While popping a turkey in the oven or dropping it in a crockpot may be two of the most obvious and traditional ways to prepare Thanksgiving dinner, they are certainly not the only ways.
There are many ways to cook a turkey that don't require a conventional oven or crockpot, and if you have an outdoor kitchen, these additional cooking options are literally in your backyard.
Let's look at three...
Turkey on the grill
If you've never grilled a turkey, what are you waiting for? Grilling a turkey takes about 2 to 3 hours, and while you can make the process as intricate as you want to, there are plenty of straightforward grilled turkey recipes that are absolutely delicious.
Other than getting an incredible charred flavor from your grilled turkey, another advantage of grilling your bird instead of baking it is that you'll have your oven free for all of the sweet potato casserole, buttery rolls, and pumpkin pie you're making.
Turkey in your smoker
While a grilled turkey will have a bit of a charred, smoky flavor, a turkey prepared in a smoker will have even more! One reason the flavor is stronger in a smoker is because the process is significantly longer. Instead of cooking your turkey for 2 or 3 hours like you would using the grill, you'll need to smoke your turkey for about 9 hours, according to Bobby Flay's smoked whole turkey recipe. Trust us, though, the time is well worth it!
Turkey on the stove
Did you know that you can cook a turkey on the stove? All you need is a Dutch oven that's large enough to hold your turkey. If you either don't have a lid for your Dutch oven, or the turkey is too large to put the lid on top, then you can use foil.
Cooking a turkey on a stovetop is called braising, and it's actually much faster than most other cooking methods — only about 2 hours! You'll need to watch it carefully, though. Check it about every 20 minutes to make sure there is plenty of liquid in the the pot. Nobody wants a dry turkey!
Thanksgiving in your outdoor kitchen
Doesn't it sound nice? Thanksgiving — with all of the food, family, and football you love so much — right there in your own outdoor kitchen. If you're for some reason reading this article, but you're without an outdoor kitchen, don't you think it's time to change that? Click on the banner below to get a quote for your dream backyard living space!
