, garlic, and dry white wine for a memorable holiday or weekend cookout centerpiece. The turkey cooks on an outdoor grill over indirect heat, allowing it to slowly roast while picking up the rich flavors from the ingredients surrounding it.
The method is especially useful when you want to take your holiday turkey outdoors. A loose foil covering helps the turkey cook gently during the first stage, while the final uncovered portion allows the skin to develop a beautiful golden finish.
Serve it up with crisp, creamy Popeyes Coleslaw and a refreshing Avocado Margarita. It’s the kind of combo that makes you pause, sigh, and go back for seconds.
Why Make Turkey on the Grill?
- Frees up the oven: Cooking the turkey outdoors leaves your oven available for side dishes, rolls, casseroles, and desserts.
- Indirect cooking: The turkey is positioned for indirect heat rather than directly over the flames or hottest part of the grill.
- Rich roasting environment: Butter, white wine, apples, onions, and garlic create a flavorful environment inside the roasting pan.
- Large-bird centerpiece: A 15-pound turkey makes this recipe well suited to holiday gatherings and larger groups.
- Simple finishing method: After the initial covered cooking period, the foil is removed and the turkey is basted while it continues cooking until golden.
Setting Up the Grill for Turkey
The most important part of grilling a whole turkey is creating a setup that provides indirect heat.
Preheat the grill to medium heat and clean the grates before placing the turkey on the grill. The roasting pan should be positioned away from direct heat rather than directly over the hottest area.
For a gas grill, this generally means turning on the burners needed to create heat around the roasting pan while keeping the area directly beneath the pan away from excessive heat.
For a charcoal grill, arrange the coals to create a hot zone and a cooler zone, then position the roasting pan over the cooler section.
The grill should have a lid so the heat can circulate around the turkey much like an oven.
BBQ Turkey Recipe
Equipment
- Outdoor grill with a lid (charcoal or gas)
- Roasting pan or large disposable foil pan
- Basting Brush
- Meat thermometer
- Sharp knife and carving fork
- Tongs
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 1 15 pound whole turkey, neck and giblets removed
- 1 cup butter softened
- ¼ cup chicken soup base
- 5 medium apples cored and cut into wedges
- 3 sweet onions peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 cup butter cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic or to taste
- 1 750 milliliter bottle dry white wine
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to medium heat and clean the grates.
- Rub the entire turkey with softened butter mixed with chicken soup base.
- Stuff the cavity with apple and onion wedges.
- Place the turkey in a roasting pan and top with garlic and cubed butter.
- Pour in the white wine around the turkey (not on it).
- Cover loosely with foil and grill over indirect heat for 2 hours.
- Remove foil, baste, and cook for another 1–1.5 hours until golden and 165°F inside.
- Rest the turkey for 20 minutes before carving and serving.
Nutrition Info:
| Nutrition | Value |
| Calories | 1294kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 16g |
| Protein | 118g |
| Fat | 77g |
| Sugar | 10g |
| Sodium | 1310mg |
Creative BBQ Turkey Variations (From My Grill to Yours!)
How Indirect Grilling Works
Indirect grilling keeps the turkey away from direct contact with the hottest part of the grill.
Instead of placing the bird directly over the heat source, the turkey cooks inside the covered grill as hot air circulates around it. This makes the process more similar to roasting than traditional high-heat grilling.
The roasting pan also provides a protective layer between the turkey and the heat source. This is particularly important for a large 15-pound bird that needs a longer cooking period.
Why the Foil Is Used First
The turkey begins its grilling time loosely covered with aluminum foil.
This first stage helps protect the surface while the turkey cooks through. After two hours, the foil is removed and the turkey is basted.
The final 1 to 1½ hours are therefore focused on finishing the turkey and developing a golden exterior.
Keep the foil loose rather than tightly wrapping the turkey.
Keeping the Turkey Moist
The softened butter coating is one of the main components that contributes richness to this turkey.
The roasting pan also contains butter, garlic, apples, onions, and white wine, creating a flavorful environment during the covered portion of cooking.
Once the foil is removed, use the pan juices to baste the turkey as directed. This adds another layer of moisture and flavor to the exterior during the final cooking stage.
Most importantly, avoid repeatedly opening the grill lid unnecessarily. Every time the lid is opened, heat escapes and the cooking environment changes.
How to Carve BBQ Turkey
Transfer the cooked turkey to a sturdy carving board and allow it to rest for 20 minutes as directed.
Start by removing the legs and thighs, working around the natural joints. Next, remove the breast meat by following the breastbone and making long, controlled cuts.
Slice the breast meat into even portions and arrange the darker meat alongside it.
If you’re serving the turkey for a gathering, keep the slices together on a large platter and spoon some of the flavorful pan juices over the meat just before serving.
What to Serve With BBQ Turkey
Because this turkey has a rich, buttery profile with sweet apple and onion notes, it works well with classic cookout and holiday sides.
Try serving it with:
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- Cornbread
- Roasted vegetables
- Green beans
- Sweet potato casserole
- Cranberry sauce
- Corn on the cob
- Grilled vegetables
- A crisp green salad
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I cook a whole turkey on a gas grill?
Yes. It can be prepared on either a gas or charcoal grill using indirect heat.
2. Can I use a charcoal grill for this BBQ turkey?
Yes. Arrange the charcoal so the roasting pan sits over an indirect-heat area rather than directly above the hottest coals.
3. Why is the turkey cooked over indirect heat?
Indirect heat allows a large whole turkey to roast gradually without exposing the exterior directly to the strongest heat source.
4. Can I use a different size turkey?
A 15-pound whole turkey is being used. here. A different-sized turkey will require different cooking time, so rely on internal temperature rather than simply applying the stated cooking time.
5. Can I use a disposable foil roasting pan?
Yes. Either a roasting pan or a large disposable foil pan works. Make sure the pan is sturdy enough to safely hold the turkey and accumulated juices.
6. Why is the white wine poured around the turkey instead of over it?
The wine is intended to sit in the roasting pan and contribute to the cooking environment and pan juices. Pouring it directly over the turkey would also disturb the butter coating.
7. How long should the BBQ turkey rest?
Rest the turkey for 20-minutes before carving. This also gives you time to finish preparing the rest of the meal.
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The Freshman Cook started as a place to keep track of recipes I wanted to make again. Somewhere along the way, it grew into a collection of meals that friends requested, desserts that disappeared too quickly, and weeknight dinners that made life a little easier.
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