Last Updated November 11th, 2021 at 01:07 pm by Lisa
A Spatchcock Turkey (aka butterflied) cooks faster, gets golden brown all over, and is easier to carve. Serve for your Thanksgiving dinner feast with lots of sides and desserts for a holiday to remember.
One of my top cooking tips for Thanksgiving is to bake and cook a few days ahead. You can cook this turkey recipe, carve it, place it in a roasting pan, then reheat it for dinner or on Thanksgiving Day...
Why You Will Love Spatchcock Turkey
- Shorter Cooking Time: Starting the oven at a higher temperature reduces the total cooking time by about 30 minutes. Most turkey recipes recommend 13 minutes a pound at 350 degrees, which would be 3 hour cooking time. But, this recipe speeds up the process.
- Even Browning: With the turkey in a flatter shape, it gives every bit of the surface a chance to turn golden brown all over.
- Save Oven Space: With the turkey in a lower profile, you can have another rack available for cooking.
- Cooked Vegetables: Roasting on vegetables is OPTIONAL. I love to do it this way, as it saves space in my oven cooking 2 dishes in 1. The veggies work like a "rack" and cook perfectly in the roasting pan with some chicken stock. I serve the veggies, and then use the leftovers to make a creamy vegetable soup.
- Easier Carving: Taking out the backbone makes the final carving much easier because the whole turkey lays on a board and can be broken down and sliced very easily.
Spatchcock is a cooking process or method to prepare a chicken or turkey bird by removing the backbone and flattening it onto a sheet pan for a shorter cooking time.
Cuts of poultry, meat, or fish can be cut almost into two halves, but when left connected, they can be put flat in a pan which helps the meat cook faster.
It may seem a bit intimidating but it's really easy to do, saves a lot of cook time, and helps everything cook evenly.
The basic reason is you can cook a 10-14 pound turkey in less time, saving about 30 minutes, and it helps to cook more evenly golden-brown.
↑ Spatchcock Tutorial Video ↑
Ingredients You Need
I usually buy about a 14-pound turkey, be sure to defrost it in a pan (to catch any drips) in the fridge for about 2 days before cooking.
The vegetables are optional but act as a "rack". They cook right along with the turkey, saving space in your oven.
You can use a metal rack, and add some chicken stock to the pan, it will cook without burning the pan juices.
And receive a free recipe ebook as our thank you.
PRO TIPS: One of my top tips for Thanksgiving is to cook things and prep a few days ahead. You can cook this turkey, carve it, place the pieces in a roasting pan, then reheat it on Thanksgiving Day. Add a little chicken stock to the pan to keep it moist while reheating.
- 1 large turkey (approximately 14 lbs) spatchcocked or butterflied
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh cracked pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter soft
- 3 pounds chopped vegetables; brussel sprouts, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potato (this is optional)
- 2 cups chicken stock
How To Make Spatchcock Turkey
PRO TIP: If you have time, prep the turkey ahead and rest uncovered and unseasoned in the fridge for 12-24 hours before cooking. This helps the skin crisp up when roasting.
- Chop the vegetables and place them in the bottom of your roasting pan. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of salt and pepper. If you want to skip using them, place a metal rack in the bottom of your pan. Remove plastic net and wrapper, cut off plastic leg tie. Remove both the gizzards and neck from cavity and discard. Trim off extra skin and fat from neck and tail.
- Using kitchen shears, place the Turkey breast side down and cut along each side of the back bone.
- In some spots it has a lot of bone, use a small serrated knife to cut through. (Reserve the backbone for stock)
- Flip over, and press and crack the breastbone. Place your palm in the center and push down hard, you will hear it crack. Sometimes this takes a couple tries! Roll legs in “inward” and tuck the wings under the bird.
- Pat the dry with a paper towels, this helps the skin turn brown. Season both sides the bird with sea salt, cracked pepper, and rub the butter on skin.
- Place in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place the spatchcock turkey on top of the veggies as a rack. You can skip using the veggies, and just use a regular rack. Pour 2 cups of chicken stock in the bottom of the roasting pan. This helps flavor the veggies, keeps the meat moist, and creates pan juices for gravy.
Cooking Turkeys
- You want the internal temperature to be 165 degrees in the thickest part of the breast, and the thigh 175 degrees.
- Transfer to a carving board, rest for 10-15 minutes but don’t cover so the skin stays crisp. Carve and serve warm or use in other recipes.
Check the temperature throughout cooking, a wireless digital thermometer makes this really easy, I love my Thermopen from ThermoWorks.
It is the most accurate thermometer on the market according to America's Test Kitchen, and I use mine for everything from baking, frying, and roasting meat.
More Thanksgiving Sides
Here are some other recipes for Thanksgiving that you might enjoy.
- Make these Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes with 5 Ways to Reheat them for your holiday party.
