Spatchcock Turkey

Spatchcocking and Preparing the Bird

A spatchcocked turkey is essentially a butterflied turkey recipe. This is done by removing the backbone and flattening the bird to allows for fast, even cooking. It’s also easier to store in the fridge and less complicated to carve. It can seem intimidating at first, but after you’ve done it once, you’ll be a pro!

Make the Compound Butter

This whipped garlic-herb butter provides flavor and seasoning for the turkey. Beating with the hand mixer quickly combines the mixture and makes it easier to spread.

Prepare the Pan and Dry the Turkey

Spraying the rack and pan is essential to preventing the skin from sticking to the rack. And patting the turkey dry will help the butter mixture stick to the skin.

Remove the Backbone

Using kitchen shears or a sharp, heavy knife, cut along one side of the backbone, then repeat on the other side. The heavy bones near the neck are the most difficult to cut through, so it helps to start at the bottom. Once cut, the rib bones can be sharp, so be careful of those. Disposable gloves make this step easier.

Flatten the Turkey

With the breast side up, press down hard in the center of the breast until you hear a crack. Once flattened, the turkey will be easier to manage.

Arrange Turkey in Pan

Place the turkey on the rack in the pan and tuck the wings under the breasts. Tuck the legs too if they happen to be hanging off the side of the pan, this way they won’t drip on the bottom of the oven.

Add the Butter

Rubbing the flavorful butter mixture under the skin of the breast and all over the outside of the turkey adds flavor and helps the skin brown. Adding butter under the skin help moisten and flavors the meat. Without doing this, most of the seasoning would be only on the skin.

Roast and Baste

The cook time for a spatchcocked turkey is where this method really shines. Instead of the typical 3 to 4 hours in the oven, this method can take as little as 90 minutes. Basting after the first hour of cooking and tenting with foil keeps the turkey moist and prevents overbrowning.

A Brine Free Bird

To brine or not to brine; that is the question! Whether wet or dry, the process of brining adds flavor while also keeping your bird tender and moist. While brining is great, it can also be time-consuming and takes up valuable fridge space during the holidays when every square inch of fridge space matters.

This Spatchcock Turkey skips the brine because it doesn’t really need it. Our whipped garlic-herb butter contains enough seasoning for the turkey. Plus, baking a spatchcock turkey takes much less time than a whole bird, drastically reducing the chances of it drying out.

What to Serve with Your Spatchcock Turkey

Gravy isn’t the only other recipe you’ll want to have on-hand to complement this beautiful spatchcock turkey.

Betty has dressing and stuffing recipes galore, but our favorite is this classic bread stuffing. And you can’t call it Thanksgiving without our 4-ingredient green bean casserole. Highly-rated scalloped potatoes hit the spot for any holiday dinner, and our Thanksgiving side dish recipes to find recipes for sweet potato casseroles, creamed corn, rolls, and more!

Baking the Turkey

If you’re looking for roasting instructions and cook times for spatchcock turkey, you’ve come to the right place.

Cook Times: While roasting times vary based on the size of the turkey, a standard 12- to 14-pound spatchcocked turkey will need to roast 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 425°F. As a rough guide, plan to cook your spatchcocked turkey for about 8 minutes per pound.

When to Baste: After 1 hour of cooking, the turkey should be basted with the pan drippings. This prevents the pan drippings from burning in the hot oven and helps the skin crisp and brown.

Doneness: The only true way test doneness in a turkey is by using a thermometer. We prefer instant-read thermometers. Insert the thermometer into the thickest parts of breast and thigh, without touching the bones. The turkey is done once the thermometer reads at least 165°F. Some people prefer the firmer texture of leg and thigh meat that has reached a higher temperature of about 185°F.

Cutting and Serving

Usually at Thanksgiving dinner, you have to carve a whole bird. With a spatchcocked turkey, you’ve done a lot of the work ahead of time, so carving is easier.

Grab Your Tools: Transfer the turkey to a large cutting board with a “juice groove” if you have one. You’ll need a sharp, heavy knife, a large platter, and towels.

Carve: Cut between the breast and thigh on each side to remove the legs. Separate thighs from drumsticks by cutting through the joints. Then slice the meat off the thigh bone. Serve drumsticks whole. Starting at the top, head end of the bird, slice along the breastbone to remove meat from one side. Cut off the wing. Repeat on the other side. Carefully slice through the breast, keeping the skin on the slices.

Plate It: Arrange the turkey on a platter and garnish with herbs and sliced citrus as desired.