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Grill-Roasted Spice-Rubbed Turkey

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 21, 2007

Time

3½ hours, plus 10½ hours brining and 20 minutes resting

Yield

Serves 10 to 12

Grill-Roasted Spice-Rubbed Turkey

Ingredients

Turkey and Brine

2 cups table salt 1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds gross weight), rinsed thoroughly, giblets, neck, and tailpiece discarded

Spice Rub

1 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds1 tablespoon cumin seeds 1 tablespoon allspice berries 2 teaspoons mustard seed½ teaspoon whole cloves 3 tablespoons sweet paprika 2 tablespoons ground ginger 1 tablespoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg 1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil

Before You Begin

The best tool to grind the spices is a coffee grinder dedicated to the purpose of spice grinding (do not cross-contaminate your coffee or spices by using one grinder for both). Charcoal briquettes are the preferred fuel for grill-roasting on a charcoal grill because they burn more slowly and more evenly than hardwood charcoal.

Instructions

  1. Dissolve salt in 2 gallons cold water in large stockpot or clean bucket. Add turkey and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours.
  2. Meanwhile, toast coriander, cumin, allspice, mustard, and cloves in small skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until fragrant and wisps of smoke appear, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool mixture to room temperature, then grind to fine powder in dedicated coffee grinder or spice grinder or with mortar and pestle. Transfer mixture to small bowl, stir in paprika, ginger, thyme, cayenne, cardomom, cinnamon, and nutmeg; cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
  3. Remove turkey from brine and rinse under cool running water. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Place turkey breast-side up on flat wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan and refrigerate, uncovered, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix 1-tablespoon spice rub with vegetable oil and set aside. Remove turkey from refrigerator and wipe away any water collected in baking sheet; set turkey on baking sheet. Carefully separate skin from breast meat and rub oil/spice rub mixture directly onto breast meat. Rub 3 tablespoons spice rub inside turkey cavity. Apply remaining spice rub to turkey, beginning with back-side up and finishing with breast-side up, pressing and patting to make spices adhere, and picking up and reapplying any spice rub that falls onto baking sheet. Tuck wings behind back and tie ends of drumsticks together with twine. Set turkey on wire rack, set wire rack on baking sheet, and refrigerate, uncovered, 6 to 24 hours.
  4. Ignite about 6 quarts (1 large chimney or about 6 pounds) charcoal briquettes and burn until covered with thin coating of light gray ash, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place 3 cups mesquite or hickory wood chips in center of 18-inch square heavy-duty aluminum foil; fold in sides to make a packet, then turn packet over and use fork to tear about 6 large holes in packet. Empty coals into grill and pile to one half of grill, creating a triple layer of briquettes. Place wood chip packet on coals, position grill grate over coals, and open bottom vents halfway. Spray V-rack with nonstick cooking spray and set turkey breast-side down on V-rack; set V-rack with turkey over cool side of grill. Open grill lid vent halfway and cover, positioning vent over turkey; grill-roast 1 hour.
  5. Remove grill lid. Working quickly and using potholders, transfer V-rack with turkey to rimmed baking sheet. Remove grill grate; using tongs, move wood chip packet aside and add 12 new briquettes to coals. Replace wood chip packet and grill grate. Using large wads paper toweling, rotate turkey breast-side up and return V-rack with turkey to grill so that leg and wing that were facing coals are now facing away. Cover and continue grill-roasting until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees, 1 to 1 1/4 hours longer. Remove turkey from grill, let rest 20 to 30 minutes; carve and serve.
Grill-Roasted Spice-Rubbed Turkey
Photography by Kritsada Panichgul. Styling by Ashley Moore.

