Michael Symon's Top Tips For Grilling Thanksgiving Turkey

When it comes to Thanksgiving, most peoples' primary concern is how to cook the turkey. After all, it's something that only happens once or twice a year, and so the majority of home cooks feel a little rusty by the time Thanksgiving rolls back around. This year, instead of deep frying or oven roasting the turkey, consider grilling.

To start you down the grilling path with spring in your step, we asked chef Michael Symon, host of Symon's Dinners Cooking Out and frequent Food Network collaborator on shows such as Iron Chef America, and Burgers, Brew & 'Que. He provided exclusive turkey-grilling tips when we spoke to him at the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival.

As for why Symon uses his grill almost every year at Thanksgiving, he thinks "it's the better way to do it. It frees up space in your oven, so you could have your turkey going on your grill, [and] your sides going on in your oven."

For grilling, Symon says, "you just want to get a nice steady heat. I prefer live fire, but you could regulate your heat, keep it fed, and just keep it around 350, 400 degrees [Fahrenheit] and you're golden." As to what form in which to grill the bird, he suggests whole, spatchcocked, or the lesser-known turketta. There are big differences between these three preparations.

If you aren't as experienced a chef as Michael Symon, go the easiest route and roast your turkey whole in the grill. "Remember when you close the lid of a grill, it turns into an oven," reminds Symon. Essentially, you can place the turkey in a pan and use the grill like an oven. Just remember the steady temperature guidance and everything will be delicious (you want to reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit).

Or if you're looking to learn new skills, you can spatchcock your turkey before roasting it. Spatchcocking a bird, which is not a badminton technique no matter how much it sounds like it, means to remove the backbone so you can completely flatten it. This lets the bird cook faster and can also make for a crispier skin.

Lastly, Symon suggests "you could do a turketta where you completely bone it out, put some spices in the middle and tie it. And that's [also] a quicker cook." Turketta is called that because it's essentially a porchetta recipe, but using your turkey. It's an excellent direction to go if your Thanksgiving is served more restaurant style, meaning you plate and present the meal, rather than family style where everyone serves themselves. Just know that it does take time and some butchering skills to pull off — but it will be completely worth it.