- Sausage Dressing is the BEST holiday side (also known as sausage stuffing), you can use hot and/or mild Italian sausage, cornbread, crunchy celery, soft French bread, sweet dried cherries, and tart dried cranberries!
- Dinner Rolls is a pull-apart bread, people go crazy for these decorated with cheese and herbs are a party hit every time.
- For your sweet potato side, try either Coconut-Pecan Sweet Potatoes with little marshmallows or Sweet Potato Casserole with a crumble topping and 2 secret ingredients... SO good!
- This tropical Pineapple Orange Cranberry Sauce will be great additions to take or serve at your holiday feast.
More Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes
Easier to roast than a whole Thanksgiving turkey, and easily goes well with any side dishes you choose. Cooking a Turkey Breast is easy using a boneless breast and you will love this gravy recipe made from the pan drippings.
Dotted with Herb Butter, this keeps the meat tender and moist. Plus adds amazing flavor to the sliced turkey and gravy...
Wondering what to do with Thanksgiving leftovers? Make Thanksgiving Empanadas (Hand Pies)or bake a Leftover Casserole that is just like a Shephard's Pie.
Buy a package of ground turkey in place of ground beef and make a hot pot of Turkey Chili topped with cheese, green onions, and sour cream. Turkey Meatballs with a rich spaghetti sauce, are comfort food in a bowl. These meatballs are baked, not fried. Healthier and no messy cleanup.
CRAVING MORE?
Get my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for more Delicious Table recipes!
Spatchcock Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 large turkey (approximately 14 lbs) spatchcocked or butterflied
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh cracked pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter soft
- 3 pounds chopped vegetables Brussel sprouts, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potato
- 2 cups chicken stock
Instructions
prep turkey
- PRO TIP: If you have time, prep the turkey ahead and rest uncovered and unseasoned in the fridge for 12-24 hours before cooking. This helps the skin crisp up when roasting.
- Chop the vegetables and place them in the bottom of your roasting pan. Toss with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. If you want to skip using the veggies, place a wire rack in the bottom of your pan. Remove plastic net and wrapper, cut off plastic leg tie. Remove both the gizzards and neck from cavity and discard. Trim off extra skin from the neck and tail.
- Using kitchen shears, place the Turkey breast side down and cut along each side of the back bone. In some spots it has a lot of bone, use a small serrated knife to cut through. (Reserve the backbone for stock)
- Flip over, and press and crack the breastbone. Place your palm in the center and push down hard, you will hear it crack. Sometimes this takes a couple tries! Roll legs in “inward” and tuck the wings under the bird.
- Pat the Turkey dry with a paper towels, this helps the skin turn brown. Season both sides the bird with sea salt, cracked pepper, and rub the butter on skin.
- Chop the veggies, and place in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Place the spatchcock turkey on top of the veggies as a rack. You can skip using the veggies, and just use a regular rack. Pour 2 cups of chicken stock in the bottom of the roasting pan. This helps flavor the veggies, keeps the meat moist, and creates pan juices for gravy.
roasting turkey and vegetables
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast for 1 hour, check the turkey, if browning too fast tent with a piece of aluminum foil.
- Turn oven down to 375 degrees, and roast turkey another 90 minutes.
- PRO TIP: Tent with foil if browning too fast. I recommend this at the 60 minute mark.
- You want the breast meat to be 165 degrees in the thickest part, and the thigh meat 175 degrees.
- Transfer to a carving board, rest for 10-15 minutes but don’t cover so the skin stays crisp. Carve and serve warm or use in other recipes.
Notes
Top Turkey Cooking Tips
PRO TIP: If you have time, prep the turkey ahead and rest uncovered and unseasoned in the fridge for 12-24 hours before cooking. This helps the skin crisp up when roasting. PRO TIP: One of my top tips for Thanksgiving is to cook things and prep a few days ahead. You can cook this turkey, carve it, place the pieces in a roasting pan, then reheat it on Thanksgiving Day. Add a little chicken stock to the pan to keep it moist while reheating.Why This Recipe Works
- Shorter Cooking Time: Starting the oven at a higher temperature reduces the total cooking time by about 30 minutes. Most turkey recipes recommend 13 minutes a pound at 350 degrees, which would be 3 hours of cooking time. But, this recipe speeds up the process.
- Even Browning: With the flattened shape, it gives every bit of the surface a chance to turn golden brown all over.
- Save Oven Space: With the lower profile, you can cook on another rack.
- Cooked Vegetables: Roasting vegetables is OPTIONAL. I love to do it this way, as it saves space in my oven cooking 2 dishes in 1. The veggies work like a "rack" and cook perfectly in the roasting pan with some chicken stock. I serve the veggies, and then use the leftovers and dripping to make a creamy vegetable soup.
- Easier Carving: Taking out the backbone makes the final carving much easier because the whole turkey lays on a board and can be broken down and sliced very easily.
The best way to cook a turkey, thank you for making the process so easy. Our turkey was golden brown and delicious.