Rotisserie Smoked Turkey

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 3

Servings people

Calories 5527kcal

Heat 1 gallon of water in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in kosher salt, brown sugar, and black pepper until dissolved. Add the orange and lemon wedges, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Let it come to a gentle boil to extract all those good juices and aromas.
Cool it down with the second gallon of cold water and some ice. Make sure the brine is below 45°F before the turkey takes a soak.
Submerge the turkey in the brine, cover it up, and refrigerate for 12–24 hours. Let it soak up all that flavor goodness.

Pat the turkey dry and remove any plastic bits or built-in thermometers. Trash those—they’re no good.
Truss the turkey onto the spit. Fair warning: turkeys are tougher than chickens to secure. Take your time and get those claws snug into the backbone and breast for stability.
Apply an even coating of turkey rub, making sure to get some under the skin of the breast and into the cavity.
Preheat your grill to 350°F. Do a quick fit check with the turkey on the rotisserie to make sure nothing’s hitting the sides of the grill.
Place the turkey on the rotisserie and close the lid. Cook at 350°F until the thickest part of the breast hits 162°F. For a 12-pound turkey, that’s about 3–4 hours.
Let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.