• Grilling
  • BBQ
  • Smoking
  • Miscellaneous
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

BBQing with the Nolands

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

Grilling

Southwest Grilled Turkey Breast

Sharing is caring!

505 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe

Southwest Grilled Turkey Breast

This Southwest Grilled Turkey Breast was one of the best turkeys we have ever had! If you know our household that’s saying a lot as we love turkey!

We are always looking for new and exciting ways to serve up dinner or appetizers be it beef, pork, or poultry. We also have cooked turkey breast in many different ways. Sometimes a whole turkey is just too much for our family so we will do a breast roll or something like this recipe!

Sliced grilled turkey breast on a white plate with orange slices and parsley

HELPFUL ITEMS FOR THIS RECIPE

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small portion from qualifying purchases at no extra charge to you.

Small Glass Bowls with Lids

EXTRA LARGE Organic Bamboo Cutting Board with Juice Groove

8″ Carving Knife and 7″ Fork Set 

how to grill a turkey breast on a gas grill

It’s so easy to grill a turkey breast. Especially on a gas grill with this fantastic grilled turkey breast recipe! Because you have total control of which areas of the grill surface have direct heat and which do not have direct heat. To cook the breast using indirect heat is easy!

Raw turkey breast with all the spices in glass bowls on a wooden cutting board

Ingredients For the Spice Rub

  • Smoked Paprika
  • Ancho Chile Powder
  • Celery Salt
  • Onion Powder (you can use Garlic Powder if you prefer)
  • Cumin
  • Kosher salt and pepper

This recipe is simple but it is packed with flavor! Even though you are cooking a whole boneless turkey breast it comes out so tender and juicy. You can play around with the spice mixture if you like. I find that this combination is a definite winner. I prefer the onion powder over the garlic powder but you can try it either way or be adventurous and use both!

The process is simple; take your breast out of the fridge about 30 minutes before. Mix your spices together and give it a good massage with the spice mixture. Make sure you get some under the skin of your turkey too!

Spiced turkey breast being place on the BBQ grill with tongs

Preheat the grill until the temperature reaches 350 degrees F. Prepare the grill for indirect cooking by turning off one of the burners. I usually turn off the one on the very right side. Place the breast skin side up on the side of the grill you have turned off.

Cooked southwest turkey breast on a wooden cutting board with one piece sliced off the end

how long to grill a turkey breast per pound?

The cook time of your turkey breast will vary based upon a number of factors.

Firstly, the size of your breast is a big contributing factor as to how long it will take to cook. Also the temperature and wind conditions.

It may not be true everywhere but up here in the great white north it can be cold and windy just about any time of the year! That can affect the temperature of your grill, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye on it.

Thermoworks thermopens in various colors on a white background

Our 6-pound breast took 2 1/4 hours to reach a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees F. I used a Thermoworks Thermapen meat thermometer. It totally takes the guesswork out of grilling your turkey breast, and everything else you are cooking! As a general rule of thumb and to give you some idea, your turkey breast will take between 18 and 23 minutes a pound.

Once your turkey is cooked remove it from the grill and allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Some people like to cover it with aluminum foil but you don’t have to. The turkey skin was beautifully brown and crispy and the breast itself was tender and juicy!

Picking up a slice of southwest griulled turkey with a silver serving fork

To Brine or Not to Brine

This is the age-old question, and there are people that have really strong opinions on both sides of the debate. I’m on the brine side; I think that it adds flavor and moistness to your meats that you can’t get otherwise.

Generally, I nearly always brine my whole turkeys, or chickens before I cook them on the grill. I even like to brine them before I put them in the smoker. You simply can not beat the moist juicy results that you get!

But in saying this, this Southwest Grilled Turkey Breast recipe is so packed with flavor that I found that I didn’t need to brine it first before grilling.

The rub itself is full of wonderful tastes and because you are only cooking it for a couple of hours at most the breast will remain moist and juicy.

Close up of southwest grilled turkey breast slices with ornage slice sand parsley on a white plate

To grill the turkey on your BBQ over indirect medium heat is so easy, number one, close lid, number two, enjoy dinner! Plus, I like it because it seems to taste so much better than roasting it in the oven. The bonus also is that you don’t heat your house up having the oven on in the summer.

I hope you enjoy this wonderful recipe as much as we did, it’s a keeper for sure!

Southwest grilled turkey breast sliced on a white plate with orange slices and parsley

Southwest Grilled Turkey Breast

Ken Noland
This Southwest Grilled Turkey Breast was one of the best turkeys we have ever had! If you know our household that's saying a lot!
4.73 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 2 hours hrs
Additional Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 2 hours hrs 35 minutes mins
Course Grilling
Cuisine Southwestern
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 502 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 6 lbs boneless turkey breast
  • 3/4 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp each: ancho chile powder celery salt, onion powder, and cumin
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Remove the turkey breast from the refrigerator 1/2 hour before grilling.
  • Preheat your grill to 350 degrees F for indirect cooking.
  • Mix the smoked paprika, ancho chile powder, celery salt, onion powder, cumin, Kosher salt, and pepper together in a small bowl.
  • Rub the mixture over the turkey breast covering it completely, rubbing some under the skin also.
  • Place the turkey breast on the grill over indirect heat.
  • Keep the lid closed during the cooking, the breast is done when an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F. It will take between 1 1/2 and 2 1/4 hours.
  • Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 502kcalProtein: 103gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 272mgSodium: 705mg
Nutrition calculation is an estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!


4 Comments

Previous Post: « 22 Fantastic Grilled Vegetables
Next Post: Cast Iron Southern Cornbread »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jill says

    May 22, 2020 at 6:56 pm

    Looks so yummy Ken! When we finally get summer this will be on the menu for sure. This with fresh Taber corn? I’m already drooling.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. To Brine or Not to Brine - BBQing with the Nolands says:
    June 30, 2020 at 10:06 pm

    […] you have ever even slightly overcooked a turkey, chicken breasts, or pork tenderloins, you’ll know that these lean meats can go from juicy to dry […]

    Reply
  2. Thanksgiving Dinner on the BBQ - BBQing with the Nolands says:
    October 31, 2020 at 5:18 am

    […] are having a smaller group of people for Thanksgiving this year why not just cook up this wonderful Southwest Grilled Turkey Breast. It’s the perfect size for a small group and will easily serve 6 – 8 people. It’s […]

    Reply
  3. Greek Turkey Burger - BBQing with the Nolands BBQing with the Nolands says:
    June 1, 2021 at 7:01 am

    […] Greek Turkey Burger recipe will instantly become one of your favorites when you fire up the grill! Turkey is very underrated meat for making burgers, until […]

    Reply
4.73 from 11 votes (11 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hi, I’m Ken thanks for stopping by BBQing with the Nolands! I was born and raised in Western Canada. I grew up on the great wide open farmlands that produce some of the worlds’ best livestock and grains.
Read More…

Footer

You might also like

Grilled BBQ Chicken Drumettes

Hawaiian Grilled Turkey Burger Recipe

18 Over the Top Burger Recipes

Cheesy jalapeno potato packets wiht e spoon scoop some potaotes up

Cheesy Jalapeno Foil Packet Potatoes

Crisp BBQ chicken wing being dipped into a bowl of ranch dressing.

Crispy BBQ Chicken Wings

Copyright © 2025 · BBQing with the Nolands · Privacy Policy

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.