Grill-Roasted Spice-Rubbed Turkey

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

3½ hours, plus 10½ hours brining and 20 minutes resting

Yield

Serves 10 to 12

Ingredients

Turkey and Brine

2 cups table salt
1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds gross weight), rinsed thoroughly, giblets, neck, and tailpiece discarded

Spice Rub

1 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon allspice berries
2 teaspoons mustard seed
½ teaspoon whole cloves
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil

Ingredients

Turkey and Brine

2 cups table salt
1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds gross weight), rinsed thoroughly, giblets, neck, and tailpiece discarded

Spice Rub

1 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon allspice berries
2 teaspoons mustard seed
½ teaspoon whole cloves
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil

Ingredients

Turkey and Brine

2 cups table salt
1 turkey (12 to 14 pounds gross weight), rinsed thoroughly, giblets, neck, and tailpiece discarded

Spice Rub

1 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon allspice berries
2 teaspoons mustard seed
½ teaspoon whole cloves
3 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 tablespoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons vegetable oil

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted a spice-rubbed turkey recipe featuring succulent meat perfumed with spices and covered with crisp, flavor-packed, mahogany-colored skin. To reach this goal, we brined and then air-dried the turkey for maximum skin crispness and applied the rub not only to the skin but also to the meat underneath and inside the cavity. Lifting the skin had the added advantage of creating pockets of air between the skin and flesh that made it easier for the fat to render for our best spice-rubbed turkey recipe.

Before You Begin

The best tool to grind the spices is a coffee grinder dedicated to the purpose of spice grinding (do not cross-contaminate your coffee or spices by using one grinder for both). Charcoal briquettes are the preferred fuel for grill-roasting on a charcoal grill because they burn more slowly and more evenly than hardwood charcoal.

Instructions

  1. Dissolve salt in 2 gallons cold water in large stockpot or clean bucket. Add turkey and refrigerate 4 to 6 hours.
  2. Meanwhile, toast coriander, cumin, allspice, mustard, and cloves in small skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until fragrant and wisps of smoke appear, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool mixture to room temperature, then grind to fine powder in dedicated coffee grinder or spice grinder or with mortar and pestle. Transfer mixture to small bowl, stir in paprika, ginger, thyme, cayenne, cardomom, cinnamon, and nutmeg; cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
  3. Remove turkey from brine and rinse under cool running water. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Place turkey breast-side up on flat wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan and refrigerate, uncovered, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, mix 1-tablespoon spice rub with vegetable oil and set aside. Remove turkey from refrigerator and wipe away any water collected in baking sheet; set turkey on baking sheet. Carefully separate skin from breast meat and rub oil/spice rub mixture directly onto breast meat. Rub 3 tablespoons spice rub inside turkey cavity. Apply remaining spice rub to turkey, beginning with back-side up and finishing with breast-side up, pressing and patting to make spices adhere, and picking up and reapplying any spice rub that falls onto baking sheet. Tuck wings behind back and tie ends of drumsticks together with twine. Set turkey on wire rack, set wire rack on baking sheet, and refrigerate, uncovered, 6 to 24 hours.
  4. Ignite about 6 quarts (1 large chimney or about 6 pounds) charcoal briquettes and burn until covered with thin coating of light gray ash, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place 3 cups mesquite or hickory wood chips in center of 18-inch square heavy-duty aluminum foil; fold in sides to make a packet, then turn packet over and use fork to tear about 6 large holes in packet. Empty coals into grill and pile to one half of grill, creating a triple layer of briquettes. Place wood chip packet on coals, position grill grate over coals, and open bottom vents halfway. Spray V-rack with nonstick cooking spray and set turkey breast-side down on V-rack; set V-rack with turkey over cool side of grill. Open grill lid vent halfway and cover, positioning vent over turkey; grill-roast 1 hour.
  5. Remove grill lid. Working quickly and using potholders, transfer V-rack with turkey to rimmed baking sheet. Remove grill grate; using tongs, move wood chip packet aside and add 12 new briquettes to coals. Replace wood chip packet and grill grate. Using large wads paper toweling, rotate turkey breast-side up and return V-rack with turkey to grill so that leg and wing that were facing coals are now facing away. Cover and continue grill-roasting until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 170 to 175 degrees, 1 to 1 1/4 hours longer. Remove turkey from grill, let rest 20 to 30 minutes; carve and serve.

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