Would you believe me if I told you that this garbage can turkey recipe makes for one of the best turkeys that I have ever tasted?!
When I first witnessed a turkey being cooked in a garbage can it blew my mind. I couldn’t fathom how that was even possible! Since then we have made numerous turkeys this way and it has quickly become my preferred way of cooking the most moist and delicious turkey I have ever had. Let me show you how…
No seriously, this turkey was cooked in a garbage can in 1.5 hours you guys! It’s super easy to set up and makes the tastiest turkey I’ve ever had.
Supplies you will need:
(affiliate links)
18″ x 2″ stake
Lighter
Twine
15 lb turkey, prepared
How to cook delicious garbage can turkey:
Step One: Prepare the turkey for cooking. We found that the absolute best turkey was brined the day before cooking. After removing from the brine we then coated it in melted butter and our favorite Mango Chipotle Seasoning (aff link). Fasten the wings to the bird with twine and tuck the legs in or fasten together with twine.
Two: Prepare the cooking area. You will need to make a stake that sticks out of the ground by 14″. When we make this recipe while camping we simply use a branch and bury it at least 4″ in the ground so that it’s sturdy enough to hold a 15 lb turkey. At home we’ve created a stake using an old ground tamper that we cut to 14″. The weighted end of the tamper is enough to hold up the turkey.
A little bit of preparation…
Three: Wrap the stake in tinfoil, creating a ball of foil at the top to support the turkey. Layer about 2 ft of tinfoil on the ground around the stake.
Four: Place the bird on the stake.
Step 5: Cover the turkey with the garbage can, making sure that it is centered and not touching the can.
Six: Pour 1/3 of the bag of briquettes into the garbage can lid and light them. Tip: Be sure to use oven mitts when handling the hot lid and garbage can.
Seven: Pour lit briquettes around the base of the can.
Step 8: Scatter the remaining briquettes around the base of the can on top of the already lit ones.
Nine: Set your timer for 1.5 hours and allow the garbage can to work its magic! Cook for 1 hour 45 mins for an 18-20 lb turkey.
Step ten: Using oven mitts, lift the can to reveal the delicious turkey underneath.
Doesn’t this turkey just look amazing you guys?! Trust me, it tastes even better! This garbage can turkey recipe is perfect for using while camping when you don’t have access to an oven or at home when you don’t want to heat up the entire house with the oven or just when you want to make ((seriously)) the best tasting turkey ever!
More camping recipe tips:
- Prepare meals in advance at home whenever possible. Leave most of the mess at home where running water is more accessible and clean up is easier. Trust me on this one!
- Create “one pot” family style meals for quick dinners that don’t require a lot of thought.
- Use tinfoil packets, foil pie pans or camp cookers (aff link). These tools help to make clean up a breeze!
- Pack ingredients in 1 gallon size ziploc bags for flexible storage in small fridges and coolers.
- Plan meals that use similar ingredients to help make packing and planning easy. These Cheesy Vegetable Campfire Dip, Loaded Campfire Potatoes and Tinfoil Packet Nacho Dip recipes are some of my favorites.
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Delicious Garbage Can Turkey Recipe
This garbage can turkey recipe makes one of the best turkeys that I have ever tasted!
Ingredients
- 15 pound turkey
- 6 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp mango chipotle seasoning
- Brine:
- 2 cups apple cider
- 12 cups water
- 1 cup coarse salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 5 cloves of garlic, diced
- 1 Tbsp peppercorns
- 2 oranges, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp dried rosemary
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- Place fresh, not frozen, turkey into a brine bag or a large roasting pan.
- Cover the turkey entirely with the brine mixture and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.
- Drain and pat the turkey dry with paper towel.
- Rub the entire turkey with butter and coat with chipotle seasoning.
- Wrap the wings to the body with twine and fasten the legs together.
- Place the turkey on a 14" stake in the ground that has been covered by tinfoil.
- Cook for 1.5 hours under the garbage can, surrounded by lit briquettes.
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