Cooking a turkey in the ground may seem unusual, but it’s actually an age-old technique that results in incredibly moist, flavorful meat. Ground-cooked turkeys have been roasted by various cultures worldwide for generations.
Cooking a turkey underground allows the bird to be infused with smoky, earthy flavors while steam-roasting it gently and evenly. The surrounding soil works as a natural oven, slowly cooking the turkey while keeping its juices sealed in.
If you want to try this unique and historical cooking method for your next holiday feast or anytime you’re roasting a turkey, follow this complete step-by-step guide on how to cook a turkey in the ground.
Benefits of Cooking a Turkey Underground
There are several excellent reasons to cook your turkey in a pit in the ground rather than roasting it in the oven:
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Enhanced flavor – The smoky and mildly earthy taste imparted from being buried while cooking is unmatched. It gives the turkey a subtle delicious savoriness.
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Juicy meat – Ground cooking locks in moisture and results in very succulent, tender turkey meat.
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Even cooking – The surrounding earth distributes heat gently and evenly around the entire bird. No worries about dried-out breast meat or underdone thighs.
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Temperature control – It’s easy to maintain a steady, ideal cooking temperature when using the ground as your oven.
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Fun, novel method – Ground-roasted turkey is sure to be a hit at your next gathering Guests will be fascinated and impressed with this historical cooking technique
How to Build an Underground Cooking Pit
Constructing a pit to cook your turkey in is part of the experience. Here are the steps involved:
Choose a Spot
Pick a level area in your yard away from trees and shrubs to dig your pit. Make sure there are no pipes or wires underground where you’ll be digging.
Size the Pit
For a 10-15 lb turkey, dig a pit about 2 feet deep by 3 feet wide. Scale up for larger birds. Make sure to make the pit a little longer than your roasting pan.
Line the Pit
Line the bottom and sides with large rocks or bricks to retain and distribute heat. Avoid using river rocks which can explode.
Build a Fire
Build a big bonfire down in the pit using hardwood logs. Keep it going for several hours to get the rocks very hot.
Rake Out Coals
Once there are nice hot embers, rake out most of the coals from the pit, leaving a 1-2 inch layer across the bottom.
Add Wood Chips
Sprinkle some moist hickory, apple, cherry or other aromatic wood chips over the coals for smoky flavor.
Your underground oven is now ready for the turkey!
How to Prepare the Turkey
Prepping the turkey is much the same as for oven roasting:
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Thaw the turkey completely if frozen. Remove giblets and neck.
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Rinse turkey inside and out. Pat very dry with paper towels.
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Rub the skin all over with olive oil or butter. Season the cavity and under the skin with salt and pepper.
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Stuff the cavity with onions, apples, garlic, herbs or your favorite stuffing. Truss the legs.
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Place turkey in a heavy roasting pan and add 1-2 cups chicken or turkey stock to the bottom.
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Tent foil loosely over the pan, leaving space for air circulation. This helps trap heat and steam.
The turkey is now ready for its underground adventure!
How to Cook a Turkey Underground
Once your pit is heated and prepared, it’s time to put the turkey in to cook:
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Using sturdy gloves or several layers of towels, carefully lower the roasting pan with the turkey into the pit.
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Cover the pit completely with a lid or square of heavy foil.
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Shovel dirt around and over the edges to seal in heat.
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Let the turkey cook undisturbed for about 1 hour per 5 pounds. Check internal temperature periodically with a long-stemmed thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh.
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It’s done when the thigh reaches 175°F and the breast 165°F. If using stuffing, it must reach 165°F also.
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Carefully remove the pan from the pit using gloves. Allow the turkey to rest tented with foil for 15-20 minutes before carving.
The wait is worth it for amazingly moist, tender and flavorful turkey with a hint of mesquite smoke!
Tips and Variations
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Add aromatic herbs, citrus slices, onions or other vegetables to the cavity or bottom of the pan.
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Use wood chips, logs or pellets for different smoke flavor – experiment with flavors like hickory, apple, mesquite, etc.
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Rub spices like cumin, chili powder, curry, jerk or garam masala under the skin for more flavor.
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Brine the turkey before cooking for extra moisture and seasoning.
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For whole spiced cider or wine, add a cheesecloth bag with whole cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves and citrus to the pan.
Ensuring Food Safety
It’s important to take precautions when cooking turkey in the ground:
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Cook immediately once the pit is ready – don’t let turkey sit out.
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Use a food thermometer to ensure safe internal temperature is reached.
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Don’t let the temp fall below 140°F for over 2 hours total cooking time.
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Discard any stuffing or pan juices that don’t reach 165°F.
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Refrigerate all leftovers within 1-2 hours of cooking.
Origin of Cooking Turkey in the Ground
There are many fascinating historical accounts of cultures worldwide using underground ovens and pits to cook meat and vegetables:
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Native Americans traditionally cooked wild game in pits lined with hot rocks buried in the ground.
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Polynesian cultures cooked pigs and other large meats in underground imu pits made of layered hot rocks and banana leaves.
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In the Caribbean, jerk pork and chicken are pit-barbecued wrapped in banana leaves over smoking pimento wood.
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Greek and Mediterranean cultures have long buried lamb and other meats in jars in pits to slow roast them with aromatic herbs and vegetables.
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Early American settlers adopted the Native American technique of pit cooking turkeys, briskets, beans and vegetable stews.
So next Thanksgiving or anytime you roast a turkey, consider carrying on these time-honored traditions and go ahead – just dig a pit and bury that bird! Your family and friends will love this delicious walk down cooking history.
