Before you start: Make sure you have plenty of fuel. For charcoal grills, check our Charcoal Guide to see how many briquettes you will need to start with and then add over the course of the grilling time. Did you know that a 20-pound bag of charcoal contains approximately 170 briquettes?

Size: Weight is not really an issue as long as the turkey fits in your grill with the lid closed (note that turkeys over 24 pounds may not fit under your grill lid). At least one-inch clearance between the turkey and lid is ideal. So think structure. A broad, flat bird will fit better than one with a high breastbone. To determine the size of turkey you need to feed a specific number of guests, see our Portion Guide.

Thawing: A turkey should be completely defrosted in the refrigerator before grilling. Place the frozen turkey in its original wrapping on a tray in the refrigerator. Allow 24 hours of thawing time for every 4 pounds of turkey. Never thaw poultry at room temperature.

Fresh turkey: Since fresh turkey is highly perishable, check the "sell by" date before you buy. Buy the turkey only 1 to 2 days before you plan to cook it and keep it refrigerated.

Food safety: To avoid spreading dangerous bacteria to other foods, always wash hands, utensils, and work surfaces with hot soapy water and a 10% bleach wash after handling raw poultry. Experts have determined that cooking a stuffed bird is more likely to result in food poisoning than cooking a bird without stuffing and cooking the stuffing separately.

Brining your turkey: If you like a little extra flavor and moistness in your turkey, consider brining it. You must do the submerged brining treatment at a temperature of no higher than 42F for safety reasons. Check out the BBQ List FAQ for methods and recipes.

Setting up your charcoal grill for Indirect cooking: A masterfully grilled turkey requires a steady Indirect Medium heat (350F) for hours. How does a charcoal griller accomplish this? Easily.

For a 22-1/2 inch grill, light about 50 charcoal briquettes. (See chart below for other grills.) We suggest using a Weber® RapidFire® chimney starter and FireStarters™ lighter cubes for the best results. The coals are ready when all of them have a light coating of gray ash, after 25 to 30 minutes.

Arrange the hot coals evenly on either side of the charcoal grate. Char-Basket™ charcoal fuel holders are useful for keeping the coals in place. The coals should be piled as far as possible to the outside of grate.

Place a disposable aluminum foil drip pan between the charcoal fuel holders to catch drippings for gravy, if desired. Pour a little water into the drip pan and replenish as needed during grilling to keep drippings from burning.

Place the cooking grate over the coals (if you are using a hinged cooking grate, make sure you position the flip-up sides directly over the charcoal fuel holders) and place the turkey directly on the cooking grate centered over the aluminum foil drip pan. Place the lid on the grill. Make sure that all vents are open!

At the end of every hour of cooking, add 6 to 8 briquettes to each pile of coals (you'll be happy you're using a hinged cooking grate). Nestle the new coals within the hot ones to help them light quickly. Place the lid on the grill right away and keep grilling! Cook stuffing in a covered foil pan beside the turkey on the grill, by the Indirect Method, during the last 45 to 60 minutes of grilling time, to an internal temperature of 165F.

Doneness: Turkey is fully cooked when a meat thermometer registers 175F in the thigh or 165F in the breast (about 11 to 13 minutes per pound). Remove the turkey from the grill and allow it to rest for 20 to 30 minutes before carving. See the chart below for approximate cooking times for your size turkey.

(Please note: Turkey is thoroughly cooked when a meat thermometer registers 180F in the thickest part of the thigh or 170F when inserted in the breast.) Allow more time for cold/windy days or high altitudes.