Wow your friends and family with this smoked turkey recipe that everybody will be talking about for years. Ken and Patti Fisher of Date Night Doins’ have provided us with a simple, 3 ingredient, can’t-go-wrong recipe for cooking a turkey… backyard style!

Why Smoke Your Turkey?

There are plenty of reasons you might want to smoke your turkey rather than roast or deep fry it. First and foremost, it comes down to flavor and preference. The smoky, woodsy flavor isn’t for everyone, but for those that like the intense flavors of smoked meat, it’s a great option!

A smoked turkey doesn’t require a ton of attention. It’s a recipe you can get started and then leave to take care of itself. There’s nothing quite as good as a recipe you don’t have to monitor constantly.

It’s also an awesome choice for Thanksgiving cooking if you’re more interested in spending time watching the big game or hanging with family. A smoked turkey recipe like this helps give you a little more free time. Also great for backyard events when you’re unlikely to focus on the bird as much as you’d need to for a roasting or deep frying.

Smoking your turkey helps you to avoid drying it out! No one likes a dry bird, that’s just a fact. But oven-roasting a turkey is one of the hardest forms of cooking when it comes to moistness. If you smoke your turkey, you can avoid the hazards of a dry bird that makes everyone sad.

Tips for This Smoked Turkey Recipe

1. Place a pan under your turkey to keep those drippings from creating a mess you’ll have to clean up later on.
2. Make sure to keep an eye on the temperature of your turkey. A digital thermometer is easiest, but you can also get a pop-up thermometer or use a traditional meat thermometer.
3. We know it’s tempting, but try not to keep opening and shutting the door to check on your turkey. It lets out that delicious smoke and can mess with your smoke time.

If you need more help, check out “10 Tips for Smoking a Whole Turkey” from SmokedBBQSource.com

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Easy 3-Ingredient Smoked Turkey

Cuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8-10

servings

Total time

4

hours 

30

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 14-16 lb Turkey

• 1 jar Poultry Seasoning Mix

• 1 Duck Fat cooking spray

Directions

• Pre-heat your grill or smoker to 250 degrees
• Rinse your turkey and pat dry with paper towels. (Don’t forget to remove the gizzards )
• Mount your turkey on the rotisserie. If you don’t have one you can place your prepped turkey right on the grill.
• Spray duck fat all over the turkey. Then rub on the poultry seasoning. Be sure to give it nice layer of seasoning.
• Cook on the grill @250 degrees for 4 1/2 hours (internal temp of 170-180)
• Fill a smoke wedgie  with 1/3 cherry pellets, 1/3 with dried coffee grounds and 1/3 with your cherry pellets .

Get going on this fantastic recipe and consider pairing it with David Bancroft’s Fried Green Tomatoes recipe that makes a delicious side!

More Recipes:

• Deep-Fried Cajun Turkey Nugget Recipe
• David Bancroft’s Chicken Fried Quail
• Andy Morgan’s Grilled Wild-Duck Skewers

This butterscotch pecan pie on the grill is a delicious twist on the Thanksgiving Day classic. Whether you say PEE-can, pe-KAHN, or PEE-KAHN, you’re going to fall in love with this recipe and how easy it is to make. A pie made with butterscotch chips and an extra whisper of pecan smoke that comes from cooking the pie on the grill with Green Mountain Grill’s Gold Blend pellets. From our friends at Date Night Doins’ comes this irresistible twist on an American staple.

History of Pecan Pie

While there’s not a storied history of pecan pie made on the grill, there is a decades-long history of the traditional variation and of the pecan itself. 

You might wonder why pecan pie is a Thanksgiving tradition. That one’s easy to answer. The pecan harvest begins in September and goes through November every year, making its pie the ideal Thanksgiving recipe. The pecan grows most abundantly in the state of Georgia, which explains why the South can’t get enough of the delicious pie, no matter what the variation.

What is Butterscotch?

So, what is butterscotch, exactly? It’s a great question, believe it or not. Lots of folks aren’t quite sure what the difference between butterscotch and its richer, darker cousin, caramel, is. What it really comes down to is how it’s made. 

Caramel is a fussy sauce because of the way it’s made. Traditionally, caramel is made by cooking sugar until it’s melted down. This can easily lead to clumping and burning; enter butterscotch. Butterscotch is made with sugar and butter. The addition of the butter allows the sugar to cook more evenly and smoothly so you can panic a little less. 

Fortunately, this recipe for a delicious butterscotch pecan pie on the grill requires butterscotch chips. So, no need to worry about cooking up your own butterscotch unless you’re really trying to go the extra mile.

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Butterscotch Pecan Pie on the Grill

Servings

8

servings

Total time

1

hour 

15

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Ready made pie crust

• 1 cup Dark corn syrup

• 1 cup Real maple syrup

• 2 1/2 cup Brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons Vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup butter, melted

• 6 eggs, beaten

• 2 cups chopped pecans

• 2 cups pecan halves

• 2 cups butterscotch chips

Directions

• Mix together all ingredients except for crust and pecan halves.
• Spray your cast iron skillet with a cooking spray.
• Pour filling into pie shell and top with pecan halves.
• Preheat the grill to 375* (190c) and place your Pecan pie directly onto the grill for about 60 minutes. When the crust is nicely browned pull it off the grill and let it cool. Be careful it is like molten lava and will stick to anything it may be spilled on. Let cool and serve.

