Wondering how to tailgate a turkey at the Packers Thanksgiving ...

GREEN BAY - This year will be the first Thanksgiving Day home game for the Green Bay Packers since 2015, when the team requested to host the Chicago Bears to honor Brett Favre whose jersey number was retired at halftime.

The Packers have played many games on the holiday, but only two in the last 100 years have been at Lambeau Field.

This year, the Packers will be playing against the Miami Dolphins. The game will start at 7:20 p.m., giving fans plenty of time to enjoy their holiday feast before kickoff, but with this year being such a special occasion, some fans might want to celebrate their Thanksgiving while tailgating.

Nothing says "true Packers fan" like enjoying all of your Thanksgiving staples in the parking lot of Lambeau Field before first kick off, including turkey.

Grilling while tailgating isn't something new, but is it possible to grill a whole turkey before the game?

Local butchers say this is how you can grill a turkey while tailgating

Cooking a whole turkey in the oven is a lengthy process and the same goes for grilling one.

Plant manager of Maplewood Meats, 4663 Milltown Road in Hobart, Brad Van Hemelryk, recommends spatchcocking the turkey before grilling.

"This means taking the backbone out and then spreading the turkey flat so the turkey breasts are facing up," Van Hemelryk said. "Spatchcock turkey results in a much more even cook."

Completely breaking the turkey down into pieces like the breast, wings, drums and thighs is another smart alternative, said butcher and sausage maker Wes Karcheski with Niemuth's Southside Market, 2121 S. Oneida St in Appleton.

"You don't want to try to grill a whole turkey while you're there, that's going to take forever," Karcheski said.

Seasoning the turkey the day before is recommended not only to allow the turkey to marinate in the seasonings, but to also avoid having to carry extra products with you to the stadium.

To make the cooking process go by a little faster, Karcheski suggests tailgaters soak their turkey in a brine at least 24 hours before going to the stadium.

"Putting your turkey in a brine will help retain moisture over the grill while it's cooking," Karcheski said.

Karcheski said grillers shouldn't worry about using a drip pan or about the juices from the turkey extinguishing the coals.

"It'll be the same as grilling a chicken in the summertime, it's just going to take a couple extra minutes because the turkey is a little bit larger," Karcheski said. "It's a leaner animal so it's not like cooking pork or ribs."

Most importantly, Karcheski urges grillers to ensure their holiday bird is cooked to a minimal internal temperature of 165 degrees, which is the general temperature for all poultry.

He also suggests keeping gloves and a bucket of hot, soapy water nearby and designating cooking utensil used only for the turkey to avoid cross contamination.

Turkeys in the 10-to-16-pound weight range would be best for grilling on game day. The Butterball website states that a turkey in that range would take about two to three hours to grill whole. The larger the turkey, the longer the cook time.

Reach Jelissa Burns at 920-453-5107 or jburns1@gannett.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @burns_jelissa or on Instagram at burns_jelissa.