How do I BBQ a 12 pound turkey on my Weber.?

Question

I'm going to use an indirect cooking method but how long will it take? Should I season the bird? Wood chips? Any good recipes?

Answer 1

Here are several recipes from one of my cook books and they all turn out awesome! Good Luck!

B.B.Q. Turkey
David Herzog



1 Turkey, up to 30 lbs.
¼ c. garlic salt
1/8 c. coarse ground black pepper
2 Tbs. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
21 ½” Weber B.B.Q.
5 lbs. Royal Oak charcoal



Defrost turkey. Mix garlic salt, pepper, chili powder, and
cumin in a small bowl. Rub pepper mix all over the turkey, inside
and out. Start coals and place in 2 piles, one for each side of
B.B.Q. (about 30 coals each pile). When coals are white, place tur-
key on cooking grill in the center, between the 2 piles of coals and
cover. Cook 10 minutes for each pound. DO NOT lift the lid to
look into the B.B.Q. to check the bird. After coals have burned out,
check for doneness by slicing a small cut between the leg and
thigh. Bird is done when juices run clear, about 3 ½ to 4 hours.

Dave’s Famous Beer Can Chicken or Turkey
David Herzog

For chicken:
1 3 to 4 lb. whole fryer chicken, rinsed and patted dry
1 12 oz. can of your favorite beer
2 Tbs. granulated garlic
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 whole chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
Apple wood chips

For turkey:
1 14 to 20 lb. turkey, rinsed, and patted dry
1 can Fosters beer
6 Tbs. granulated garlic
2 Tbs. kosher salt
1 Tbs. freshly ground black pepper
3 whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
Apple wood chips

Preparation for the chicken and turkey are similar rub the garlic salt and pepper all over the outside and inside cavity of the bird open beer and remove about 2 regular swallows. Push pepper (s) into can of beer, 1 tsp. garlic and rosemary sprig(s) into beer also. Carefully push beer can into the cavity of the bird, then stand the chicken in a 8” or 10” Dutch oven. Stand the turkey in a 12” deep Dutch oven. Carefully set the Dutch oven and bird into the bottom of a Weber kettle B.B.Q. and place hot ready briquettes around the Dutch oven. Use about 30 briquettes for a chicken and a charcoal chimney full for the turkey. Scatter wood chips over charcoal and place the lid of the Weber on top and bake the chicken for 45 minutes and the turkey for 2 to 2 ½ hours or until meat falls off the bones or thigh juice runs clear. DO NOT LIFT THE LID UNTIL AFTER THE FIRST 30 MINUTES! Carefully remove bird and Dutch oven from B.B.Q. let rest 10 minutes before serving. You can save the juices to make a remarkable gravy for mashed potatoes or stuffing!

Answer 2

Man, I live in Memphis, TN, the Bar-B-Que capital of the world and that is still a hard question. Because of the difference in the cooking time of the dark meat compared to the white meat, that is a hard one to do. We deep fry it here in peanut oil. You can get a fryer that does not have a open flame. We also use our Bar-B-Que restaurants for smoking in the giant pits. But I do know this, check with a meat thermometer, the doness of the dark meat and the white meat. Always use indirect and rotate often. Hope your smoked turkey is great. Bar-B-Queing is the best thing ever invented.

Answer 3

You definitely need indirect heat; big problem is drying out.
Wrap drumsticks in foil to prevent burning & cover the breast.
Use a foil pan to catch the drips, & baste frequently.
I'd rub inside with poultry spices (sage & thyme), no stuffing.
Use meat thermometers to test for doneness.
Several of those pop-up type would work well.
Cooking time is hard to predict, unlike an oven.