There you have it! A delicious, easy, pecan pie on the grill. We recommend pairing this with our Grilled Brazilian Pork Ribs Recipe With Ballistic BBQ for a meal that’s going to bring your friends back to the yard over and over again.

More Sweet Recipes:

• Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake Recipe With a Twist
• Joe Thomas’s Grilled Sweet Potato Slices
• Cherry-Glazed, Pork Belly Slider Recipe

A behind the scenes look at the food prep behind our Prime Cuts: Grilled Ribeye episode.

Join Prime Cuts chef David Bancroft at the prep table as guest chef Kevin Nashan discusses how he selects, cuts, and pre-seasons his steak, as well as how he concocts and shapes his homemade tater tots. Finally, get the inside scoop on the unique ingredients that go into his “sauce gribiche” (a.k.a. good-old egg salad) and mustard-seed condiments.

Hungry for more? Watch the all the Prime Cuts episodes to see more finished recipes

In the words of grilling expert David Bancroft, “Nothing brings people together quite like food. And, there’s nothing like preparing it in the comfort of your own backyard.”

In this Backyard Life video, we join Bancroft on the set of Prime Cuts. He and guest chef Kevin Nashan are cooking Nashan’s grilled ribeye, cabbage and tater tots recipe. (Yes, that’s right, we said tater tots.)

Getting Ready for Ribeye

David begins by asking Chef Nashan his grilling secrets. And, for him, it’s all about two things: the heat of the grill and the cut of steak. “Keep it simple,” Nashan explains as he seasons his center-cut ribeye with salt and pepper: “Really hot grill. Really good sear. Finish it off in the oven.”

Nashan offers up some other great tips, too. Like referring to coating the grill with grapeseed oil to prevent sticking his “insurance policy.” And, while he’s all about keeping the grill ultra-hot, he also says heat management is key. He likes to keep the back are the hottest. From there you can “get to know your grill,” and place different parts of the meal on the right places for optimum cooking. Almost like cooking with a heath.

“The common trend here with cooking in the backyard is confidence. Get confident with your vessel. Know your hot spots, know your cold spots.” Bancroft explains. And, Nashan agrees.

After they’ve cooked the ribeye for 10-12 minutes to a perfect medium rare, they’re ready to let it rest as they move onto sides, starting with grilled cabbage.

It may sound strange, but Bancroft and Nashan jokingly explain that Napa Cabbage “filets” stand up well to grilling. It’s actually part of the Horseradish family, creating a perfect side for this grilled ribeye recipe.

Time for the Tater Tots

But, you won’t find Nashan’s coming out of a freezer bag. These scratch-made tots are easy to make with some mashed potatoes and a kick from your favorite chilis. And, they’re easy to fry, too. All it takes is a pot of your favorite oil; just make sure it has a high flash point and a neutral flavor (Nashan likes grapeseed or peanut). Once the oil is at 350, you’re ready to go. Just when it seems this grilled ribeye recipe couldn’t get any better, Nashan takes it to the next level!

He walks Bancroft through caramelizing cippolini onions until they’re sugary sweet, and how to make a savory, fancy egg-salad called “Sauce Gribiche.” There’s also a delicious-looking mustard jus that’s easy to create at home.

Finally, Nashan’s ready to plate. He slices the ribeye steak thin, pulls the homemade tater tots out of the fryer, and layers on all the sides. This dish can only be described as mouthwatering—and perfect for any fall backyard grill out! If you can’t wait to try out this amazing grilled ribeye at home, don’t worry. Here’s the ingredients and outline for the tater tots and sauces, below. 

Prime Cuts Tater Tots, Sauce Gribiche and Mustard Jus

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Tater Tots Ingredients

• white potatoes

• salt

• baking soda

• chili powder

• grapeseed oil

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Directions

• Peel and chop potatoes into one-inch cubes. Separate in half. Boil half the potatoes until soft (but, not falling apart,) then mash.
• Combine cooked potatoes and raw potatoes in a mixing bowl. Mix in salt, chili powder and baking soda.
• Roll potatoes into a cylinder in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until cool. Or, for homestyle tots, use a melon baller to make small balls.
• 4 Heat grape-seed oil to 350 degrees in an iron skillet and fry sliced or balled tots until golden brown.

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Sauce Gribiche Ingredients

• tarragon

• capers (keep the liquid)

• shallots

• mayonnaise

• egg yolks

• rice wine vinegar

• salt

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Directions

• Peel, chop and divide shallots. Cook half in an iron skillet on medium-high heat.
• Mix remaining ingredients with shallots in a mixing bowl. Serve room temperature.

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Mustard sauce Ingredients

• mustard seeds

• pickling liquid from your favorite pickled dish

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Directions

• Rehydrate mustard seeds by soaking them in water. Drain off and sit aside.
• Mix seeds with pickling liquid from your favorite pickled food, such as dill pickles or rutabagas, for example. Refrigerate over night. Serve cold.
   

Watch Prime Cuts:

• Kevin Nashan’s Grilled Ribeye Steak
• Rob McDaniel’s Seared Venison
• Kevin Nashan’s Chicken and Brussels Sprouts
• Rob McDaniel’s Pompano and Pickled Peppers

Want insider access to more prep videos and grilling recipes? Then, start your FREE Backyard Life e-news subscription, today! Simply sign up (below) and we’ll notify you when this—and other bonus content—is waiting in your inbox.