Cooking a turkey in the ground may take a bit more time and effort than a conventional oven method, but it delivers incredible flavors and textures that you just can’t achieve any other way. With the right pit, preparation, and safety precautions, you’re sure to impress your guests with this unique historical cooking technique. Give ground turkey cooking a try for your next holiday meal or backyard gathering.
Outdoor Turkey Pit Cooking Recipe – Turkey In The Hole Recipe
*Cooking Time: 20 minutes per pound. Ingredients
- 1 (10 pound) turkey, fresh or thawed, with giblets and neck removed. Turkey Brine, optional* Butter
- * If you decide to brine your turkey, 1 to 2 days before pit cooking your whole turkey, brine it. Check out Guidelines for Brining Poultry.
- Equipment Needed:
- Large cast-iron Dutch Oven with lid (see photos on right) River rocks or bricks (river rock is best) Metal wire Aluminum foil Lots of fire wood Shovel
Instructions
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Preparing the Hole/Pit:
- Dig a hole/pit big enough to fit all your rock/bricks and your cast-iron Dutch Oven. Generally 2 to 3 times larger than your Dutch Oven is adequate.
- Line the hole with flat river rocks.
- Fill the hole with lots of fire wood. Use hard woods (hardwoods, when burned, hold heat better).
- Build a fire in the pit and let it burn rapidly for at least 1 hour. Make sure that you burn all the wood down to a big bed of coals. The pit should be almost filled with ashes and coals, approximately 2- to 3-inches deep.
- You are now ready for the Dutch Oven with the prepared turkey to be placed in the hole.
- Using a shovel or Hot Coal Shovel, make room for your Dutch Oven by moving some of the hot coals in the area around where the pot will be.
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Preparing and Cooking the Whole Turkey:
- Rub the inside and outside of the turkey with butter. If desired, also rub with your favorite seasoning rub.
- Place the prepared turkey in the Dutch Oven. Cover with the lid.Make sure you use some heavy wire to attach the lid as this will keep dirt and ash out of your Dutch Oven.
- Place the Dutch Oven, with the turkey, in place in the prepared hole.
- Using your shovel, move some of the hot ashes and coals on top of the pot. Also take some hot coals out so you can put them on top of the pot over the aluminum foil. Make sure there is some air in the area around the pot.
- Place aluminum foil over the entire hole. Finally, place some hot coals over the foil and bury the hole with dirt.
- Cook the turkey for approximately 4 to 5 hours.
- Estimate heat of oven – Place your hand about 6 inches over the coals on the lid and count one thousand one; one thousand two; one thousand three. Remove your hand when it is uncomfortable – one is hot, two is moderate, and three is low heat – more you are just warming food not cooking.
- Dig up the Dutch Oven, brush off the dirt and ashes, and remove the lid with a Lid lifter. Be sure to wear oven mitts or Heavy Leather Gloves, as the pot will still be very hot.
- Insert the meat thermometer into the fleshy part of the thigh without touching the bone. You want the internal temperature to reach 165 F (remember that the turkey will continue to cook after it is removed from the heat of the fire). NOTE: The USDA has come up with a one-temperature-suits-all for poultry safety: 165 F. For safety and doneness, the internal temperature should be checked with a meat thermometer.
- This is the type of cooking and meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking. I get many readers asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking and baking. I, personally, use the Thermapen Thermometer shown in the photo on the right. To learn more about this excellent thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just click on the underlined: Thermapen Thermometer.
- If your turkey has not reach the internal temperature of 165 F. after removing it from the cooking hole, place the turkey (in the Dutch Oven) in a preheated 350 degree F. oven and continue to bake until the proper internal temperature is reached. Be careful that you do not lose those wonderful juices.
- Let the turkey rest, out of the pit or oven, for approximately 15 to 20 minutes before carving. Actually, once the turkey has cooled slightly, you can simply pull it apart with your fingers.
Categories:
Pit Cooking – Bean Hole Cooking – Turkey Recipe
Outdoor Turkey Pit Cooking Recipe that is a great variation on cooking your holiday turkey.
Serve up this rustic dinner by cooking a whole turkey, pit style when out in the wild camping or river rafting, or for your family’s holiday dinner. This style of pit cooking is also know as “Bean Hole Cooking.” If you have the time and place to cook your holiday turkey in an outdoor pit. This Outdoor Turkey Pit Cooking recipe would make a great Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey dinner.
A pit barbecue is an exercise in turning a hole in the ground into an oven with hot coals provide the heat. Covering the top with aluminum foil and then dirt, regulates the oxygen so the coals burn slowly, providing an even, controlled heat for many hours .
Recipe and photos by Alan Meeker of Hillsboro, Oregon, an avid outdoors’ man in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
Check out more great Poultry Recipes, Cast-Iron Cooking Recipes, and how to Brine Poultry for a moister and tastier dish.
Check out this very interesting and informative article on Dutch Oven Camp Cooking.
HOW TO Cook Your TURKEY in the GROUND! ***MUST SEE!***
FAQ
How should ground turkey be cooked?
- Get started by heating butter or oil in a skillet over high heat. …
- Continue cooking the ground turkey, giving it a stir occasionally, until there’s no longer any pink, about 5-7 minutes more.
- Add turkey, salt, and pepper.
How to cook a turkey for beginners?
- Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. …
- Weigh the turkey and calculate cooking time at 20 mins per kilo, plus 90 mins. …
- Put a large sheet of extra-wide foil in a large roasting tin, then put the turkey on top.