Thanksgiving is a-coming and what better way to cook turkey than a Spatchcock Turkey! Crispy skin, tender breast meat, all in an hour and a half! This is my family’s go-to method for cooking turkey. Actually I’ve never tried cooking turkeys any other way. So please, enlighten me if you have a faster/easier way!
What is spatchcock? It’s basically just removing the spine of the bird to flatten the bird. When flattened, the bird cooks much more evenly and the breast/legs/thighs can be ready all at around the same time, without overcooking! Have chicken instead of turkey? The Spatchcock Chicken and turkey use the same method with different cooking times.
TIPS
- Remember to defrost your turkey a few days before cooking it – 24 hours for every 5 pounds of frozen turkey.
- Poultry shears is a must have. I’ve used kitchen shears before and it took close to an hour to cut the spine off the turkey vs 15 minutes with poultry shears!
- Meat thermometer is a must to make sure you don’t have undercooked or overcooked turkey. You can go by time, but everyone’s turkey is slightly different – from size to how well defrosted and even the oven temperature varies. You can have peace of mind with a meat thermometer.
- A whole turkey will require a full sheet baking tray/rack. Many times, I use two half sheet baking trays; one for the breast and another for the legs and thighs.
- When we’re only making the turkey for a family of 4, a whole turkey is actually too much! So we refreeze the turkey thighs/legs and cook it at a later time. This seems like a no-no but it’s actually ok’ed by the USDA.
- Just a warning, your home will smell like roasted turkey for the day. Some people like the smell, some don’t. We tend to close all doors before roasting to keep the smell out of the bedrooms.
- Roasting the turkey will cause some splatter in the oven. Be prepared for some clean up.
Looking for other Thanksgiving side dishes? Here is a list of my easy side dishes coming up in the next few weeks!
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Gravy
- Stuffing
90 Minute Crispy Tender Spatchcock Turkey
Servings: 8 people
Equipment
- Poultry shears
- Meat thermometer
- Baking tray with rack (1 full sheet baking tray/rack or 2 half sheet baking tray/racks)
Ingredients
- 1 turkey 20-25 lbs
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp kosher salt
- ½ tbsp black pepper
- additional herbs/spices optional
- 1 tbsp canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Set a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet, lined with aluminum foil. Combine the salt, black pepper, and baking powder (and if you have other herbs you like to use) in a bowl and set aside. Also set aside 1 tbsp of oil.
- Lay the turkey on a cutting board with breast side down. Use the poultry shears to cut along both sides of the spine to remove it completely from the turkey. Go ahead and cut the spine into pieces. These can be used to make gravy or stock later.
- Turn the turkey over so that the spine side is down. Spread open the turkey and press down on the breast so that most of the turkey is at the same height. Tuck in the wings, if you can.
- Drizzle and rub the oil all over the turkey. Then sprinkle the seasoning evenly over the entire turkey. Try to rub the seasoning under the skin of the turkey with your fingers.
- If you have a full sheet baking tray with a rack, go ahead and move the turkey onto the tray/rack. If you plan on using two half sheet racks/tray, use a sharp knife to cut between the thighs and the breast so that you can put the breast/wings on one tray and the legs/thighs on another tray.
- Roast the turkey for about 60 minutes on the baking tray/rack. Take the turkey out of the oven. Cover the wings with foil to prevent it from burning and then roast again for about another 30 minutes. Cooking time may vary with size of the turkey. Use a meat thermometer to verify the turkey is cooked all the way through (150°F breasts, 175°F between the thighs and the body).
- After removing the turkey from the oven, let it sit for 5 minutes before carving. Serve & enjoy!
