Recipes
Salt-Brined Wood-Fired Turkey on the Rotisserie
This Thanksgiving, skip the oven and elevate a holiday classic into a culinary masterpiece with this Salt-Brined Wood-Fired Rotisserie Turkey — cooked outdoors over an open flame. As it turns over a crackling wood fire, the turkey absorbs the essence of lemon, fresh herbs, and layers of delicate smokiness. Every bite is a celebration of tenderness and bold, rustic flavors — a show-stopping centerpiece worthy of gathering loved ones around.
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
- One 12-pound turkey, patted dry
- 1/3 cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 lemons, halved
- Sprigs of fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary, parsley, sage
- 1/2 cup neutral oil or mild extra virgin olive oil or melted butter
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Prep the turkey 1 to 3 days in advance. Remove giblets from the cavity, then use paper towels to pat dry the inside and outside of the turkey. Starting with a perfectly dry turkey is important because you want the salt to draw out the moisture locked within the turkey muscles, and not get lost in any residual wetness from the packaging or thawing process.
Season the outside of the turkey and the inner cavity with salt, rubbing it in to ensure it is evenly absorbed and distributed over the entire bird. Place turkey on a baking rack set over a baking sheet lined with paper towels and refrigerate uncovered for at least 24 hours and up to 72 hours.
Prepare the grill. At least 30 minutes before cooking the turkey, prepare a wood fire in your Hybrid Fire Grill so that the temperature remains at around 400°F the entire cooking time.
Cook the turkey. Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and tuck the tips of the wings firmly under the shoulders to keep them from scorching. (This also creates a flat surface to stabilize the turkey when carving). Pat the turkey dry with paper towels; it does not need to be rinsed. Loosely fill the cavity with the lemons and herbs.
Cut a long piece of kitchen twine and position the midpoint of the string between the turkey legs. Bring the legs together and wrap the twine around them several times. Tie firmly and cut off most of the excess twine. Rub the entire turkey with oil and season with pepper (you do not need to season with more salt).
Place the turkey on the rotisserie spit and secure both ends with the forks. Cook for approximately 3 hours until your instant-read thermometer registers 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh. Remove the turkey from the rotisserie and let it rest for 20 minutes before carving.