Quick Look at this Recipe
- Recipe Name: Smoked Spatchcock Turkey
- Ready In: 2 hours 45 minutes (will depend on size)
- Serves: 12-14 people
- Includes: smoked turkey rub for seasoning & drippings to make smoked turkey gravy
- Dietary Info: dairy-free, gluten-free, kid-friendly, perfect for a crowd!
- Best For: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, or any other special occasion.
- Origin: For years, I have loved getting our Thanksgiving turkey out of the oven and cooking it on our Traeger pellet grill! The down side is that it does take almost 5 hours to cook a whole turkey. So, I learned how to spatchcock a turkey to drastically shorten the cook time and still get juicy, tender, smokey turkey meat! This incredible Spatchcock Smoked Turkey also gives the most delicious drippings to make an incredibly simple gravy for smoked turkey.
Hosting a smaller crowd this year? Then simply make the best smoked turkey breast recipe, another tried-and-true favorite that I have made SO many times!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, & estimated nutritional information.
- fresh turkey – just pick one up at your local grocery store, follow our tutorial on how to thaw a turkey, remove the giblets, and get to work!
- butter – always a must when cooking turkey and it can easily be swapped out for a plant-based butter.
- turkey dry rub – highly recommend our simple smoked turkey rub, but a store-bought option would work too.
- broth – any type of chicken broth or turkey broth are perfect for adding moisture to the cooking process and then they can be used to make smoked turkey gravy with drippings!
How To Prep a Spatchcock Turkey for the Smoker
Optional Step – Using a Smoked Turkey Brine (before butterflying the turkey) would be great to add flavor and juiciness! Just note that it takes at least 24 hours, so plan accordingly.
OR Optional Turkey Injection – Insert a delicious herbed butter (melted) directly into the meat by following my step-by-step turkey injection recipe!
Step 1 – Place the turkey, breast-side down, and use sharp kitchen shears to cut down both sides of the backbone. Remove and discard.
Step 2 – Flip the turkey over and press down firmly between the turkey breasts that are now facing up.
Pro Tip
Be sure to FULLY pat dry all sides of the turkey before trying to rub butter on it! You might need to do this a few times to really get it dry. This will help make it easier to spread the butter on top and it will result in perfectly crispy turkey skin!
How To Smoke A Spatchcock Turkey
Step 3 – Prep the roasting pan. Put the turkey right in the pan or place a wire rack on top of the pan and then the turkey. Pat it fully dry, rub with butter, and season.
Step 4 – Move it all to a preheated smoker. Smoke at 225 degrees F for an hour and then increase the temp to finish.
How Long Does it Take to Smoke a Spatchcock Turkey?
Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F. Place the spatchcock turkey in the prepped roasting pan on the smoker for 1 hour and then raise the temperature to 350 degrees F. (to help crisp up the skin) until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. at the thickest part using an internal meat thermometer. Total smoke time will vary a bit due to a myriad of factors such as outdoor temperature, smoker hot spots, wind, humidity, etc. That being said, during testing, this recipe consistently took approximately 2-2.5 hours to be fully cooked.
Temperature & Time Guide
| Bird Size | 12-14 pounds (about 12-15 minutes/pound) |
| Smoker Temperature | 225 degrees F (preheat before cooking) for 1 hour |
| Finish Temperature | 350 degrees F until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (1-1.5 hours) |
| Rest Time | 15-20 minutes |
Step 5 – Once the turkey is fully cooked, remove and let rest while you make the best smoked turkey gravy from the drippings.
Spatchcock Smoked Turkey Serving & Carving
After the Traeger smoked spatchcock turkey has fully cooked and rested, it is time to carve and serve:
- Carving Tips: It isn’t that much different than carving a whole, in-tact turkey. Just follow our easy instructions on how to carve a turkey and start with those wings sitting on top.
- Serving: Typically we love to serve this juicy turkey with all the best Thanksgiving side dish recipes! A few of our all-time favorites are Stuffed Onions, Broccoli Bacon Salad, Apple Yam Bake and Wild Rice Stuffing (don’t forget the Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie) for a complete Thanksgiving Meal!
