Easy roasted Spatchcock Turkey transforms your holiday centerpiece into a juicy, flavorful main course by removing the backbone and flattening the bird for even cooking and crispy skin. This method not only reduces cooking time but also ensures every bite is tender and delicious, making it the perfect choice for festive gatherings.
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Spatchcock Turkey: The Secret to a Perfectly Cooked, Juicy Bird
Years back when I discovered what spatchcocking is I basically never cooked a whole chicken again without spatchcocking, and if you are interested in spatchcocking a chicken I have you covered with my Grilled Spatchcock Chicken and my Spatchcock (Butterflied) Roast Chicken Recipe. And once I started doing it with almost every whole chicken I encountered it wasn’t long before I was also spatchcocking my whole turkeys, try it once and you will never look back.
Why Spatchcock Your Turkey?
Spatchcocking, also sometimes referred to butterflying, is a method where the backbone of the turkey is removed, allowing the bird to be flattened. This simple but transformative step has several advantages:
- Even Cooking: A traditional turkey can be tricky to cook evenly since the breasts tend to cook faster than the legs. When you spatchcock a turkey, the bird is laid flat, which allows heat to distribute more evenly across all parts of the turkey.
- Crispier Skin: Since the surface area of the turkey is increased, more of the skin is exposed to direct heat. This ensures that you get that perfectly crispy, golden-brown skin without any soggy spots.
- Faster Cook Time: A flattened turkey cooks significantly faster than a whole one. Instead of spending hours basting and monitoring the bird, you’ll have a fully cooked turkey in less time, freeing you up for other holiday preparations.
- Juicier Meat: A faster cook time means the breast meat won’t dry out by the time the legs are cooked. You’ll get a perfectly juicy turkey every time!
Equipment
Sharp Knife and/or Kitchen Shears: To remove the backbone, you’ll need a sturdy, sharp knife or a good pair of kitchen shears. Kitchen shears really do make it easier, the pair I have isn’t even that nice ot special but it still does a decent job, it makes cutting through some sections way easier than with a knife alone, I also feel like it is safer often when using a knife I am afraid with the wetness of the turkey the knife might slip. That being said if you don’t have a kitchen shears you can totally manage with a knife, I have done it with a knife many times before. Just make sure your knife is actually sharp and not to dull!
Cutting Board: A large, stable cutting board that can accommodate your turkey while you work on it. I prefer to also stay away from wood since it is raw poultry, I like using corian cutting boards for raw meat as they are solid surface and won’t harbor bacteria.
Paper Towels: You’ll need these to pat the turkey dry, which is essential for achieving crispy skin.
Sheet Pan or Roasting Pan: For cooking the turkey. A smaller bird can fit on a sheet pan, while larger birds may require a roasting pan.
Wire Rack (optional): Placing the turkey on a wire rack in your pan will allow air to circulate beneath the bird, this is totally optional I usually don’t use one.
Temperature Probe: This is crucial for ensuring the turkey reaches the perfect internal temperature without overcooking. If you have a probe available go off of what the probe says and don’t even worry about keeping a timer. I love the Dot – Simple Alarm Thermometer from Thermoworks, it is a dependable yet affordable and not over the top temperature probe that helps me get the right temperature every single time, link below.
Shop Equipment
Dot – Simple Alarm Thermometer
Buy Now →Ingredients
- Your favorite turkey brine – Technically optional but recommended for extra flavor and moisture. I recommend trying my Apple Cider Turkey Brine. You could also try my Dry Brine with kosher salt.
- Whole Turkey, fresh or thawed – You can really spatchcock any size turkey, use a smaller or slightly larger bird, but more than 18 pounds may be difficult to fit on a sheet pan.
- Butter – Unsalted and softened, I prefer adding butter to the outside of my turkey but you can also use olive oil.
- Variations – I invite you to make this your own as much as possible! Use the type of brine you enjoy, use a compound butter, or add other spices/seasonings to the skin.
Instructions
Prepare the Turkey
Pat the turkey dry using paper towels. Having the turkey patted dry helps keep the knife or shears from slipping while removing the backbone. Ensure that the gizzards and neck are removed from the turkey cavity. If your bird came pre-trussled go ahead and cut that off the legs.
Remove the Backbone
Place the turkey breast-side down on the cutting board. Using sharp kitchen shears or a knife, cut along one side of the backbone from neck to tail. Then repeat on the other side of the backbone to fully remove it. Don’t be intimidated—this step takes a little effort but isn’t as hard as it sounds.
Flatten the Turkey
Flip the turkey over so it’s breast-side up. Press firmly on the breastbone until it cracks and the turkey flattens out. You might have to put a lot of pressure on this especially if you have a large turkey, I literally have to put most of my weight into it. Don’t worry if you hear a crack—this is normal!
