This Sweet Tea Brine Grilled Turkey is juicy, smoky, and full of Southern flavor. Learn how to brine, season, and grill the perfect holiday turkey every time.
Prep Time20 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: sweet tea brine grilled turkey, thanksgiving recipe, turkey recipe, holiday recipe, brine, southern recipe, grillin with dad recipes, grilling with dad recipes, grilled turkey.
Defrost the turkey. Remove any giblets and plastic pieces.
How to make a Sweet Tea Brine
Start by filling up a 4 quart saucepan halfway with boiling water. Add the salt, brown sugar, soy sauce, lemon juice, peppercorns and mix until fully dissolved.
Add the tea bags and steep for 10-15 minutes to extract all the flavor.
Top off the liquid with ice and fully cool down the brine.
How to Separate a Turkey
Place the turkey breast-side up on a sturdy cutting board. Pull one leg gently away from the body and slice through the skin between the thigh and the breast. Bend the leg outward until the hip joint pops, then cut cleanly through the exposed joint to remove the entire leg quarter. Repeat on the other side.
Remove the wings by pulling each wing away fromthe carcass and slicing through the shoulder joint—no need to cut through bone;the joint will guide your knife.
Clean up the breast by trimming any loose pieces to be left with a heart shaped piece.
Brining and Grilling
Place the turkey pieces into your brining container and pour in the brine. Place it in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours. An overnight brine is ideal as that will maximize the flavor.
Remove the turkey from the brine and pat them dry. Drizzle with olive oil and season with Dad's Sweet BBQ Rub and All Purpose Rub.
Preheat the grill to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and set for indirect heat.
Grill the thighs, drumsticks and wings until they reach 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove and Rest.
Grill the breast until it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove and Rest.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Don’t rush the brine. 12–24 hours makes the biggest difference in moisture and tenderness.Dry the skin well before grilling. This ensures a crisp, golden crust rather than soggy skin.Use indirect heat only. Turkey needs slow, even cooking to stay moist.Let it rest. A 20–25 minute rest allows juices to redistribute through the entire bird.