Christmas is about going all out and making your festive meal extra special. What better way to do that than by cooking your turkey on the BBQ? 

The Smokin’ Elk wouldn’t have his any other way, so he showed us how to do this simple but delicious juicy BBQ turkey crown that’s guaranteed to make anyone’s Christmas feast one to remember. 

Want to cook a whole turkey on the BBQ? Check out Elky's ultimate BBQ turkey guide to learn how it's done.

Christmas is just around the corner and for a lot of people, it’s time to start thinking about the turkey. Most people in my family are fans of the breast meat, so this year I’ve decided to showcase a lovely boneless turkey crown!

Ask your butcher to roll it and tie it for you so it cooks nice and evenly. Obviously being The Smokin’ Elk, I like to cook mine outside on the BBQ and I’d encourage you to do the same. It will free up all of that oven space, removing some of the stress from the kitchen. Plus you can always have a sneaky beverage outside while it cooks!

I’ve kept the flavours fairly simple, using only flavours that will complement the turkey well. Once you add on a kiss of cherry smoke from the BBQ, it’s going to be glorious!

Temperatures

The BBQ turkey will continue to cook once you remove it from the heat, so set the alarm on your thermometer to 66 °C, and the final temperature will rise to around 74-75 °C during the rest.

Ingredients

For the BBQ turkey

• 1 turkey crown, boned and rolled
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tbsp rosemary
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 2 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• Melted butter or spray oil

For the roast potatoes

• Potatoes (As many as you fancy! I use Maris Piper)
• A few sprigs of fresh thyme
• A few rosemary sprigs
• Flaky sea salt for seasoning
• 3-4 tbsp beef fat (or enough to line the bottom of the pan you’re using)

Directions

• First things first, you want to light your BBQ and bring it up to 200 °C. I like to use a small chunk of cherry wood for some smoke. Obviously if you are using the oven, pre-heat this to 200 °C.
• Next up, it’s time to make the rub. Just combine all herbs and spices in a bowl and set aside. Make sure the skin on the turkey is nice and dry, then brush with the melted butter or spray with a thin coat of oil. This will enable the rub to stick.
• Now sprinkle your rub all over the turkey. Don’t be shy with this as it’s going to add plenty of flavour to the skin. Take your DOT Digital Oven Thermometer and stick the probe into the thickest part of the crown. The turkey will continue to cook once you remove it from the BBQ or oven, so set the alarm on your thermometer to 66 °C and the final temperature will rise to around 74-75 °C during the rest.

Make some glorious roast potatoes

• While the turkey is cooking, let’s make some glorious roast potatoes to go with it! I always like to par-boil the spuds first and you can do this the night before to save time on the day. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, then drain and rough them up slightly and set aside to dry. Once cooled, you can put them in the fridge for the next day or they can go straight in the oven.
• When the turkey is almost done, you want to get your fat nice and hot. You can even do this once you’ve taken the turkey out to rest. I’ve used beef fat but you can also use goose fat or vegetable oil. Once it’s screaming hot, add in your potatoes then give them a quick turn so they are coated all over. Throw in some fresh thyme & rosemary sprigs & season with some flaky sea salt. These take around 40-50 minutes and you’ll want to give them a turn half way through.
• Once the alarm goes off on your DOT, use your Thermapen to spot check the bird in several places to ensure it has come up to temperature throughout. Remove the crown and rest it on the kitchen side. No need to cover it. It’ll carry on cooking for a while so don’t be worried about it going cold. The ideal resting time is 45 minutes to an hour. And that’s it – marvel at your delicious juicy bird and enjoy your Xmas dinner with the family!​

The Smokin' Elk

Fire Cooking Fanatic, BBQ School owner

@thesmokinelk

"I'm Elky, also known as The Smokin' Elk. I absolutely love cooking to fire and the Thermapen helps me up my game by cooking to the perfect temperature, every time. It's the one BBQ tool I wouldn't be without!"