Brine the Turkey (Optional but you really should)
If you’re brining your turkey for extra flavor and moisture, now is the time. I am going to tell you a secret, once it is spatchcocked the turkey is so much more easy to brine since is flattens out in the brine more easy! Make sure to rinse the turkey thoroughly after brining and pat it dry again to remove excess moisture.
Preheat the Oven
When you are ready to roast your turkey start by preheating your oven to 375°F.
Prepare for Roasting
Transfer the spatchcocked turkey to a sheet pan or a roasting pan, depending on its size. If you have a wire rack, place it under the turkey, but this is optional.
Butter the Turkey
Spread the softened butter evenly over the entire turkey, making sure to get under the skin for extra moisture and flavor. The butter will help the skin crisp up while keeping the meat juicy. (This is where you can really make this your bird, use a compound herb butter, oil, black pepper, fresh herbs, or add spices.) If you are not brining your turkey and a little salt over top the butter.
Insert a Temperature Probe
For accuracy, insert a temperature probe into the thickest part of the turkey breast. This will help you monitor the temperature without having to constantly open the oven door.
Roast the Turkey
Place the turkey in the oven and roast until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 165°F. This typically takes about 8 minutes per pound, but exact timing will depend on your oven and the size of the bird. For example, a 14-pound turkey will take approximately 112 minutes (14 x 8 minutes). Yes it is about half of the time you would normally roast a turkey!
Rest the Turkey
Once your turkey reaches 165°F, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before carving. Resting helps the juices redistribute throughout the meat, keeping it moist.
tips, tricks and questions
Do I need to brine the turkey?
Brining is optional but highly recommended. It adds extra moisture and flavor, especially if you’re looking for a juicy turkey. If you choose to brine, make sure to rinse and dry the turkey before roasting.
How do I know when the turkey is done? Where to probe spatchcock turkey?
The best way to ensure doneness is to use a temperature probe inserted into the thickest part of one of the breasts and cook until the thickest part of the breast reaches 165°F. Don’t rely solely on cooking time, as it can vary depending on your oven and the size of your bird.
Can I spatchcock a frozen turkey?
No, the turkey must be fully thawed to safely spatchcock. Attempting to cut through a frozen turkey could be dangerous and ineffective.
How long does a spatchcock turkey take?
About half the time it takes to roast a traditional roast turkey, about 8 minutes per pound. So a 14 pound turkey will take about 112 minutes or just under 2 hours.
Do you need a wire rack to spatchcock a turkey?
Nope, I have done it many times just straight on the pan without a wire rack.
Should I Spatchcock my turkey the night before?
Yes, I recommend spatchcocking your turkey the night before. I also recommend spatchcocking the turkey before brining.
Is it worth spatchcocking a turkey?
Absolutely! It helps the turkey cook much faster, more even, and stay juicier!
If you like this Spatchcock Turkey Recipe you might also like these holiday recipes:
Spatchcock Turkey
Spatchcocking your Turkey transforms your holiday centerpiece into a juicy, flavorful main course by removing the backbone and flattening the bird for even cooking and crispy skin. This method not only reduces cooking time but also ensures every bite is tender and delicious, making it the perfect choice for festive gatherings.
Ingredients
- 14 pound* whole turkey, fresh or thawed
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- Your favorite turkey brine
Instructions
- When you are ready to roast preheat oven to 375º F.
- Pat turkey dry. Ensure all the gizzards and neck are removed from the cavity. On a cutting board lined with paper towels carefully cut out the back bone with a sharp knife and/or kitchen shears. Start with one side of the back bone next to the next and cut along side the back bone until that side is fully cut. Switch to the other side of the backbone, starting at the neck cut along the back bone all the way down so that the back bone becomes detached. Flip the turkey over and put a lot of pressure of the breast area so that the turkey lies flat, you might hear a crack to get it to lay flat and that is okay. Once the turkey is flat take the tips of the wings and fold them back behind the rest of the wing.
- Transfer the turkey to a sheet pan for a smaller turkey or in a roasting pan for a larger turkey. If you wish you can use a wire rack underneath the turkey but you don't have to. Spread the soft butter all over the turkey. Add a temperature probe to the thickest part of the turkey breast if you are using one.
- Place in the middle rack in the oven and cook to 165ºF or about 8 minutes per pound. (Bird Size x 8 Minutes = Approximate cook time**)
Notes
*Or any size turkey, although much bigger than 18 pound you might have trouble fitting the turkey on a sheet pan.
** Exact timing will depend of the conditions of your oven and bird, timing will vary. The best way to ensure doneness is to use a temperature probe.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 2172Total Fat: 95gSaturated Fat: 33gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 56gCholesterol: 1215mgSodium: 1112mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 308g
Nutritional data is automated and might not be 100% accurate, final nutritional information will depend on ingredients used and any changes made.
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