Consider spatchcock turkey your new favorite holiday main. The simple butchering method allows you to roast a turkey in a fraction of the time.
There’s nothing like roasted turkey, but they take so long to cook. I don’t know about you, but when the holidays come around, I want to spend time enjoying the company of my loved ones, not monitoring a turkey for hours. Regardless of the cooking method, turkeys require more prep than, let’s say, a chicken, and that is where I prefer to spend the bulk of my time. That way, cooking it is smooth sailing. This spatchcock turkey recipe allows that. By removing the backbone and flattening the bird, you shave hours off the cooking time while getting tender, juicy, flavorful results!
Why You’ll Love This Spatchcock Turkey Recipe
Straightforward prep – Spatchcocking a turkey is a bit more extensive, but the steps aren’t complex. Poultry shears make quick work of the process, and dry brining is a breeze (as long as you have space in your refrigerator).
Fast Turkey Recipe – When you want to roast a whole bird in a short amount of time, spatchcocking is the way. How else can you roast a 12–14-pound turkey in under two hours?
Well seasoned – If you haven’t been dry brining your poultry, or any meat for that matter, now is the time to start. It ensures deeply seasoned, juicy food without diluting the flavor or waterlogging the turkey, which inhibits browning. Furthermore, garlic and butter are applied under the skin for even more flavor!
Super crispy skin – As the turkey sits uncovered in the fridge, the skin dries out due to the loss of surface moisture, and the skin crisps up like a dream. Better yet, it stays crisp!
Easy to carve – Where you should cut is mapped out right before you. Remove the legs, cut the drumsticks from the thighs if you wish, then switch your attention to the breast. Super easy.
Spatchcock Turkey Ingredients Notes
For this spatchcock turkey recipe, you’ll need:
- Turkey: Purchase whatever you usually do. Fresh or frozen is fine. A few tips for a good selection include a well-rounded bird, preferably free-range or pasture-raised. Oh, and skip self-basting turkeys. There’s no need for the added fat/moisture.
- Kosher salt: Kosher salt is ideal for dry brining. It sticks well and is easy to distribute evenly since the grains are less prone to clumping due to their size.
- Brown sugar: Add sugar to your meat and poultry, turkey included. The sweetness enhances the overall flavor without making it sweet. Sugar also tenderizes and puts you on the fast track to browning.
- Paprika: It adds a faint smoky flavor and a pleasant aroma. The color it contributes is also quite nice.
- Olive oil: After dry brining, brushing the turkey with a bit of fat is important to assist in crisping the exterior.
- Aromatics: Since the turkey is spatchcocked, there is no cavity to house the aromatics, but if you place them below the rack the turkey is cooked on, the turkey still benefits.
Refer to the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients with precise measurements.
How To Make Spatchcock Turkey
- Spatchcock: Pat the turkey dry, carefully remove the backbone with poultry shears or a knife, flip the turkey over, and press on the breast bone until it cracks so the turkey lays flat. If you skip this step, the turkey won’t lie flat.
- Brine: Combine salt, black pepper, and brown sugar in a bowl and apply it all over the turkey. All over means on the skin, under the skin, the cavity area, everywhere.
- Chill: Place the turkey on a wire rack over a baking sheet and leave to brine, uncovered, for 12 hours. It is essential to leave the turkey uncovered to dry out the skin.
- Butter it up: Combine the butter, garlic, and paprika in a bowl, then apply this under the skin. To do this, separate the skin from the meat by gently sliding your hand underneath so as not to tear the skin, then gently work the butter into this space.
- Roast: Lightly brush the skin with oil, then roast the turkey at 425°F.
Variations, Substitutions, and Cooking Tips
Experiment with aromatics – Carrots, lemon, fennel, leeks; use what you like.
Use sea salt instead – Coarse sea salt will do if you don’t have kosher salt. Just don’t use fine or flaked sea salt.
Set a timer for 1 hour – After this time, you want to start closely monitoring the internal temperature to avoid overcooking. Overcooked turkey is subpar turkey.
Always tuck the tips – The wing tips, that is. Just tuck underneath the breast to prevent them from burning. Skip this step, and you may notice a charred, bitter aroma wafting from the oven before the turkey is cooked.
Verify proper temperature – To prevent overcooking, the turkey comes out of the oven a few minutes shy of the goal temperature of 165°F because carry-over cooking will take place. That said, always check the internal temperature after resting to ensure that this temperature is reached before serving. Food safety is the number one priority, after all.
Spatchcock Turkey Recipe
Consider spatchcock turkey your new favorite holiday main. The simple butchering method allows you to roast a turkey in a fraction of the time.
Ingredients
- 1 12-14 pound turkey, neck and giblets removed
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, quartered and peeled
- 2 ribs of celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- ½ cup water or chicken broth
Instructions
- Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and transfer the turkey to a cutting board breast side down.
- Cut along both sides of the backbone using poultry shears or a sharp knife to detach it.
- Use a sharp knife to cut down the oblong bone in the center of the breast. This cut makes it easier to break the breastbone when it is time to do so.
- Flip the turkey so it is breast-side up, and turn the legs out.
- Firmly press down on the breastbone until you hear a crack.
- Transfer the turkey to a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet.
- Combine the kosher salt, black pepper, and brown sugar in a small bowl. This is the dry brine.
- Apply the dry brine all over the turkey.
- Place into the refrigerator to brine, uncovered, for at least 12 hours. After this time, the skin should appear taut and dry.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Also, combine the butter, garlic, and paprika in a bowl.
- Line a deeper roasting pan with foil, add the aromatics, pour in the water or broth, then place the rack on top.
- Use your hands to separate the skin from the meat, then apply the butter underneath the skin.
- Tuck the wing tips behind the breast to prevent them from burning.
- Rub the skin with oil, then roast the turkey for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 155°F. Start to check the internal temperature after an hour.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and rest for 15 minutes. During this time, the internal temperature will increase to 165°F due to carry-over cooking.
- Carve and serve.
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