Cooking A Whole Thanksgiving Turkey Over Your Campfire Is Easy With This Budget DIY Trick

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If you ask avid outdoor lovers where the absolute best place to spend Thanksgiving in the U.S. is, some would say at the campsite surrounded by nature and loved ones. But for most people, the idea of cooking a traditional Thanksgiving dinner — complete with a whole turkey — while camping sounds like a logistical nightmare. But it can even be surprisingly easy if you take the right approach. And some campers who have tried it say a DIY smoker is the way to go. 

Store-bought smokers can be expensive and take up a lot of space. So a budget trick some outdoor cooks swear by is repurposing a steamer pot (think the kind used for clam bakes) as a DIY smoker over your campfire. They already come with a perforated insert and a tall, lidded design, which happens to mimic the airflow and heat control you'd find in purpose-built smokers. Just add soaked wood chips to the bottom beneath the insert, place your turkey on top, and cover with the lid before placing it on your campfire grate. The rising smoke and heat will slow-cook the bird and give it a smoky flavor. 

The best part is that the steamer pot is versatile. You can use it for tamales, crab boils, soups, or boiling water the rest of the year, but come Thanksgiving, it transforms into a budget-friendly way to deliver a holiday feast without a conventional oven. You can also skip buying a separate steamer and adjust this cooking method to work with a cast-iron Dutch oven. This Lodge cast-iron camp Dutch oven has a flat lid that can even be used as a griddle for your side dishes.

Cooking a turkey with a DIY smoker requires a little planning, but once you get the basics down, it's surprisingly forgiving. For campers who want to cook a whole turkey, choose an extra-tall pot (like this 20-quart GasOne steamer on Amazon) and a smaller-sized bird. However, if it's your first time, you may want to break the bird down into pieces (and level up your camp cooking by pre-marinating the meat). It will be easier to manage and won't take as long to cook. Smaller groups can swap a whole turkey for a turkey breast or two instead. Brining the turkey overnight — either in a cooler with salted water and aromatics or with a dry rub — helps lock in flavor and moisture. This is a nice touch since campfire cooking can be less predictable than an oven.

When you're ready to cook, keep the campfire burning at a steady medium heat and replenish the wood chips as needed to keep smoke flowing. It's also smart to rotate the pot during cooking, since campfires don't always heat evenly. A meat thermometer is essential; the internal temperature should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit before resting and carving your bird. For side dishes, think portable — foil packets of premade sides or chopped veggies can cook directly on the embers, and cranberry sauce and rolls travel easily in containers. 

Another method is to spatchcock (aka butterfly) the turkey and grill it over charcoal or a campfire using grill grates, like this Vevor X-Marks fire pit grill grate on Amazon. With a little prep at home, you can set yourself up for a classic Thanksgiving feast. Many campers say the novelty of enjoying a full turkey dinner outdoors is worth the extra effort.

Of course, a smoker or Dutch oven setup isn't the only way to pull off a Thanksgiving campsite dinner. Another option is to cook the turkey over an open fire the old-fashioned way. Use an axe and knife to make a roasting spit from branches. Fix the turkey onto the middle of the spit, and then roast the bird above a fire pit, turning occasionally for even cooking. When it's almost done, cook your sides in foil packets — a versatile kitchen staple that makes cooking meals while camping so much easier — around the fire on the hot rocks and embers. While a spit-roasted turkey will take some time (bank on at least a couple of hours, depending on the size of the bird), the process is easy enough with some basic outdoors skills.

Another way to pull off the impressive whole-bird presentation is with a turkey fryer. This CreoleFeast Fryer Boiler Steamer Set on Amazon is on the larger side, and it connects easily to your propane tank, so you won't have to fuss with live fire or coals. It's not as budget-friendly as a DIY spit made with branches — but for less than $150, this multipurpose pot is reusable, portable, and gets the job done. 

That said, frying a turkey is not for the faint-hearted; it can be dangerous. So ensure someone is responsibly in charge and supervising at all times. Always use the fryer in an open, cleared area on level ground to prevent any spills or fires. Also, make sure the turkey is completely thawed, and only use the fryer in clear, dry weather. Read the owner's manual for essential safety tips — and campers who go this route should have a fire extinguisher on hand for safety.