How To: Grill an eccentric beer can turkey for Thanksgiving dinner

Beer can turkey? Sounds like a joke, right? Well, it may have started off as one, but now shoving a beer can up the butt of a turkey is a much favored cooking technique in lieu of the traditional Thanksgiving turkey. With the beer can up its butt, it helps steam the turkey to keep it moist and tender, all while giving it that perfect aroma and taste.

The most basic (and easiest) way of cooking a beer can turkey is with a tender young turkey, peppercorn, bay leaves, salt and of course… a tall can of beer.

After you remove the innards from the turkey, place in a throwaway aluminum turkey tray. Rub the turkey with salt, inside and out. Next, open the beer and insert it carefully up the butt. Season the outside of the turkey with your favorite spice rub or poultry seasoning. Add some fresh celery, carrots and onions to the pan for extra seasoning. Also, place the neck, giblets and liver in the pan. Place celery, carrots and onions in the neck, to keep the flavor in. Pin the wings with a toothpick (or twine) so they don't burn.

Preheat your grill to 350°F, then place the roasting pan with your bird in it on the fire. Maintain cooking temperature at 350°F. After an hour, it develops a little color. Rotate the bird to make sure it cooks evenly. After the second hour, the turkey's color has increased and the steam will seal all the juices inside. Now, give it a quarter-turn to ensure even cooking. Continue to baste throughout the grilling process. After an additional 30 minutes, cover the backside of the bird with foil to keep it from burning. Then, wait 30 more minutes and it should be about done!

Check out all of the other beer can turkey recipes on WonderHowTo.