Looking for a hassle-free turkey cooking method? Try our delicious spatchcock turkey recipe for a stress-free holiday feast. This is our go to method for a quick turkey dinner with crispy skin and amazing flavor.
Read our how to spatchcock a turkey guide for step-by-step images and video.
Start by removing your turkey from the package and making sure the giblets and turkey neck are removed from the cavity.
Pat the turkey dry with paper towels, being sure to dry the cavity as well.
Then spatachcock the bird by using kitchen sheers to cut along either side of the backbone to remove it.
Flip the turkey breast side up, pulling the legs out to lay it evenly on a clean cutting board.
Using the heel of your palm, press firmly on the breast, at the center of the breast bone, to lay the bird flat.
Tuck the wing tips behind the beast meat.
Dry Brine the turkey:
Rub both sides of the turkey liberally with kosher salt or a dry brine.
Place the turkey on a wire rack over a large roasting pan or baking sheet and dry brine the bird in the fridge for 24 hourrs.
For more information, read our guide on hot to dry brine a turkey.
Roast the turkey:
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Adjust your oven rack to the middle row.
Line a large roasting pan or baking sheet and line it with heavy duty aluminum foil.
Arrange the thinly sliced apple on the foil and carefully pour in the apple cider.
Nestle a wire rack over the apple slices on the baking sheet and place the spatchcocked turkey onto it, breast side up.
Gently loosen the skin on the breast, thighs and drums and rub the compound butter under the skin.
Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and roast for 1 hour.
After the hour, check the temperature with a digital meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh.
Keep roasting for another 20 to 40 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast and 170F in the thickest part of the thigh. If the meat is getting too browned, cover with foil.
Rest and serve
When the turkey is cooked through, carefully remove it from the oven and allow the turkey to rest for 20 minutes, tented loosely with foil before carving.
Transfer the bird to a serving platter garnish and serve.
Video
Notes
You can skip the dry brine and make this turkey quickly if you’re in a time crunch, but we think the extra work results in an entire turkey that’s evenly cooked with the most amazing flavor and crispy golden brown skin.
Be gentle when sticking the softened butter underneath the turkey skin. We don’t want it to rip!
When spatchcocking your bird, make sure to use sharp kitchen shears so the backbone comes out clean. We love our heavy-duty kitchen sheers for this job. Anything less, and you’ll be fighting them. We save the turkey’s backbone to add to the carcass afterward for amazing roast turkey stock.
Depending on the size of your turkey, you may have to adjust the cooking time. Spatchcock turkey cooks faster than a regular whole turkey.
Turkey is cooked when an instant-read thermometer reaches 160 – 165 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast meat and 170 degrees F in the thickest part of the dark meat (thickest part of the thigh meat). The internal temp will continue to rise as the turkey rests about 5 to 10 degrees.
Use the pan drippings to make a delicious giblet gravy or turkey gravy on top for perfect moist turkey meat.