Erin’s Learnings During Testing
After testing this smoked spatchcock turkey recipe a few times, I found that I preferred elevating the turkey out of the liquid by placing a wire rack in between the roasting pan and the turkey. It will turn out great both ways, but I liked this option better. Here is a photo of smoking a turkey breast using this method:
Smoked Spatchcock Turkey FAQs
No, you do not have to brine the turkey. Making a wet brine or dry brine turkey are great ways to keep your bird super juicy, but they are not necessary.
At a temperature of 225 degrees F, it would take about 12-15 minutes per pound to smoke a turkey. Exact times will vary, make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Before cooking, pat the turkey FULLY dry with paper towels. Then follow our instructions in the recipe card about raising the temperature of the smoker to 350 degrees F towards the end of cooking. The higher temp will result in a more crispy skin.
Yes, you can use a gas grill or charcoal grill to make a spatchcock smoked turkey. If you use a wood chip smoker box and then simply continue to add smoking chips throughout the cooking process.
Easy Leftover Turkey Recipes You Might Like
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Ingredients
Smoked Turkey Rub:
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried sage leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon smoked garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Turkey:
- 12 –14 lb whole turkey, fully thawed, giblets removed
- 1 red onion, quartered
- 1 navel orange, quartered
- 2 cups chicken broth, or turkey broth
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, optional
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup butter, softened + divided (sub softened ghee or plant-based butter)
Equipment Needed:
- Kitchen Shears
- Smoker, recommend a reliable electric smoker – I used my Traeger Pellet Grill
- Wood Chips or Pellets, hickory or mesquite
- Aluminum Foil Roasting Pan
- Wire Rack
- Meat Thermometer
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees F.
- Make Dry Rub: Combine the Smoked Turkey Rub ingredients in a small bowl, set aside.
- Spatchcock the Turkey: Place turkey on a large cutting board or rimmed baking sheet with the breast-side down. Use kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the backbone (which will be running down the middle of the turkey) and remove. Flip the whole turkey over. Firmly press down towards the top of the breastbone with the palm of your hand, until you hear a crack. See How To Spatchcock a Turkey for step-by-step instructions and even more details!
- Prep Roasting Pan: Place the onion, orange, 2 cups chicken broth, 1/2 cup white wine (if using), rosemary and thyme in the bottom of a heavy duty aluminum roasting pan. Place a wire rack on top of the roasting pan.* And put the turkey on top of the wire rack, ensuring the breast side is up.
- Butter + Season: Pat turkey dry with paper towels. Take 1/4 cup softened butter and rub into every nook and cranny (including under the skin, where possible). Season the outside of the turkey with the dry rub.
- Smoke: Place the entire roasting pan, rack, & turkey on the smoker and close the lid. Let smoke 60-70 minutes at 225 degrees F. Then turn the smoker temperature up to 350 degrees F. Let the turkey smoke until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F at its thickest part. Melt the last 1/4 cup of butter and use to baste the turkey every 20 minutes.
- Rest: Remove the turkey from the smoker, baste one more time and then let rest 10-15 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a serving platter or large plate and cover with foil again to continue resting for another 10-15 minutes.
- Optional Gravy: Use juices at the bottom of the aluminum pan and follow our tutorial on how to make smoked turkey gravy, if desired.
- Serve: Carve the turkey and serve immediately!
Notes
- Smoke Time: the final cook time will vary a bit depending upon factors such as outdoor temperature, wind, humidity, smoker hot spots, etc. That being said, we tested this multiple times on a Traeger pellet grill and it generally took 2-2.5 hours total smoke time for a 12-14 pound turkey to come to temp (165 degrees F).
- *Turkey Set Up: since I took these photos, I have discovered that it works best if you elevate the turkey over the roasting pan by placing a wire rack across it. The smoke can surround the turkey much better this way and you still catch all those juicy drippings for gravy.
- Brine: option to use a smoked turkey brine before cooking – just be aware you would need to prep that the night before.
- Pellets: hickory and mesquite pellets or wood chips are my two favorites to use in this recipe.
- Dairy Free: if you can’t do butter, use some olive oil – but you don’t need a ton, just enough to coat the bird.
- Injection: for extra juicy turkey meat, try our Turkey Injection recipe!
- Storage: Keep leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Or store in a freezer-safe container (try and ensure it is airtight so the turkey doesn’t dry out) and use within 3 months.
Emily says
Juicy and delicious! Thank you!