Easy Perfect Spatchcock Turkey · i am a food blog
A spatchcock turkey will be the easiest, quickest, and prettiest turkey you’ve ever made.
Turkey is one of those meats that I love, a bit like a very intense chicken. They’re big and you’ll end up with lots of leftovers, but I think it’s worth it. The leaves are changing and the holidays will be here before you know it, so now is the best time to plan, after all, how many times a year can you get a big, fresh turkey?
What is spatchcock turkey?
Spatchcocking is a fancy way of saying to remove the backbone and flatten the bird before roasting. This is superior to roasting a whole bird because it allows for even cooking, since the legs are not covered by the thighs and the delicate white meat is not exposed all the way to the top. This also results in crispier skin, better presentation, and allows you to use the backbone and other pieces to immediately make sauce and stock.
How to Spatchcock a Turkey
- Preparation. Dry the turkey with paper towels. It might be best to work in a large, clean, deep sink or a large roasting pan. Turn the turkey over so it is breast side down.
- Remove the spine. Hold the turkey firmly and use a pair of kitchen scissors (you definitely need kitchen scissors) to cut along the spine, starting where the tail meets the thigh. Cut through the neck until the turkey is split. Push the turkey lightly, then repeat on the other side, carefully cutting along the other side of the spine. This side can be a little trickier, so take it easy.
- Trim. Cut off any excess fat or skin you might see. I removed the tail and the hood of blubber near the neck. You can use the trimmings to make the best turkey gravy ever.
- Turn over and flatten. Turn the turkey over so that the breast is facing up and press the breastbone on the ridge, hard. You should hear a few crackles and the turkey should be flatter. Tuck the wing tips behind the breast so they don’t burn.
- Season. Place the turkey on your prepared rack and baking sheet and rub it with 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
How long to cook a spatchcock turkey
- 11 to 12 lb turkey: approximately 75 minutes
- 12 to 14 lb turkey: approximately 1 hour 25 minutes
- 14 to 16 lb turkey: approximately 1 hour 35 minutes
- 16 to 18 lb turkey: approximately 1 hour 50 minutes
- 18 to 20 lb turkey: approximately 2 hours
Furnace accuracy varies so you should always use a meat thermometer, especially with a high-stakes item like turkey, especially as the bird gets bigger. They’re inexpensive and will save you from microwaving pink meat or eating cardboard turkey. We like this one. Once you have one, simply bring your breast meat to 150°F and your thigh meat to 165°F. If you can swing it, one separate oven thermometer is also useful for checking if your oven is properly calibrated – keep it on the rack you plan to use.
Should you brine your turkey first?
Either way, Spatchcock turkey is always juicy and delicious, so you don’t need it! If you usually brine your turkey, you should continue to do so – it’s no different from roasting the whole bird. If you’ve never brined a turkey before, it’s not necessary and brining can often result in saltier meat than you’re used to.
What size turkey does this work with?
This works best with smaller turkeys, not because larger turkeys don’t work as well, but because a large turkey needs a very large oven to lay flat in (not to mention a large baking tray). If your oven doesn’t fit a full-size baking sheet (18″x26″), you may want to stick with the smaller 14lb birds and load them on the sides instead.
Reasons why you should make a spatchcock turkey
- When you cut the spine, you can use it immediately to make sauce and stock, without having to wait for the bird to sink.
- Flattening the bird helps it cook evenly And quickly – I’m talking about finishing a turkey in about an hour and twenty minutes all told.
- The flatter profile means all of the turkey skin is facing up, exposed to the heat, which means crispier turkey skin. As a bonus, the meat is juicier because the skin transfers the fat directly into the meat, instead of just falling into the pan.
- Spatchcocking even means cooking. White meat and dark meat cook at different rates, and flattening the bird so that the legs and thighs aren’t protected under the breast means you’re exposing the dark meat to heat that otherwise wouldn’t reach it.
