A simple, step-by-step instructions on How to Spatchcock a Turkey that will teach you how to confidently spatchcock your own traditional turkey! All you need is a sharp pair of kitchen shears to significantly shorten the total cook time for a juicy Thanksgiving turkey!
There are so many different ways to cook a turkey and spatchcocking a whole turkey before cooking has to be one of our favorites! This process is the best way to significantly reduce the cook time, plus the turkey meat cooks more evenly giving you the most juicy meat. You get to enjoy all the greatness of a whole turkey + pan drippings in a fraction of the cooking time. Perfect for Thanksgiving dinner when you also want to use your oven for all the delicious side dishes! Checkout our step-by-step tutorial below for everything you need to know.
What You Will Need
- fresh turkey – you will want to make sure it is full thawed! For more information, check out our tutorial on how to thaw a turkey!
- sharp kitchen shears – sharp cooking shears are a great tool to have in your kitchen. Here is a link to high quality kitchen shears!
How To Spatchcock A Turkey
The first steps to easily spatchcocking or butterflying a turkey are to make sure the whole bird is fully thawed. Remove the turkey neck and/or any turkey giblets from the turkey cavity and remove the hock handle, if there is one.
Flip it so the turkey breast side is down. Use the poultry shears to cut all the way down the left side of the backbone.
Then cut all the way down the right side of the turkey breast bone.
This process will completely separate the sides of the backbone from the rest of the turkey carcass. Use a sharp knife to cut the cartilage at the top of the back bone.
Flip the large bird over and firmly press down with the heel of your hand, so the turkey lays flat.
Once the spatchcocked bird is flat, you have the option to add flavor and moisture to your turkey meat by making a dry brine turkey, let it sit in an apple cider turkey brine (wet brine), use a turkey marinade, or coat the outside of the turkey in a homemade turkey seasoning and cook it any way you want!
How Long Will It Take To Cook A Spatchcocked Turkey
The cook times will vary depending on the size of the turkey. Here are some general guidelines for cook times in the oven (roasting at approx. 350 degrees F.):
- ~1 hour – 1 hour 30 minutes for a 12-14 lb turkey
- ~1 hour 30 minutes – 2 hours for an 18-20 lb turkey
- ~2 hours or longer for a larger turkey
Just make sure you cook it until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. at the thickest part of the meat (use a meat thermometer).
Best Ways To Cook A Spatchcock Turkey
A spatchcock turkey can be cooked a variety of different ways! We have easy to follow recipes for making the most juicy oven roast spatchcock turkey and smoked spatchcock turkey. Or use this prepping process for making your own favorite turkey recipe!
Spatchcock Turkey FAQs
Generally, it is best to stick to a turkey that is around 12-14 pounds. If you get a big turkey then that you might need to do some measuring to see if it would fit on your roasting pan or in your oven (if that is how you are cooking it). Smaller turkeys are a little easier to work with.
Spatchcock is a term that means to remove the backbone (from a chicken, turkey, cornish game hen, etc.) so that it can lay flat while cooking.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Grilled Spatchcock Chicken
Brining A Turkey 101
How To Make Turkey Gravy
Homemade Turkey Broth
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How to Spatchock a Turkey
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 turkey 1x
- Category: How-To
- Method: Counter Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
A simple, step-by-step tutorial that will teach you How To Spatchcock A Turkey! This process will result in the most evenly cooked turkey in a fraction of the time!
Ingredients
- 1 fresh turkey (ensure fully thawed)
- cutting board (cover with plastic wrap or parchment paper)
- kitchen shears
Instructions
- Prep: Prep the turkey by removing any gizzards and turkey neck that are stuffed inside the turkey cavity. Remove the hock handle, if it is there. Flip turkey over so that it is breast side down.
- Remove Backbone: The turkey backbone will now be running right down the middle of the turkey. Take a pair of sharp kitchen shears and cut along one side of the backbone. Then cut along the other side of the backbone. Remove the backbone (feel free to freeze it and use it the next time you make homemade turkey broth OR you can put it in the bottom of your pan while cooking your turkey).
- Lay Turkey Flat: Next, cut into the cartilage at the top of the breastbone so that when you flip the turkey over it will lay flat. Alternatively, you can carefully flip the turkey over and press down in the middle, towards the top of the breastbone and the breastbone will simply crack, allowing you to lay the turkey flat.
- Cook Turkey: Now you are ready to cook the spatchcock turkey however you want! We love this Juicy Spatchcock Turkey recipe or this Smoked Spatchcock Turkey!
Notes
- Good Cooking Shears: Sharp cooking shears are a great tool to have in your kitchen. We love these (affiliate link) high quality kitchen shears!
- What if I don’t have shears: I have actually used a solid pair of scissors successfully! Although I wouldn’t recommend it and if your scissors aren’t strong enough they may break (so do so at your own risk). I have never tried using a knife, but I am sure you could also use that (carefully).
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