Our recipe for juicy, succulent, maple butter turkey is roasted on the grill, giving it a smoky flavor. Learn how to spatchcock, brine and grill the best turkey you’ve ever had!
Growing up, we always roasted our Thanksgiving turkey in the oven. So it was a total surprise to me when I learned that Kevin’s family grilled their holiday bird. Turns out, it’s a really flavorful way to cook a turkey! Bonus: it also frees up the oven for baking your side dishes!
How to spatchcock a turkey
Kevin’s family grills the whole traditional bird, stuffing and all. If you’ve read my post on Brown Sugar Date Turkey, you already know I’m too impatient for that method. Instead, I prefer to either cook turkey pieces or spatchcock the turkey.
Spatchcock is an old-fashioned word that means to cut open the bird for cooking. Basically, butterflying it. To do this the backbone must be removed and the breastbone and ribs cracked so the turkey cooks flat.
This technique is what speeds up the cooking time and allows the legs to get done at about the same time as the breast. Compared to 3-4 hours this method will take 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
It’s a bit of a messy job, so before starting, we place a cookie sheet inside a kitchen trash bag to catch all the juices. Then we open up the turkey bag on the trash bag so all the mess stays in one place.
It’s important to remove the plastic and the neck and organs which will be inside the turkey. Then using kitchen shears, cut out the backbone. Save both the neck and backbone for making turkey stock and then flip over the bird.
Place your hand in the middle of the breast and press until the sternum cracks. If this sounds confusing, take a look at Martha Stewart’s post on how to spatchcock a turkey. This tutorial has step by step pictures to walk you through the process.
How to brine a turkey
Now that your turkey is butterflied, it’s time to brine! We used our apple cider brine which makes the meat so moist and flavorful!
We place the turkey in our Cusinart Stock Pot with the brine and then soak it overnight in the fridge. I love this pot because it easily fits a turkey but for brining the important factor is handles since the turkey + brine is quite heavy. This does take up a considerable amount of space in the fridge but it assures that the turkey stays at a safe temperature while brining.
If you simply do not have the space, you can use a cooler filled with ice instead. This is what my inlaws do since they usually make a larger turkey. Place the turkey in a brining bag with the brine and cover with ice. However, if you do this, make sure your turkey stays cold! Place the cooler in the coldest location you can find in your house and add ice as needed.
We recommend a maximum of 12 hours for brining but 8 hours is the sweet spot. Remove the turkey from the brine and pat the turkey dry with paper towels. Baste the turkey with melted maple butter on all sides and you’re ready to experience the thrill of the grill!
How to grill a turkey
We have a Weber charcoal grill, so that’s what we use, but any large gas or charcoal grill should work. The key is using indirect heat, so you want the heat to be at the sides and not directly under the turkey. For a charcoal grill, fill the baskets with charcoal and place them on the sides. Light the grill and then let it preheat. You want the temperature to be in the 300-350F range.
Because turkeys are large, we found it helpful to cover the charcoal baskets with foil to protect the turkey edges from burning. Place a couple of sheets down and then place the turkey directly on the grill. Make sure the turkey is flat with the legs facing out.
The wings will be up, so carefully place them under the breast to protect them from burning. Close the grill and set a 30 minute timer. At the 30 minute mark, baste the turkey and then baste every 15 minutes thereafter, checking the temperature each time and adding more charcoal as necessary.
If the breast starts to get brown more quickly than the rest the turkey, place a piece of foil on top of the breast. When the temperature reaches about 140-145F, stop basting the turkey so the skin can crisp up.
At 160F it’s time to remove the turkey from the grill (these turkey forks are super helpful). Place the turkey on a CLEAN cookie sheet and cover with aluminum foil. Allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes before carving it.
We served our maple butter turkey with sauteed brussels sprouts, sour cream mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and quinoa stuffed acorn squash. For dessert, we went all in on the maple flavor with these maple bacon cupcakes!
Looking for more inspiration? See our post Thanksgiving menu ideas.
Grilled Spatchcock Turkey with Maple Butter and Apple Cider Brine
Ingredients
Apple Cider Brine
- 2 cups apple cider brine mix
- 4 cups apple cider
- 10 cups cold water
Maple Butter
- 1.5 cups butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup (preferably dark or extra dark)
- 1 orange
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- salt and pepper to taste
Turkey
- 1 -12 lb turkey
- Garnish ideas: sage, rosemary, fresh bay leaves, kale, grapes, oranges, pomegranates, apples
Instructions
Apple cider brine
- Place brine mix and apple cider in an extra large soup pot.
- Bring mixture to a boil, cooking until salt has dissolved.
- Turn off heat and add cold water.
- Let brine cool to room temperature and then add spatchcock turkey. (See above post for instructions on how to spatchcock a turkey)
- Refrigerate overnight, up to 12 hours.
Maple Butter
- Bring all of the maple butter ingredients to room temperature.
- Juice and zest the orange.
- In the bowl of a mixer, soften the butter.
- Slowly add the remaining ingredients to the butter, mixing thoroughly with each addition.
