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Spatchcock Turkey

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  • Prep 45 min
  • Total 2 hr 15 min
  • Servings 14
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Behold the art of spatchcocking: an innovative method that's about to revolutionize your Thanksgiving feast!

The term “spatchcock” might seem intense, but it’s just a centuries-old method of quickly preparing poultry. The term is a contraction of the technique: to “dispatch” a “cock” (or cook a bird).

Spatchcocked turkey has been having a moment in the past few years, and we know why! It frees up fridge and oven space and gets your turkey on the table faster, while providing a literal and figurative backbone for make-ahead turkey stock. The turkey’s backbone is removed to flatten the bird for a more even roasting experience.

Turducken, a turkey stuffed with duck and chicken, used to be the go-to holiday stunner, but it demands excessive hours of prep. Tasty and visually striking -- a spatchcocked turkey is a modern spin on getting your bird to be a show-stopper. Unleash your culinary prowess this Thanksgiving with this fun technique.

By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Jul 23, 2024
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Spatchcocking and Preparing the Bird

A spatchcocked turkey is essentially a butterflied turkey recipe. This is done by removing the backbone and flattening the bird to allows for fast, even cooking. It’s also easier to store in the fridge and less complicated to carve. It can seem intimidating at first, but after you’ve done it once, you’ll be a pro!

Make the Compound Butter

This whipped garlic-herb butter provides flavor and seasoning for the turkey. Beating with the hand mixer quickly combines the mixture and makes it easier to spread.

Prepare the Pan and Dry the Turkey

Spraying the rack and pan is essential to preventing the skin from sticking to the rack. And patting the turkey dry will help the butter mixture stick to the skin.

Remove the Backbone

Using kitchen shears or a sharp, heavy knife, cut along one side of the backbone, then repeat on the other side. The heavy bones near the neck are the most difficult to cut through, so it helps to start at the bottom. Once cut, the rib bones can be sharp, so be careful of those. Disposable gloves make this step easier.

Flatten the Turkey

With the breast side up, press down hard in the center of the breast until you hear a crack. Once flattened, the turkey will be easier to manage.

Arrange Turkey in Pan

Place the turkey on the rack in the pan and tuck the wings under the breasts. Tuck the legs too if they happen to be hanging off the side of the pan, this way they won’t drip on the bottom of the oven.

Add the Butter

Rubbing the flavorful butter mixture under the skin of the breast and all over the outside of the turkey adds flavor and helps the skin brown. Adding butter under the skin help moisten and flavors the meat. Without doing this, most of the seasoning would be only on the skin.

Roast and Baste

The cook time for a spatchcocked turkey is where this method really shines. Instead of the typical 3 to 4 hours in the oven, this method can take as little as 90 minutes. Basting after the first hour of cooking and tenting with foil keeps the turkey moist and prevents overbrowning.

A Brine Free Bird

To brine or not to brine; that is the question! Whether wet or dry, the process of brining adds flavor while also keeping your bird tender and moist. While brining is great, it can also be time-consuming and takes up valuable fridge space during the holidays when every square inch of fridge space matters.

This Spatchcock Turkey skips the brine because it doesn’t really need it. Our whipped garlic-herb butter contains enough seasoning for the turkey. Plus, baking a spatchcock turkey takes much less time than a whole bird, drastically reducing the chances of it drying out.

What to Serve with Your Spatchcock Turkey

Gravy isn’t the only other recipe you’ll want to have on-hand to complement this beautiful spatchcock turkey.

Betty has dressing and stuffing recipes galore, but our favorite is this classic bread stuffing. And you can’t call it Thanksgiving without our 4-ingredient green bean casserole. Highly-rated scalloped potatoes hit the spot for any holiday dinner, and our Thanksgiving side dish recipes to find recipes for sweet potato casseroles, creamed corn, rolls, and more!

Baking the Turkey

If you’re looking for roasting instructions and cook times for spatchcock turkey, you’ve come to the right place.

Cook Times: While roasting times vary based on the size of the turkey, a standard 12- to 14-pound spatchcocked turkey will need to roast 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 425°F. As a rough guide, plan to cook your spatchcocked turkey for about 8 minutes per pound.

When to Baste: After 1 hour of cooking, the turkey should be basted with the pan drippings. This prevents the pan drippings from burning in the hot oven and helps the skin crisp and brown.

