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Rotisserie Turkey


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  • Author: Mike Vrobel
  • Total Time: 14 hours 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8-12 1x

Description

Rotisserie Turkey with a basic wet brine.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 (12-14 pound) turkey, preferably a fresh turkey

Brine

  • 2 gallons cold water
  • 1/2 cup table salt (or 1 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt)
  • 1/4 cup sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Brine the turkey: Pour the salt, sugar, and water into a container large enough to hold a turkey. (I use my 12 quart pasta pot.) Submerge the turkey in the brine, and refrigerate for 12 hours. (if you're pressed for time, brine for at least 4 hours, but no more than 24 hours).
  2. Truss and spit the turkey:One hour before cooking, remove the turkey from the brine, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Fold the wingtips underneath the bird, then truss the turkey. Skewer the turkey on the rotisserie spit, securing it with the spit forks. To keep the breast meat cool, set the bag of ice on the turkey’s breast, arranging it so the ice does not touch the thighs or drumsticks. Let the turkey rest at room temperature until it is time to cook.
  3. Prepare the grill: Set your grill up for rotisserie cooking at medium heat (350°F). For my Weber Summit, I set up the heat on the leg side of my turkey, to cook the legs faster than the breast. I remove the grill grates from the grill, to get enough clearance for the turkey, then I turn the two burners on the right (burners 5 and 6) to medium, and turn the infrared burner to medium. Then I put my drip pan in the middle, over the unlit burners.
  4. Rotisserie the turkey: Put the spit on the grill, and turn on the rotisserie motor. Cook with the lid closed. (If you are using an infrared burner, turn it off afer the turkey is browning nicely, about 45 minutes.) It should take about 2 1/2 hours for the turkey to cook It's better to go by temperature, though - you want the breast at the thickest part to read 160*F to 165*F; start checking the temperature at the 2 hour mark.
  5. Serve: Remove skewer from grill, remove turkey from skewer, and cut the trussing twine away from the turkey. Rest the turkey for at least 15 minutes, then carve and serve.

Notes

See my Rotisserie Poultry Basic Technique for details on each of these steps.See my How to Truss and Spit a Turkey for the Rotisserie video for details on trussing.

  • Prep Time: 12 hours
  • Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
  • Category: Rotisserie
  • Cuisine: American