Thanksgiving is officially less than a week away and I am sure you are in full on menu planning mode by now! I know the traditional roasted turkey is usually on everyone’s menu plan, but this year I have a new method for cooking your turkey that will free up oven space and have your turkey ready from start to finish in under an hour! My citrus herb butter grilled turkey is so full of flavor and makes for a stunning presentation for any holiday table!
You guys know I am all about the grill all year long, so why not at Thanksgiving too? I love that by cooking my turkey on the grill, I have more room in my oven for side dishes and that the cook time gets cuts down by quite a bit! One of the ways I like to cut down on the cook time is to buy turkey breasts and legs instead of a whole bird! This way, you are cooking everyone’s favorite parts of the turkey and because it isn’t whole, it only takes about 45 minutes to cook!
YES PLEASE!
You can definitely do this method with a whole turkey as well, but it will just take longer or you can also have your butcher cut your whole turkey into pieces so that you have the wings and thighs too! I love that you can pick and choose your favorite cuts of the turkey here! This is especially great if you are cooking for a smaller crowd because you can customize the amount of turkey you are cooking!
I chose to do a breast and legs because those are my favorite parts of the turkey and when coated in my citrus herb butter, the meat is insanely delicious! It has crispy skin, juicy insides, and has a little bit of smoky flavor from the grill, and I am telling you all that this turkey is going to steal the show at your table this year!
You know the dreaded dried out turkey that ends up on so many Thanksgiving tables every year? Yeah…that’s not going to happen here. This grilling method is going to set you up for success to have a juicy and flavorful turkey that your whole family will love!
If you are more of the traditional turkey type, you can check out my Dry Brined Brown Butter and Sage Roasted Turkey instead! I also have a delicious Turkey Pomegranate Salad that is perfect to make with any leftover turkey that you might have! And if you are looking for some sides to add to your table, you can check out my Thanksgiving Recipe Round Up!
Ingredients:
1 Bone-In Turkey Breast
2-3 Turkey Legs
1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Peeled and Smashed Garlic Cloves
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp. Rosemary
1 Tbsp. Sage
1 Tbsp. Thyme
2 Tbsp. Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice
1 Tbsp. Salt + extra for seasoning turkey meat
1 Tsp. Black Pepper + extra for seasoning turkey meat
1 Tbsp. Honey
Directions:
Let turkey pieces come to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
Pat dry with a paper towel and season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides of the turkey. (Don’t be shy here, the turkey needs good seasoning!)
Preheat grill to 425 degrees.
Place turkey pieces, skin side down on the grill. Let them cook on direct heat for 5 minutes per side and then transfer to indirect heat. This can be on a top rack of your grill or on a side burner that isn’t on.
Close the lid, keeping the temperature at about 400 degrees, and let the turkey continue to cook for 45 minutes until it is almost cooked through. Flip twice during cook time.
While the turkey cooks, melt butter, oil, garlic, herbs, citrus, honey, salt, and pepper until the butter is fragrant. Turn off heat.
The last 5 minutes of cooking, brush each side with the turkey pieces with the herbed citrus butter to infuse into the meat.
When the internal temperature of the turkey pieces reach 165 degrees, remove from the grill.
Let the turkey rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Slice the turkey breast off of the bone and place on a platter with the turkey legs.
Serve with extra infused butter on the side!
How gorgeous is this turkey? And the best part is, it taste AMAZING too! I am pumped for you all to try this recipe out for something a little different this year!
