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Bruce’s Most Awesome Apple Turkey Recipe

Group of turkeys in a field of grass

Full disclosure – I did not create the original recipe but have modified it over the years.

This is an easy recipe for cooking your turkey on your grill, freeing up your oven for other foods. Enjoy!

Ingredient for the brine:

  • 2 quarts apple juice
  • 1 pound brown sugar
  • 1 cup Kosher salt
  • 3 oranges, quartered
  • 4 ounces fresh ginger, sliced thin
  • 15 whole cloves
  • 6 bay leaves
  • 6 large garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 large turkey (I prefer an organic turkey from MOM’s Organic Market)
  • Olive oil
  • Cotton String
  • Heavy Foil Pan
  • 1-5 gallon bucket (new)
  • Hickory chips

Day Before Thanksgiving Day

  1. In a large pot, bring the apple juice, brown sugar and salt to a boil. Cook for a minute and allow to cool.
  2. In a 5 gallon bucket, combine 3 quarts of water, the oranges, ginger, cloves, bay leaves, garlic and apple juice mixture.
  3. Clean the turkey as you would with any other recipe. Put it in the bucket with the mixture.
  4. If necessary, put a weight (brick) on it to keep it submerged. (Turkeys float! Who knew?)
  5. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Thanksgiving Day

  1. Soak the wood chips in water for a couple of hours. Place in smoker box on your grill when you put the turkey on it.
  2. Put several layers of foil between the burners and the grill surface.
  3. Remove the turkey from the bucket and towel dry.
  4. Tie the legs up with cotton string.
  5. Place the turkey in the foil pan and brush it with olive oil.
  6. Turn on your grill and keep it on a low setting.
  7. Put the foil pan with the turkey on the grill. Cook until the wings turn brown (about 40 minutes) then wrap them in foil.
  8. Baste the turkey every now and then until the breasts turn a golden color (about an hour). Cover the entire turkey with foil.
  9. Continue basting every 30 minutes.
  10. Plan to cook the turkey 12 to 14 minute per pound. Internal temperature should be 180 degrees F and the breast about 160 degrees F.
  11. When done, remove from the heat and let it sit for about 20 minutes.

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