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When you think of Thanksgiving dinner, you probably envision a huge, round, whole-roasted turkey, trussed up and set at the center of your dining room table. Its beautiful, sure, but is it really the best way to prepare the iconic holiday bird?
No, definitely not. We cooked turkey three ways, and found that spatchcocking is a superior method in almost every way.
But what is spatchcocking, you ask? Its the culinary term for butterflying your bird and roasting, grilling, or smoking it while its laid out flat. This method does require a little elbow grease, a lack of squeamishness, and a good pair of poultry shears, but in the end, itll get you the best turkey youve ever tasted.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start planning the star of your holiday meal – the turkey! While some swear by the traditional method of roasting a whole turkey, others are starting to explore an alternative technique called spatchcocking So what exactly is spatchcocking, and should you try it for your Thanksgiving turkey this year?
What Is Spatchcocking?
Spatchcocking involves removing the backbone of the turkey and flattening it out before roasting. This allows the turkey to cook faster and more evenly since more surface area is exposed to the heat.
The term “spatchcock” likely originated from the Irish word “spatchcock” or the Scottish word “spitchcock”, both meaning to skewer and grill meat or fish. When applied to poultry, spatchcocking is essentially the same as butterflying.
How To Spatchcock A Turkey
Spatchcocking a turkey is surprisingly easy with just a few simple steps:
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Place the turkey breast side down on a cutting board. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut alongside both sides of the backbone to remove it.
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Flip the turkey over breast side up. Press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten the bird. You may need to apply your weight by standing on a stool to break the breastbone.
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Tuck the wing tips under and flip the legs out to the sides so the turkey lays flat.
And that’s it! Your turkey is now ready to roast spatchcock-style.
Benefits of Spatchcocking Your Turkey
There are several advantages to spatchcocking your Thanksgiving turkey:
Cooks Faster
With the turkey flattened out, more surface area is exposed to the hot air in your oven. This allows it to cook in almost half the time of a traditional whole turkey. A 12-14 lb spatchcocked turkey may only take 60-90 minutes to fully roast compared to over 2 hours for a whole bird.
Cooks More Evenly
The turkey cooks faster because heat can reach all areas evenly when it’s spatchcocked. You don’t have to worry about the breast drying out while the thighs are undercooked.
Crispier Skin
When roasted whole, the skin on the bottom of the turkey never gets a chance to crisp up. Spatchcocking exposes all the skin to the dry oven air, resulting in crisp, golden brown skin over the entire bird.
Better Flavor
With the backbone removed, you can use it along with the neck and giblets to make an aromatic turkey stock. Combine this with the flavorful pan juices for insanely delicious gravy.
Easier Carving
Carving a whole turkey can be tricky, but carving a spatchcocked bird is much simpler. The breast meat is easily sliced off the bone before cutting up the legs and wings.
Takes Up Less Oven Space
A spatchcocked turkey lays flat, meaning you’ll have more room for all your Thanksgiving side dishes.
Potential Drawbacks to Spatchcocking
While there are many advantages, some people may perceive a few drawbacks to spatchcocking a turkey:
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It looks less traditional. A flattened turkey may not provide that perfect Norman Rockwell presentation you imagine for Thanksgiving dinner.
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You have to remove the backbone. This extra bit of butchery may not appeal to everyone. However, it’s a simple process that just requires kitchen shears.
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The wings and legs spread out. If aesthetic is important, the splayed out limbs on a spatchcocked turkey may not look as appealing. Tucking the wings and arranging the legs can help keep it looking tidy.
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The skin may crisp unevenly. The side of the turkey pressed against the baking sheet may crisp less than the exposed side. However, the skin will still be far crispier than a whole roasted bird.
Should You Spatchcock Your Turkey This Thanksgiving?
While spatchcocking is still considered an alternative approach, its popularity has grown tremendously in recent years. More and more home cooks and professional chefs are making the switch and swearing by its advantages.
If you’re someone who values convenience, efficiency, and juicy flavorful meat with crispy skin over tradition, spatchcocking is absolutely worth trying. While it may look a little different, your Thanksgiving guests will be blown away when they taste the incredibly moist, tender turkey you serve up.
Many turkey experts recommend giving spatchcocking a test run on a chicken or small turkey first to get the hang of the process. By Thanksgiving, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is.
This Thanksgiving, be brave and break out of your comfort zone. Spatchcocking delivers phenomenally delicious results, and your holiday feast will be all the better for it!
Your turkey will be ready faster
Spatchcocking can drastically reduce the amount of time you spend roasting your bird.
Opinions differ on how quickly you can cook a spatchcocked turkey. Serious Eats J. Kenji Lopez-Alt—perhaps the internets foremost spatchcocking evangelist—says you can cut the cooking time in half, to about 80 minutes. Mark Bittman of The New York Times, meanwhile, claims your turkey will be done in just 35 minutes.
Either way, your bird will cook a heck of a lot faster than the two to five hours Butterball says itll take to roast a whole bird.
Why is it so much faster? Because a flat turkey cooks more evenly, it can handle higher heat. With a whole turkey, you have to keep it at a low temperature (around 325°F) to avoid overcooking and drying out the outermost layer.
When the bird is butterflied, you can crank up the heat (up to 450°F) without worry. As youd imagine, the cooking time drops precipitously.
Your gravy and stuffing will be tastier, too
Roasting your turkey on a bed of veggies means extra flavorful juices to make gravy afterwards.
We hear you: “But how can that be? You cant stuff a flat turkey!”
True. Technically, it wont be real “stuffing.” (Well save the stuffing vs. dressing debate for another day.) But whatever you choose to call it, your starchy stuff will be more flavorful (and more plentiful) if you use this method.
Roasting the spatchcocked turkey over a bed of mirepoix (cut-up onions, carrots, and celery) and thyme sprigs will add moisture to the oven during cooking, and give you more flavorful drippings for making gravy afterward.
If youre desperate for stuffing thats enhanced by the richness of turkey drippings, we recommend making your stuffing in a large casserole dish and laying browned turkey wings (purchased separately) over the top. Youll get all the flavor of the drippings without the hassle of scooping it out of the bird. Plus, this method allows you to prepare more stuffing than youd be able to safely cram into a whole turkeys cavity (which isnt technically food-safe anyway).
Should you spatchcock a turkey breast?
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