Originally posted: 10/29/2009
Last updated: 10/29/2009

Select, Prepare And Salt The Turkey

Choose a 12-14 pound turkey and thaw according to the package directions. Remove and discard any leg restraint, then remove the giblets from the neck cavity and the neck from the body cavity. Trim away large areas of fat or excess skin around the body cavity, and cut off the tail (if attached). Rinse thoroughly inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels.

Using the handle of a wooden spoon, loosen the skin over the breasts, legs, and thighs as far as you can in all directions (Pictures 1, 2, and 3). Work slowly from the cavity opening, making sure not to puncture the skin.

Salt the turkey using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt* as follows:

• Salt the cavity: Sprinkle 2 tablespoons inside the body cavity and rub it around thoroughly (Picture 4).
• Salt the breasts: Lift the skin and apply 1 tablespoon to each breast (1/2 tablespoon at each end of the breast), then rub the salt around thoroughly over the meat (Picture 5).
• Salt the legs and thighs: Lift the skin and apply 1-1/2 teaspoons to each leg/thigh (3/4 teaspoon to the leg/thigh while the turkey is breast-up, then flip over the turkey and 3/4 teaspoon to the underside of the thigh), then rub the salt around thoroughly over the meat.

After salting, cover the turkey and refrigerate for 24-48 hours (Picture 6).

* If using Morton's Kosher Salt, apply 4-1/2 teaspoons to the cavity, 2-1/4 teaspoons to each breast, and 1 teaspoon to each leg/thigh.

Rinse the cavity and under the skin thoroughly to remove excess salt. You cannot rinse too much! If you don't rinse enough, you will have turkey that's too salty.

Pat the turkey dry inside and out with paper towels, making sure to push out any water trapped beneath the skin.

Fold the wings under the turkey so they won't burn during cooking. Tie the legs together using kitchen twine.

For a neat appearance, use toothpicks to pin down the loose skin around the cavity opening (Picture 1). This will hold the skin in place so it doesn't shrink in a funny-looking way during cooking.

As a final step, brush the turkey all over with 4 tablespoons of melted butter (Picture 2).

Let the turkey sit at room temperature until ready to go into the cooker.

Fire The WSM

Fire-up the cooker using the Standard Method—one full Weber chimney of hot Kingsford charcoal briquettes in the charcoal bowl, followed by another full chimney of unlit Kingsford, allowing all coals to become fully lit before cooking.

If you have two chimneys, you can fire all of the charcoal at once as shown in these pictures.

Foil The Water Pan

Cover the inside and outside of the water pan with wide, heavy duty aluminum foil. Place the pan inside the cooker, but leave it empty.

No Rub Required

There is no barbecue seasoning or rub applied to the turkey as part of this recipe. If you choose to use one, try a low-salt or no-salt rub.

Smoke The Turkey

When all the coals are covered with gray ash, place 2-3 medium-sized chunks of dry cherry wood or other mild smoke wood on the coals. I used 2 chunks of cherry (Picture 1).

Assemble the cooker and place the turkey breast-side up on the top grate (Picture 2). Set the three bottom vents to 100% open. Open the top vent fully and leave it that way throughout the entire cook.

Adjust the bottom vents as necessary throughout the cooking process to maintain a temperature of 325-350°F measured at the lid.

If the cooker drops below 325°F with all three bottom vents fully open, try turning the access door upside down and propping it open (Picture 3). This allows more air into the cooker, causing the fire to burn hotter.

Cook the turkey until it measures 160-165°F in the breast.

There's no need to baste or rotate the turkey during the cooking process.

Here's how the cooker temperatures and vent settings went during my cook:

Rest Then Carve The Turkey

Remove the turkey from the cooker and let rest for 20-30 minutes before carving. Do not cover with foil, as this will cause the skin to go soft.

Alternatively, wrap the turkey tightly in several layers of wide, heavy duty aluminum foil, place breast-side down in a dry cooler, and hold for 90-120 minutes before carving.

After the rest, carve the turkey to your liking. See the Turkey Selection & Preparation article for carving tips.

I like to remove the breast as a single piece and then cut into slices across the grain using an electric knife (Picture 2).

Picture 3 shows the legs/thighs from the finished turkey.

Collecting Pan Drippings For Gravy

There are three common ways to collect pan drippings when smoking a turkey:

1. Cook the turkey in a shallow, disposable foil pan.
2. Cook the turkey on the top cooking grate. Place an empty foil pan on the bottom grate to catch the drippings.
3. Cook the turkey on the top cooking grate. Line the water pan with wide, heavy duty aluminum foil, but suspend the foil 1-1/2" above the bottom of the pan so it does not touch (Picture 1). This prevents the drippings from burning.

Assuming you don't over smoke the turkey, the drippings will be perfect for making gravy—in fact, they're already seasoned by the salt applied to the turkey.

As you remove the turkey from the cooker, pour any accumulated juices inside the body cavity into the pan. You can also use the juices left in the bottom of a rimmed baking pan after letting the turkey rest before carving.

It's not uncommon to end up with about 1-1/2 cups of drippings (Picture 2).

If you don't have any drippings, make the delicious turkey giblet gravy described on The Virtual Weber Bulletin Board using the giblets, aromatic vegetables, chicken stock, white wine, and seasonings.