How do you cut turkey like that?
It’s easier than it seems!
- Break down the turkey by separating the turkey legs, drumsticks and wings.
- Bone the thigh meat and reserve.
- Remove the breast from the carcass and cut it nicely into equal pieces about 1/2″ thick.
- Finally, arrange the duck breast around the board. Add the drumsticks and wings to the middle and fill the holes with the boneless thigh meat.
- Save the ornaments for Turkey BBH Or Turkey Pho.
Here it is without any garnish on top:
What about the sides and stuffing?
I included a citrus herb butter, but you can go ahead and simply season with salt and pepper or whatever you desire. Personally, I feel like turkey has a very distinct flavor and doesn’t need too much help, much like a really good roast chicken, but feel free to play around. The important part is the spatchcocking, so everything else is just right sauce 😉
happy turkey!
xoxo steph
Spatchcock Turkey Recipe
A beautiful turkey roasted in less than two hours with juicy meat and crispy skin every time.
Serves 8
Spatchcock Türkiye
- 1 medium onion peeled and cut into quarters
- 1 orange the bad ones
- 1 lemon the bad ones
- 2 stems celery coarsely chopped
- 10-12 strands fresh rosemary
- 1 11 lbs-12 lbs whole turkey or the smallest you can find, see notes
- 1 tablespoon oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Rosemary Citrus Butter
- 1/4 cup butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup fresh rosemary only leaves
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 orange zest
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
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Meat thermometer
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Kitchen scissors
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Adjust your oven rack so that it is in the middle of the oven. Heat the oven to 450°F. Line a large, deep baking sheet with foil. Place the onion, orange, lemon, celery and rosemary sprigs on the foil, then place a rack over the vegetables.
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Dry the turkey with paper towels. Turn it over so it is breast side down. Hold the turkey firmly and use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut along the spine, starting where the tail meets the thigh. Cut through the neck until the turkey is split. Push the turkey lightly, then repeat on the other side, carefully cutting along the other side of the spine. This side can be a little trickier, so take it easy.
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Cut off any excess fat or skin you might see. I removed the tail and the hood of blubber near the neck.
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Turn the turkey over so that the breast is facing up and press the breastbone on the ridge, hard. You should hear a few crackles and the turkey should be flatter.
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Place the turkey on your prepared rack and baking sheet. Tuck the wingtips behind the breast and rub with 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for about an hour and twenty minutes, turning halfway through cooking, or until the deepest part of the breast is 150°F and the thighs are at least 165°F .
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While the turkey roasts, stir or mix together the citrus and rosemary butter ingredients. After 50 minutes, carefully and evenly brush with the rosemary citrus butter. If at any point the turkey’s skin starts to look too brown, you can cover it with foil, then remove the foil from the end to get brown, crispy skin. When the turkey is cooked, remove it from the oven and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
How to Carve a Turkey
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Using a medium sized knife, remove the thighs, cutting where the thigh meets the body. Find the joint between the thigh and drumstick and cut the joint. Find the wing joint near the top of the turkey’s breast and run the knife through it, removing the wings. You can leave the wings whole or reverse them by cutting along the joints.
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Remove the breasts by cutting them down the center, near the breastbone, using the tip of your knife to follow the shape of the bone while slowly peeling away the breast. As you continue to slice, the brisket should fall in one piece. Repeat on the other side. Cut the breast into uniformly thick pieces. Remove the thigh meat from the bones, saving all the bones for the stock or soup. Arrange everything on a plate and garnish with oranges, lemons and rosemary. Appreciate!
Nutrition Facts
Spatchcock Turkey Recipe
Amount per serving
Calories 609
Calories from fat 216
% daily value*
Fat 24g37%
Saturated fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 232mg77%
Sodium 394 mg17%
Potassium 1019mg29%
Carbohydrates 10.2g3%
Fibers 2.7g11%
Sugar 5.4g6%
Protein 84.9g170%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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