Are you ready for the BEST way to cook your turkey evenly and in less time? A spatchcock turkey is the answer!
More commonly known as butterflying, spatchcocking is a quicker route to a beautiful, delicious turkey for the holidays – or really any time of year. Perfect for roasting, grilling or smoking, a spatchcock turkey is sure to please the whole crowd.
Don’t let that extra effort of spatchcocking (or the funny name) intimidate you. It’s easier than it sounds. We’ve answered some of the most pressing questions to walk you through the process below.
Spatchcocking is removing the backbone of a turkey and laying it flat on its cooking surface. Yep, it’s that simple!
Spatchcocking, also known as butterflying, a turkey is an excellent way to get evenly cooked, juicy meat and ultra-crisp skin when roasting. But how long does it take to cook a spatchcock turkey? Read on for timing guidelines and tips.
What is Spatchcocking?
Spatchcocking is a technique where the backbone is removed from a whole turkey and the bird is flattened out. This allows the turkey to cook faster and more evenly since the breast and thigh meat are equally exposed to the oven’s heat.
With a regular roasted whole turkey, the breast often ends up dry while you wait for the dark meat in the thighs and legs to finish cooking. Removing the backbone and flattening the turkey solves this problem.
Benefits of Spatchcocking Turkey
There are several advantages to spatchcocking turkey instead of roasting it whole
- Promotes even cooking since the breast and thighs get done at the same time
- Allows the skin to crisp up all over, not just the top
- Reduces overall cooking time
- Makes it easier to carve the cooked turkey
- Provides an extra back backbone for making flavorful turkey stock
How Long Does Spatchcock Turkey Take to Cook?
A general guideline is to cook spatchcock turkey for approximately 6 minutes per pound at an oven temperature around 375°F.
So for a 10 pound turkey the estimated cooking time would be about 60-70 minutes. A 15 pound bird could take 90-105 minutes.
These cooking times are significantly shorter than roasting a whole intact turkey, which usually takes 2-3 hours depending on size. Removing the backbone really speeds things up!
However, you’ll still want to use a meat thermometer to check doneness instead of relying solely on cook times.
Target Internal Temperatures
To ensure food safety and proper doneness, it’s recommended to cook a spatchcock turkey to an internal temperature of 165°F in the breast and thigh areas.
Use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature in the thickest part of the thigh as well as the deepest section of the breast. The turkey should register 165°F in both places before removing it from the oven.
If the breast reaches 165°F but the thighs aren’t quite done, you can loosely tent the breast with foil to prevent overcooking while the thighs finish up.
Spatchcocking Turkey Step-By-Step
Butterflying a turkey is pretty straightforward:
- Remove turkey from packaging and discard neck and giblets.
- Place turkey breast-side down on a cutting board.
- Using kitchen shears, cut along one side of the backbone from tail to neck.
- Make another cut along the other side of backbone and remove it.
- Flip turkey over and press firmly on breastbone to flatten.
- Place spatchcocked turkey breast-side up on a roasting pan or baking sheet.
- Tuck wing tips under. Rub all over with oil or butter and season as desired.
- Roast at 375°F until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Ask your butcher to spatchcock the turkey for you if you prefer not to do it yourself. It makes the roasting process so much easier!
Extra Tips for Perfectly Cooked Spatchcock Turkey
Here are some additional tips to ensure your spatchcock turkey turns out juicy, flavorful and beautiful:
- Pat turkey dry before rubbing with oil/butter to maximize crispy skin.
- Loosen the skin from the breast meat and rub herb butter or seasoning underneath.
- Use a baking sheet with a wire rack to allow airflow and promote even cooking.
- Rotate the pan halfway through roasting for uniform browning.
- Let turkey rest at least 15-20 minutes before carving to prevent juices from running out.
- Save the backbone, neck, and giblets to make turkey stock for gravy.
- Brine the butterflied turkey overnight before roasting for extra moisture and flavor.
Spatchcocking slashes turkey roasting time while delivering deliciously juicy meat and crispy skin. Plan on roasting a spatchcocked turkey for around 6 minutes per pound, verifying doneness with a meat thermometer. With far less time in the oven, this method lets you sleep in a bit later on Thanksgiving morning. Give spatchcock turkey a try this holiday season!
How-to spatchcock a turkey
To spatchcock turkey, we recommend using heavy duty kitchen shears to remove the backbone. Alternatively, a sharp knife or meat cleaver can be used.
- Remove a completely thawed turkey from any packaging and remove the neck, giblets and/or leg lock.
- Pat the turkey dry.
- Place it breast-side down on a cutting surface.
- Starting at the tail, make an incision along one side of the backbone.
- Continue cutting along the backbone until you’ve snipped through the rib bones up to the neck.
- Use your hands the spread the turkey open slightly.
- Make an identical cut along the other side of the backbone. Watch your fingers!
- The backbone should now be freed – this may take some additional snipping. Remove.
- Flip the turkey over and, using two hands, press down hard on the breastbone. Listen for a couple of cracks. The turkey should now rest flatly.
- Now arrange your turkey for cooking. Splay the legs and tuck the wing tips under the breast (or remove entirely) to prevent burning.
- Separate the skin from the meat – this will allow any compound butter or seasoning to easily get under the skin.
Step-by-step with Emily Dingmann, My Everyday Table: Cut out the backbone, flatten the breast and arrange on a tray for cooking.
Why should I spatchcock my turkey?
While it is a little extra butchery work, spatchcocking a turkey helps it cook more evenly and quickly. Additionally, this method exposes all the skin at the same time, so you end up with a perfectly crispy skin and juicy meat. Take your time and the results will be well-worth the effort!
Worth mentioning are the added benefits of using the backbone to create a flavorful turkey broth or gravy. For more uses for those “extra” turkey parts, click here.
The Juiciest & Perfectly Cooked Spatchcock Turkey
FAQ
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