Turkey Recipes for Your Barbecue Grill

Summer is great for grilling and I find that we rely on our charcoal grill quite often for our meals so that we're not heating up the house. There's no need to heat up your home when you can cook a perfectly delicious meal on your outdoor grill. Besides, in our family any excuse to grill is more than welcome!

I don't often see people choosing turkey as a summer grill meat- usually chicken, steaks, hamburgers and hot dogs are the most popular choices. Seafood, fish, pork chops, and sausages are also fairly common choices. Turkey is a great grill choice but it's often considered a fall meat and most associated with only being eaten at Thanksgiving or Christmas. As I said about grilling, any excuse for us to eat turkey outside of Christmas and Thanksgiving is more than welcome!

For the juiciest, most tender meat, choose an organic or free-range variety of turkey. You can grill a whole turkey, the breast, drumsticks, or get ground turkey to make burgers. Turkey sausages are also fairly easy to find in the supermarket and are a great option for grilling as they provide the flavor of sausage but have less fat and fewer calories than pork or beef sausages.

Since turkey can carry food-borne microorganisms such as Salmonella, Staph, and Listeria, it is imperative that it's cooked thoroughly to kill off any bacteria. The National Turkey Federation website lists the following guidelines for ensuring that a turkey is free of bacteria when served.

"Cooking times vary depending on the thickness of the cut of turkey. A meat thermometer should be inserted in the thickest portion of the meat away from the bone. White meat is ready at 170 degrees F, dark meat at 180 degrees F, and ground turkey, such as turkey burgers, at 165 degrees F. Indirect heat is ideal for grilling a whole turkey or a turkey breast, as these foods need a slower grilling method. With indirect heat, the lid is closed and the meat is placed over a tray or on the unlit portion of the grill. Grill the turkey for approximately 12 to 15 minutes per pound or until the internal temperature reaches 170ºF for a turkey breast and 180ºF in the thigh for a whole bird."

Source:National Turkey Federation

To create a distinctly barbecue flavor, choose smokehouse barbecue sauces to use as marinades. Try using cedar chips along with your charcoal. When the chips smoke they release a rich flavor? and infuse the meat with a distinctly barbecue flavor. Another option is to toss woody herbs in with the charcoal. Because of the oils they contain, they will smoke in the same was as the cedar chips and will add another dimension of flavor. Rosemary, oregano,bay leaves and sage are good choices.

Chipotle Turkey Burgers

1 pound ground turkey

2 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, finely chopped

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

3 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

hamburger buns

Place all ingredients (except buns) into a mixing bowl and using your hands, mix until combined. Form into 4 evenly sized patties. Cook the burgers over medium-high coals until the turkey is no longer pink in the center and a meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees when inserted into the center of the burger, about 4-5 minutes per side. To serve, pile any desired condiments, lettuce, onions or tomato onto the bun along with burger. These are also great with pepper jack cheese melted over top.

Asian Barbecued Turkey Kabobs

2 pounds boneless, skinless turkey thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes

baby bella mushrooms, stems removed

red bell peppers, seeded and cut into chunks

red onions, chopped into 1-inch chunks

grape, plum, or small heirloom tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey barbecue sauce

1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

grill skewers

Combine vegetables and turkey chunks in a mixing bowl. Make marinade- combine olive oil, soy sauce, honey barbecue sauce, garlic, red pepper flakes and ginger and pour over turkey and vegetables. Allow to marinate 20-30 minutes before grilling, Prior to grilling thread the turkey and vegetables onto skewers. Grill over medium coals for 10-12 minutes until turkey is no longer pink in center and internal temperature reaches 170 degrees on a meat thermometer.

Turkey Brats with Grilled Peppers and Onions

1 package turkey brats

1/2 colored sweet bell pepper per each brat

1/2 large sweet onion per each brat

olive oil, for coating

coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

submarine rolls

Slice bell peppers in half lengthwise, remove seeds and stems. Remove onion skins and slice lengthwise into quarters. Coat peppers and onions lightly with olive oil. Season each pepper half with a pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place peppers and onions directly onto grill over medium coals and grill 10-12 minutes or until softened and lightly charred. Meanwhile, grill brats until plump and juicy, cooked according to package directions. To serve, remove peppers and onions to a platter and roughly slice. Place brats into the submarine rolls (you can grill these too if you'd like) and top with a heaping portion of peppers and onions. Serve with yellow mustard.

Apricot Grilled Turkey Breast

To make this recipe you'll need a turkey breast, bottled smokehouse barbecue sauce, a jar of apricot preserves, minced fresh garlic, salt and freshly ground pepper.

Make a basting glaze by combining 1/2 cup barbecue sauce with 1/3 cup apricot preserves, 3 cloves minced garlic, and a pinch each of salt and freshly ground pepper. Place turkey on grill over low coals and cook 12-15 minutes per pound. Re-glaze turkey 2 or 3 times during cooking time so that it has a thick, caramelized coating. Check that the internal temperature is at least 170 degrees before serving.

Turkey Kielbasa with grilled potatoes, carrots, and onions

1 ring turkey kielbasa

1 pound carrots, scrubbed and sliced on the bias

1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced into wedges

3 pounds yukon gold potatoes, sliced into wedges

3 cloves garlic, minced

coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

olive oil, for coating

spicy mustard, for coating

Prepare vegetables and combine in a large bowl. Pour a small amount of olive oil (1-2 tablespoons) over the vegetables and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among 6 sheets of aluminum foil. Fold edges of aluminum foil over the vegetables so that they meet in the center. Fold down so that there is a good seal, but room is left above the vegetables for steam to escape. Fold in each side in the same fashion. Place foil packets on a grill over medium-heat coals. Grill for 20-30 minutes. Potatoes should be fork tender when tested. Meanwhile, place kielbasa ring over low-heat and using a barbecue brush, coat the outside of the kielbasa with spicy mustard. Grill until plump and juicy and cooked according to package directions. Remove from grill and slice into desired portion size. Serve with the foil packs and additional mustard, for dipping.