- Cover your mixer with a clean tea towel and turn up to high. Be patient, the butter will eventually whip to a fluffy consistency.
- Season butter with salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide butter into two portions: one to serve on the table and one for basting the turkey.
Grilling the turkey
- Preheat grill to 300-350F using indirect heat (see above post for more details).
- Remove turkey from brine and pat dry with paper towels.
- Melt a portion of the maple butter and baste the turkey with it.
- Place turkey on the grill, breast side up and tuck the wings under the breast.
- Cover the grill and let cook for 30 minutes.
- At the 30 minute mark, start basting the turkey every 15 minutes until it is almost done (about 140-145F).
- When the turkey reaches 160F, remove from the grill, cover and let rest 15 minutes before carving.
- While the turkey rests. line the platter with greens.
- After you’ve carved the turkey, place fruit around the turkey and serve.
Notes
- To make the maple butter by hand, it’s easier to melt the butter and let it reharden in the fridge, but it won’t have the light, fluffy consistency.
- See in process photos and more tips within the blog post.
Nutrition
Looking for more dinner inspiration? Check out all our main course recipes.
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Courtney says
Wow! This is a really great and informative post on how to cook a really special Thanksgiving turkey. Love your presentation as well, that’s a gorgeous holiday table.
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Courtney! So delighted that you found it informative.
Karyl Henry says
Just learned something…I had no idea spatchcock meant butterfly! I love the idea of a grilled turkey…very nice twist from the traditional for the holidays
Vintage Kitty says
Right? Why don’t we just say butterfly? Have a great Thanksgiving Karyl!
Kiki Johnson says
WHAT A FEAST! I am in awe of your decoration skills – that table looks truly fall-tastic! I will definitely try your apple cider brine next Thanksgiving (Canadian Thanksgiving is already over, unfortunately) !
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Kiki! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving! The apple cider brine is also super good with pork! You might like this recipe for grilled pork chops.
Anne Lawton says
This looks so good! I love grilling turkey, I’m going to give this a try real soon!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Anne! Its my favorite way too! And the soup made with the carcass is so wonderfully flavorful!
Daniela says
Wow! I would have never thought to grill a whole turkey, but this recipe makes it sound so easy. Also I love your pictures in this post; they are absolutely gorgeous!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Daniela! I think my inlaws have grilled turkeys upwards of 25 lbs! The size all depends on your grill, but once you’ve tried it, it’s hard to go back to the oven method!
Donna says
Ummmm ok this is going to be front and center of our Thanksgiving table!! I love everything about it (especially the tips because I am clueless when it comes to doing a whole turkey)…and the maple butter?!? All in!
Vintage Kitty says
glad that the tips are helpful Donna! We are a two person household, so roasting huge cuts of meat isn’t something we do often. But in general, I think most of us don’t cook large roasts anymore, so it took me years to really get the process down. Once you’ve got it figured out it’s really easy.
When turkeys are on sale, we’ll buy extras because one turkey can makes lots of dinners and lunches.
Eileen Kelly says
My family and I love turkey on the grill! Spatchcocking the turkey is brilliant! Your instructions are so specific and easy to follow! I am giving this a go! Delicious!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Eileen! Isn’t grilling the turkey THE BEST? Would love to know how it goes!
Sam says
This turkey looks gorgeous! I have never tried grilled turkey but it looks amazing!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Sam! Definitely give it a try sometime! Like I was telling Donna, it’s great to do anytime because one turkey can make so many meals!
Heather says
I love how easy this is to bring together and how perfect it it to feed a hungry crowd.. looks amazing!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Heather! It really is easy. Partly it’s just because it’s faster…there’s less basting and less competition for the oven. A Thanksgiving oven is always like a clown car!
Natalie says
OMG! This table settings and all the food looks like from the dream – everything is sooo DELICIOUS! Can I be invited to your thanksgiving dinner?! :D The meat looks perfect. Now I seriously can’t wait for holidays!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Natalie! And we’d love the company!
Nicole says
Oh my goodness this looks amazing. I smoked a turkey for the first time this week as a trial and it came out pretty good but I like your method too.
Vintage Kitty says
Smoking a turkey sounds great too. Guessing it’s similar because the grilled turkey definitely gets a smoky taste.
Erin says
I have to put this on my menu! This looks totally awesome!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Erin! Hope you love it!
Lori says
This is the most impressive way to make and serve your turkey! Delicious!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Lori! Happy Thanksgiving!
Tara says
Love this idea — I never thought to try grilling a turkey!
Vintage Kitty says
Seriously, once you try it, you’ll be obsessed! It’s so darn good this way!
Aimee Shugarman says
What a gorgeous turkey. And your table setting is #goals!!!!
Vintage Kitty says
#blushing Thanks Aimee!
Rachael Yerkes says
First, what a gorgeous Thanksgiving table. Second, love the spatchcock turkey, it looks and smells beautiful. Can’t wait to dig in. Thanks!
Vintage Kitty says
Thanks Rachel! So glad the recipe worked out for you!