Spatchcock Turkey

Last Updated June 15th, 2023 at 10:09 pm by Lisa

A Spatchcock Turkey is also called a butterflied bird, roasts about 30 minutes faster than most recipes, has golden crispy skin, juicy meat, and carves like a dream!

Serve roast turkey for your Christmas, holiday, or Thanksgiving dinner feast with lots of sides and desserts for a holiday to remember. This spatchcock method works with any regular turkey, follow this step-by-step guide to turkey perfection...

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.

PRO TIPS: One of my top tips for Thanksgiving is to cook things and prep a few days ahead. You can roast this spatchcocked bird, carve it up, and 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!

• large turkey (approximately 14 lbs)
• sea salt
• fresh cracked black pepper
• butter room temperature soft
• chopped vegetables; Brussel sprouts, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potato (this is optional but cooks a side with your turkey saving oven space)
• chicken stock

Spatchcock Turkey Recipe

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.This helps the turkey skin get a golden color and roasts a crispier skin while in the oven!

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1. Optional Choice: Chop the vegetables ahead of time and place them in the bottom of your roasting pan or deep baking sheet pan. Toss with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. The veggies will work as your "rack" if you choose to do this step.
2. If you are not using veggies, simply place a wire rack down in the bottom of your pan. First, remove the plastic net and wrapper, and cut off the plastic leg tie. Remove both the gizzards and neck from the cavity and discard or use them in other recipes. Trim off extra skin from the neck and tail with kitchen scissors.
3. You will need some clean sharp kitchen shears or a good pair of poultry shears. Place the turkey breast side down on a cutting board, and using the kitchen shears cut along each side of the backbone of the turkey. In some spots it has a lot of bone, use a small serrated knife to cut through. Reserve the backbone and all the turkey parts for making turkey stock if desired.
4. Flip over, with the turkey breast-side up, and press and crack the breastbone. Place the heel of your hand in the center and push down hard with your body weight. You will hear it crack with a popping sound. Sometimes this takes a couple of tries! Roll the legs “inward” and tuck the wings under the bird so they don't roast too fast in the heat of the oven.
5. Pat the entire whole bird dry with paper towels, this helps the skin turn brown. Season all sides and surface area of the bird. In a small bowl, add the kosher salt and black pepper. This helps prevent cross contamination. Rub salt and pepper, and the room temperature butter all over the entire turkey. Butter adds tremendous flavor and gets the skin golden and crisp. You can also try my compound herb butter, which adds tons of flavor and is really good under the skin as well!
6. Place the turkey in the pan, and pour 1 cup of water or chicken stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. This helps flavor the veggies (if you chose to roast those too), keeps the turkey meat moist, and creates pan juices for gravy.
7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast for 1 hour, check the turkey, if browning too fast tent it with a piece of aluminum foil. Turn oven down to 375 degrees, and roast turkey for another 90 minutes. Tent with foil if the skin of the turkey is browning too fast. I recommend this at the 60 minute mark.
8. Use a good wireless meat thermometer with probes or instant-read meat thermometer. Wireless probe thermometers are a great way to monitor cooking with your phone!
9. You want the breast meat to be 165 degrees f in the temperature thickest part of the turkey breast, and not touching the breast bone or that throws off the accuracy of the reading. Also, check the thickest part of the thigh, it needs to reach 175 degrees.
10. Once it reaches a safe temperature, let the turkey rest for 10-15 minutes on a large cutting board, but don’t cover it so the skin stays crisp. Carve with a sharp knife, and serve warm with side dishes or use in other recipes.

Why A Spatchcocked Turkey Recipe?

• Shorter Cooking Time: Starting the oven at higher temperatures reduces the total cooking time by about 30 minutes. As a general rule of thumb, most turkey recipes recommend 13 minutes pound of turkey at 350 degrees, which would be a 3 hour cooking time. But, this recipe speeds up the process and will work on a larger turkey.
• Even Cooking & Browning: With the turkey in a flatter shape, it gives every bit of the surface a chance to turn golden brown all over. Turkey meat all cooks at different times. Light meat or white meat, cooks faster than thigh meat or dark meat. This cooking method is an effective technique to roast the entire turkey so it is all done at the same time and doesn't over cook the breast meat and dry it out!
• Save Oven Space: With the turkey in a lower profile, you can have another rack available for cooking.

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• Cooked Vegetables: Roasting on vegetables is OPTIONAL. I love to do it this way, it is a great way to save space in the oven and cook two dishes at one time. 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 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 all while keeping a juicy turkey!
• Spatchcock Chicken: This same technique also works on a whole chicken, and it makes it so easy to roast or grill the entire bird and makes super juicy chicken breast meat. You will have to adjust the cooking times of course!

• Make Ahead: One of my top cooking tips for Thanksgiving is to bake and cook a few days ahead, and this turkey recipe is perfect for that.
• Variations: Some people swear by their flavor injectors, while others prefer a dry brine overnight, or a wet brining solution. Those will all work, just be sure to get the skin really dry if you do a wet brine.
• Spatchcock Turkey Breast: You can buy just the turkey breast with bones and use this roasting technique. Ask the butcher to give you just the turkey breast and remove the other turkey parts.

Safe Cooking Temperatures

1. You want the internal temperature to be 165 degrees in the thickest part of the breast and the thigh at 175 degrees.
2. Transfer to a carving board, and rest for 10-15 minutes but don’t cover so the skin stays crisp. Carve and serve warm or use in other recipes.

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More Holiday, Christmas & Thanksgiving Sides

Here are some other great 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 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 the flavorful meat ad gravy made from pan drippings.

Dotted with Herb Butter, this butter mixture keeps the meat tender and moist. Plus adds amazing flavor from the fresh herbs into the 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.