Help! I Have A Turkey Emergency!

Happy Thanksgiving! We’ve got you covered for any turkey emergency questions that you might have. If you don’t see your question here, check out all of our Thanksgiving blogs.

First, here are 3 tips to follow regardless of your turkey emergency.
1.  Check the temperature of the turkey halfway through grilling, three quarters of the way and then when you think it is done to make sure that you are on the right track. This will help you monitor the turkey and make sure it is not over cooked!

2.  Make sure that the turkey is fully cooked to 165 degrees on the innermost part of the thigh and the thickest part of the breast before removing it.

3.  Let it rest for 20-30% of the total grilling time before carving. 

I have no idea how to cook my turkey.
Not to worry! Get our easy tips for using a smoker here, a gas grill here, and a charcoal grill here. If you want to rotisserie a turkey go here.

If you are using a frozen turkey make sure it is thawed properly and completely. Remove giblets before preparing for the grill.

How do I know if my turkey is going to fit?
We hear this all the time! Check out our fit guide, just remember that you have to use your judgment when selecting a turkey because the shape may vary.

How many minutes per pound is my turkey going to take?
The amount of time the turkey will take to cook depends on the temperature of your grill, get the time guideline here.

My turkey isn’t cooking fast enough!
This is an easy problem to fix. If it’s a charcoal grill then open up the dampers a little more to get more heat.  Also, if you have been cooking the turkey and notice it's not cooking as quickly as before it could be because you are running out of charcoal, so make sure to check it periodically. 

If you are using a gas grill, turn the control knobs up a little to get more heat.   If the turkey is taking too long you might have run out of fuel so always make sure you have enough. 

Also, keep the lid closed as much as possible. If it's cold outside, each time you open the lid it adds 5-7 minutes to your grilling time. 

My turkey is cooking too quickly!
If you are finding that the turkey is cooking quickly you can close the dampers on the top of your kettle or smoker to slow the process down. If you are using a gas grill, adjust the control knobs down to a lower setting.

My smoker or kettle is too hot!
We recommend that you keep the bottom dampers open only a quarter of the way. Keep the top damper open halfway to start.  Control the temperature throughout the process by closing the top vent to reduce the temperature.

My smoker or kettle isn’t getting hot enough!
We recommend that you keep the bottom dampers open only a quarter of the way. Keep the top damper open halfway to start.  Control the temperature throughout the process by turning the top vent to being more open to get the temperature higher.  Also, make sure you are adding 9 briquettes to your kettle every hour, there should not be a need to add additional fuel to your smoker.

My gas grill is not getting hot!
If you have fuel, then you might be in bypass. This is an easy fix, check our troubleshooting guide.

It’s cold, how do I adjust my grill?
Not to worry! You will need to allow for extra time if it is below 40 degrees, so pay attention to how many times you are opening the lid. Every time the lid is opened it will add about 5 minutes to your cooking time.

Also, add about 3 minutes per pound to our recommended cooking times.

Get our complete cold weather grilling tips here.

My turkey is too dark!
As long as you are not fully done cooking the turkey, there is still time to adjust your grill to change the color. There are a few ways to protect the turkey if it is getting too dark, get our ideas here.

My turkey isn’t getting enough color!
As long as you are not fully done cooking the turkey, there is still time to adjust your grill to change the color. There are a few ways to help give your turkey a golden brown color, get our ideas here.

Before you carve into that beautiful bird, share your #BestTurkeyEver pictures with us!

Looking for more turkey inspiration?  Be sure to check out more tips here.

Happy Thanksgiving!