Easy Spatchcock Turkey
This spatchcock turkey recipe is a much quicker and more delicious way to roast your Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey this year. Not only does it nearly half the time the bird needs to cook but the seasoned oil makes the skin and pan sauce absolutely irresistible.
No-one will be saying no to seconds, that’s a guarantee.
Table of Contents
Ingredients needed
I seasoned this turkey with the seasoning oil from my kick-ass chicken recipe (which is a very popular reader favorite). What I love most about the seasoning is that you can use any dried herbs and spices you have in your kitchen and it will be delicious.
- Whole turkey. I spatchcocked the turkey myself (use poultry shears or kitchen shears) but you can also ask your butcher to do this for you.
- Oil. Olive oil, avocado oil or canola oil works well.
- Spices: I used a combination of chicken seasoning (but you can use any seasoning mix of your choice, cajun seasoning will also be amazing), dried oregano, garlic powder, smoked paprika, a pinch of cayenne pepper for heat, salt and black pepper. Thyme, sage, rosemary, lemon pepper, etc can also be used.
- Fresh herbs, onion and garlic. To make a delicious pan sauce from the turkey drippings, I add onion, a whole garlic bulb and fresh rosemary and thyme to the roasting pan. Feel free to add carrots and celery too.
How to spatchcock a turkey
Place the turkey on a large cutting board in front of you, breast-side down. With a very sharp pair of kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut up the side of the backbone on both sides then remove the bone and set aside. Turn the turkey over then flatten with the palm of your hand until you hear the rib bone/breastbone crack. Tuck the wings behind the breast to avoid burning then continue seasoning and roasting.
How to roast a turkey
Place the butterflied turkey in a large roasting pan or large rimmed baking sheet then pat the skin dry with paper towels. Combine the spices and oil and brush over the turkey, on both sides. I also loosen the skin over the turkey breasts and thighs and brush some of the seasoning directly onto the breast meat too. Add the onion, herbs and garlic to the pan then cover with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue roasting for another 30-45 minutes until the turkey is cooked through. This may take longer, depending on the size of your turkey. Remove the turkey from the oven and cover with foil again then allow to rest for at least 30 minutes before carving and serving with the pan juices as gravy.
How long to cook a spatchcock turkey
The cooking time will vary on the size of your turkey but you can work on around 8 minutes per 500g/per pound when roasting a spatchcock turkey at 350ºF/180ºC. I allow the turkey to cook covered with foil for the first 30 minutes to allow it to cook a little faster but also prevent drying out. The turkey is cooked when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 160ºF/71ºC or when the juices run clear when you slice in between the breast meat and the drumstick.
How much turkey per person?
If you’re serving bone-in turkey, I usually plan on 500g/1lb per person. I know that sounds like a huge amount of turkey per guest BUT a whole, raw turkey comes with giblets and also loses a lot of volume once cooked. The bones also add a lot of weight so 500g/1lb per person is a safe bet. Plus, who has ever been mad at turkey leftovers?
What to make with turkey leftovers?
Turkey (like chicken) is a great protein to have leftovers of. It’s incredibly versatile and can be used in a variety of ways. A good turkey sandwich is always a great idea but I also love making butter turkey curry or turkey pot pie with the leftover meat.
FAQ
Spatchcocking or butterflying means to remove the back bone of the turkey and flattening the bird out. This results in crispier skin and quicker cooking.
Because the turkey is flatter and mostly one thickness throughout once spatchcocked, it will cook much faster than a whole turkey. You can work on around 8 minutes per 1lb/500g. The cook time should be around 60 minutes, depending on the size of your turkey.
Remove the legs then cut through the joint between the thigh and the drumstick. Carefully slice the chicken breasts off the bone then carve into slices. Remove the wings and add to the serving platter.
Turkey recipes
Ingredients
- 4 kg (8lb) turkey
- ½ cup oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 tbsp chicken seasoning
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp salt (this quantity depends on how salty the chicken seasoning you use is)
- 2 tsp pepper
- 2 onions quartered
- 1 whole garlic bulb split in half
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- handful fresh thyme
Instructions
To spatchcock the turkey
- Place the turkey on a large cutting board in front of you, breast-side down.
- With a very sharp pair of kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut up the side of the backbone on both sides then remove the bone and set aside.
- Turn the turkey over then flatten with the palm of your hand until you hear the rib bone crack.
- Tuck the wings behind the breast to avoid burning then continue seasoning and roasting.
Roasting the turkey
- Preheated the oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Place the butterflied turkey in a large roasting pan or large rimmed baking sheet then pat the skin dry with paper towels.
- Combine the spices and oil and brush over the turkey, on both sides. I
- I also loosen the skin over the breasts and thighs and brush some of the seasoning directly onto the breast meat too.
- Add the onion, herbs and garlic to the pan then cover with foil and roast for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and brush with any remaining oil and continue roasting for another 30-45 minutes until the turkey is cooked through.
- This may take longer, depending on the size of your turkey.
- Remove the turkey from the oven and cover with foil again then allow to rest for at least 30 minutes before carving and serving with the pan juices as gravy.