Four years ago, my family decided to have a "turkey cook-off," with the stipulation that the turkey must be cooked on-site and outside. I have a rather large family (my dad is one of 15 and I have around 80 first cousins at last count), although not everyone comes. We get together the Sunday before Thanksgiving for a large family pitch-in. Anyway, four years ago, we started the "Turkey Cook-Off." I knew there would be some deep fried turkey entries, and I wanted to be different.
After some research, I decided on the trashcan turkey. It really is simple and effective. You can cook a 20 lb. turkey in about 2 hours. Here is my "how-to" guide.
Supplies:
30-40 lbs. charcoal (2 big bags)
Aluminum foil
Shovel
Wooden or metal (rebar) stake
Trashcan (20 gallon metal, iirc)
Turkey
Bundt pan (optional)
Set up:
Find a flat piece of bare ground. Make sure you don't care if you lose the grass, etc. that may be there. This cooking method will scorch the ground.
Start your charcoal. I dump 3/4 of the charcoal on the ground and start it up. If you have a charcoal chimney, etc. you can use that.
Place aluminum foil on ground in a square. I use three pieces, so I can double up in the middle. Cover stake in aluminum foil, if using rebar, with a ball on top so the turkey won't slip down. Put the bundt pan in the middle of the foil, then sink the stake down the middle into the ground. Make sure it is in the ground and won't wobble.
Get your turkey. I let mine sit out around 30-45 minutes to get to "room temperature" before cooking (I do this on everything I grill, etc.). Place turkey on stake like it's standing up (legs down, wings up). Mine has a dry rub on it, but you can do whatever you want (brine, rub, etc.) but that is for another thread. I didn't put any oil on the skin this year because it tends to burn in the high temps.
Invert the trashcan over the turkey, making sure the turkey is in the middle. Also, make sure you have a good seal between the ground and trashcan. Now place the charcoal around the base of the trashcan and a layer on top. Then I place the extra charcoal around the base and on the top.
Now it's time to relax, have a beer and smoke a cigar. Set your timer and wait. Whatever you do, Do NOT try to take a peek. After the cook time is up, carefully remove the charcoal with the shovel. Remove the trashcan (make sure to use hot pads), and voila, a perfectly cooked bird. Take the turkey off the stake, let rest for at least 20 minutes, then carve and eat.
This year I did a 17ish pound turkey, and I left it in there for around 1:45. It came out perfect. I won again this year for the cook-off.
All in all, this is a great way to cook a turkey. It really is easy, and makes a terrific tasting bird. You just have to trust the method, and not get overly curious and take a look.
After some research, I decided on the trashcan turkey. It really is simple and effective. You can cook a 20 lb. turkey in about 2 hours. Here is my "how-to" guide.
Supplies:
30-40 lbs. charcoal (2 big bags)
Aluminum foil
Shovel
Wooden or metal (rebar) stake
Trashcan (20 gallon metal, iirc)
Turkey
Bundt pan (optional)
Set up:
Find a flat piece of bare ground. Make sure you don't care if you lose the grass, etc. that may be there. This cooking method will scorch the ground.
Start your charcoal. I dump 3/4 of the charcoal on the ground and start it up. If you have a charcoal chimney, etc. you can use that.
Place aluminum foil on ground in a square. I use three pieces, so I can double up in the middle. Cover stake in aluminum foil, if using rebar, with a ball on top so the turkey won't slip down. Put the bundt pan in the middle of the foil, then sink the stake down the middle into the ground. Make sure it is in the ground and won't wobble.
Get your turkey. I let mine sit out around 30-45 minutes to get to "room temperature" before cooking (I do this on everything I grill, etc.). Place turkey on stake like it's standing up (legs down, wings up). Mine has a dry rub on it, but you can do whatever you want (brine, rub, etc.) but that is for another thread. I didn't put any oil on the skin this year because it tends to burn in the high temps.
Invert the trashcan over the turkey, making sure the turkey is in the middle. Also, make sure you have a good seal between the ground and trashcan. Now place the charcoal around the base of the trashcan and a layer on top. Then I place the extra charcoal around the base and on the top.
Now it's time to relax, have a beer and smoke a cigar. Set your timer and wait. Whatever you do, Do NOT try to take a peek. After the cook time is up, carefully remove the charcoal with the shovel. Remove the trashcan (make sure to use hot pads), and voila, a perfectly cooked bird. Take the turkey off the stake, let rest for at least 20 minutes, then carve and eat.
This year I did a 17ish pound turkey, and I left it in there for around 1:45. It came out perfect. I won again this year for the cook-off.
All in all, this is a great way to cook a turkey. It really is easy, and makes a terrific tasting bird. You just have to trust the method, and not get overly curious and take a look.
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