Spatchco*ck Turkey Recipe - Juicy Meat & Crispy Skin (2024)

FAQs

How long do you cook a spatchco*cked turkey per pound? ›

A spatchco*cked whole turkey will cook more quickly than a standard turkey. While the spatchco*ck turkey cooking time will depend on the size and oven temperature, 6 minutes per pound is a good rule of thumb. Depending on the size of the turkey, cook times are estimated between 60-90 minutes.

A good cheffy move with almost any big skin-on low-and-slow roast is to start it at high heat before dropping its temperature. This creates the contrast between hot and warm you need to get that skin to immediately start browning and crisping. We're talking 425 degrees for 30 minutes before turning it down to 325.

The most common complaint about spatchco*cking is that it “just doesn't look right”. Well, we've already established that we don't need to hold onto that piece of ill-gotten nostalgia. The only real drawback is the anatomical aspect of the process.

Heat your oven to 450°F. Add about a cup of water, to keep the pan juices from browning too much in the early stages. For a small or medium bird—up to 18 pounds—roast at 450°F for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 400°F. For larger birds, start at 425°F degrees and lower it to 375°F.

Look for a breast temperature of 160°F and the leg and thigh temp of 170°F. Once the target temperatures are reached, remove the roasting tray. Take the bird off the root roast and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.

Don't butter your bird

Placing butter under the skin won't make the meat juicier, though it might help the skin brown faster. However, butter is about 17 percent water, and it will make your bird splotchy, says López-Alt. Instead, rub the skin with vegetable oil before you roast.

To achieve a perfectly golden, juicy turkey, let the bird spend time both covered and uncovered in the oven. We recommend covering your bird for most of the cooking time to prevent it from drying out; then, during the last 30 minutes or so of cooking, remove the cover so the skin crisps in the hot oven.

A roasted spatchco*cked turkey is crispier, juicier, and quicker than a conventional whole bird, but you can cook a butterflied bird in plenty of other ways. If you want a different taste, you can smoke your spatchco*cked turkey.

Say goodbye to over-cooked, dry, tasteless breast meat! As an added bonus, now that your turkey is flat, you have room to put other dishes on the racks below it in the oven if you so desire. The only downside to the spatchco*ck? You can't stuff your turkey.

To spatchco*ck a chicken, or butterfly it, is to remove the backbone, thus allowing it to be completely opened out and flattened. Doing this reduces the cooking time significantly and allows the whole bird to be cooked in different, speedier ways, such as grilling or pan frying.

How do you prepare a Spatchco*ck turkey? ›

Holding it firmly with one hand, make a cut along one side of the backbone, starting down near where the thighs meet the tail. Continue cutting, working your way around the thigh joint until you've snipped through every rib bone and completely split the turkey up to the neck.

Stick with salt and pepper, put herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage to work, or take spicy Cajun seasoning for a spin for some kick. Whatever blend you choose, spread it all over the turkey—on top, underneath, between the body and wings and legs, under the skin, and even in the cavity of the bird.

Transfer turkey to oven and roast, rotating occasionally, until an instant read thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the breast registers 150°F, and the thighs register at least 165°F, about 80 minutes.

Once the bird is spatchco*cked and seasoned, it's ready to smoke. Place the prepared turkey directly on clean and oiled grill grates of your preheated 250°F smoker and close the grill lid. Smoke the turkey for approximately 12-15 minutes per pound.

If one part is done before the other, simply take it off the grill so that it doesn't overcook! A spatchco*cked turkey also cooks much faster than a whole one: our 15-pound bird only took about 1 1/2 hours to grill.

8. Smoke the turkey over low heat 225° - 275° F for approximately 11-13 minutes a pound. 9. Once the breast reaches 165°F, remove, cover loosely with foil, and allow to rest approximately 30 minutes.