Doneness: The only true way test doneness in a turkey is by using a thermometer. We prefer instant-read thermometers. Insert the thermometer into the thickest parts of breast and thigh, without touching the bones. The turkey is done once the thermometer reads at least 165°F. Some people prefer the firmer texture of leg and thigh meat that has reached a higher temperature of about 185°F.

Cutting and Serving

Usually at Thanksgiving dinner, you have to carve a whole bird. With a spatchcocked turkey, you’ve done a lot of the work ahead of time, so carving is easier.

Grab Your Tools: Transfer the turkey to a large cutting board with a “juice groove” if you have one. You’ll need a sharp, heavy knife, a large platter, and towels.

Carve: Cut between the breast and thigh on each side to remove the legs. Separate thighs from drumsticks by cutting through the joints. Then slice the meat off the thigh bone. Serve drumsticks whole. Starting at the top, head end of the bird, slice along the breastbone to remove meat from one side. Cut off the wing. Repeat on the other side. Carefully slice through the breast, keeping the skin on the slices.

Plate It: Arrange the turkey on a platter and garnish with herbs and sliced citrus as desired.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 whole turkey (12 to 14 lb)

Steps

  •  
    1
    In medium bowl, beat softened butter, parsley, sage, thyme, garlic and salt with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
  •  
    2
    Heat oven to 425°F. Place large oven-proof cooling rack in 18x13-inch rimmed sheet pan. Spray rack and pan with cooking spray. Pat turkey dry with paper towels.
  •  
    3
    Place turkey, breast side down, on cutting board. Using heavy-duty kitchen scissors or poultry shears, cut closely along one side of backbone from thigh end to neck. Repeat on other side. Remove backbone; save for making stock, or discard.
  •  
    4
    Turn turkey over; flatten breast area by pressing firmly with heel of hand.
  •  
    5
    Place turkey, breast side up, in pan. Tuck wings under breast.
  •  
    6
    Starting at leg end of turkey, gently separate skin (do not peel back) from turkey breast using fingers, being careful not to tear or puncture skin. Rub half of butter mixture under skin to cover entire breast area; gently replace skin. Rub remaining butter mixture on outside of turkey.
  •  
    7
    Roast uncovered 1 hour. Brush turkey with pan juices. Loosely cover turkey with foil. Roast 30 to 50 minutes longer or until thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast reads at least 165°F and drumsticks move easily when lifted or twisted. Place on cutting board, and cover with foil to keep warm. Let stand about 15 minutes for easiest carving.
  •  
    8
    Serve roasted turkey with desired garnishes, such as sliced citrus and herbs.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

  • tip 1
    For cutting raw turkey and carving cooked turkey, use largest cutting board available. For carving, choose a large cutting board with a “juice groove” to keep your counters tidy.
  • tip 2
    If planning to use turkey drippings for gravy, instead of a sheet pan, you can use a large roasting pan with a flat rack. The turkey may need to roast a few minutes longer since the sides of the roasting pan inhibit air flow, but a roasting pan is slightly easier to remove from the oven.
  • tip 3
    If starting with a frozen turkey, allow enough time to thaw the turkey before attempting to spatchcock. Turkey should be completely thawed before attempting to remove backbone.
  • tip 4
    Use a sturdy rack that can handle the weight of a large turkey. The rack helps air circulate, which helps the turkey cook faster. It also lets drippings fall under the bird, which prevents the skin on the bottom of the bird from getting soggy.
  • tip 5
    Having trouble cutting through the skin and bones all at once? Using shears, cut skin all the way up both sides of the backbone before cutting through the bones. This helps you visualize the proper cuts. If you’re going slowly, it’s easier to cut through the soft texture on the first pass and the harder texture in the second pass. After you’re comfortable with the technique, it’s faster and easier to do it all at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Point of Spatchcocking?

Spatchcocking eliminates many of the usual turkey-roasting requirements:

No Need to Brine: Spatchcocked turkeys are less likely to dry out, meaning there’s no need to deal with a messy, time-consuming brining process.

Takes Up Less Space: With spatchcocked turkey’s slim profile, it fits in fridges and ovens more easily than a whole turkey.

Make-head: Once you remove the backbone, you can use it to make a small batch of turkey stock, then prepare

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