Roast a spatchcock turkey to crispy, juicy perfection in less time than a traditional bird. The perfect way to serve Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner without hours in the kitchen.

Crispy oven roasted spatchcock turkey resting on a sheet pan with vegetables.

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Crisp-Skin Spatchcocked Turkey

There’s nothing like an oven roasted turkey or a juicy smoked turkey, but we all know how long a big bird can take. When you need more meat than a turkey breast, but desire the same delicious flavor in less time, try your hand at a spatchcock turkey recipe instead.

You may need a bit of extra muscle to remove the bone and flatten the turkey, but after that, a beautifully seasoned turkey goes into the oven and is ready to serve in just over an hour. You can even make a homemade turkey gravy from the drippings.

Why I Love This Recipe

  • It roasts evenly, stays juicy, and cooks in a fraction of the time; it’s the perfect solution for busy holiday cooking!
  • The crispy layer of skin, juicy turkey meat, and flavorful veggies underneath is a treat for the tastebuds!

Ingredients Notes

Overhead shot of raw turkey with fresh herbs, carrots, celery, onion, lemon, garlic, butter, and seasonings.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

  • Turkey: I used a 12 pound turkey. Make sure it’s completely thawed.
  • Celery, carrots, onion: These will sit underneath the turkey and catch all of the drippings for extra flavor.
  • Lemon and garlic cloves: Aromatics that sit under the turkey. The fresh lemons and garlic will also help to flavor the turkey.
  • Unsalted butter: Bring it to room temperature. It should be soft enough to smear the outside of the turkey.
  • Seasoning: Garlic powder, sea salt, ground black pepper, and fresh herbs. I tried it with minced garlic, and it ended up burning, so garlic powder is the way to go.
  • Fresh herbs: I used finely chopped sage, thyme, and rosemary which pair well with poultry.
  • Water: A bit of water gets poured into the baking tray to prevent the veggies and aromatics from burning. The moisture will also help keep the turkey moist.

How to Spatchcock a Turkey

Place turkey breast side down on a cutting board then use sharp kitchen shears to cut down one side of the backbone from the tail toward the neck, and repeat on the other side to completely remove the backbone.

Hands using kitchen shears to cut along the backbone of a raw turkey to spatchcock it.
Cutting down the opposite side of the backbone with kitchen shears to remove it.

Flip the turkey over and press down on the turkey breasts to flatten the bird until you hear a pop or cracking sound as the breastbone breaks.

Pressing down firmly on the breastbone to flatten a spatchcocked turkey on a cutting board.
Patting a raw spatchcocked turkey dry with a paper towel on a wooden cutting board.

Pat the turkey completely dry with paper towels, then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Arrange the cut veggies and aromatics underneath the wire rack, and tuck the wings under the breasts.

Combine the softened butter and seasonings, and rub the mixture all over the surface of the turkey. Roast the butterflied turkey in a preheated 450°F oven for 65-75 minutes, rotating the baking sheet 180° after the first 30 minutes.

Bowl of softened butter mixed with garlic powder, salt, pepper, rosemary, and sage.
Spatchcocked turkey coated with herb butter mixture on a roasting rack with vegetables underneath.

Once it reaches 155°F, remove the spatchcock turkey from the oven, tent it with foil, and let it rest for about 30 minutes, until it reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F. Then, carve and serve!

Golden roasted spatchcock turkey on a serving platter with lemon slices and fresh sage.

Recipe Tips

  • If you have extra time and want to brine your turkey, I have an easy turkey brine recipe that would be perfect.
  • Using high heat results in deliciously crispy skin and juicy meat. If you find the turkey is browning too quickly, tent it with foil.
  • Check out my tips for how long to thaw a turkey so you’ll know how much time you’ll need for the size of the bird.
  • If kitchen shears aren’t doing the trick you can use clean/disinfected gardening shears, if preferred.
  • Grab a stool! You can use it to stand over the turkey as you press down on the breastbone to get maximum pressure.
  • Spatchcock turkey cooking time will depend on the size of the turkey, the size of the oven, and how often you open the oven door.
Sliced spatchcocked turkey with crispy skin on a platter, garnished with lemon and herbs.

Spatchcocked turkey pairs well with Thanksgiving dinner favorites like sweet potato casserole, Jiffy corn pudding and easy cranberry sauce.

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Crispy oven roasted spatchcock turkey resting on a sheet pan with vegetables.

Spatchcock Turkey

5 from 1 vote
Recipe by: Jamielyn Nye
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Resting: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 10
Roast a spatchcock turkey to crispy, juicy perfection in less time than a traditional bird. The perfect way to serve Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner without hours in the kitchen.
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Video

Equipment

  • Roasting pan with a rack

Ingredients 

  • 1 12 pound turkey , fully thawed
  • 4 celery ribs , sliced
  • 2 large carrots , sliced
  • 1 yellow onion , cut into large 8-10 chunks
  • 1 lemon , sliced
  • 3 whole garlic cloves , peeled
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ cup unsalted butter , softened
  • ½ teaspsoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh herbs (sage, thyme and rosemary) , finely chopped

Instructions

  • Prep. Preheat the oven to 450°.  Move the top oven rack to the middle position.
  • Arrange the 4 ribs sliced celery, 2 sliced carrots, 8-10 onion chunks, lemon slices, and 3 whole peeled garlic cloves onto a 12×17 baking sheet.  Pour the water into the baking sheet (this will prevent the vegetables and turkey drippings from burning).
  • Place a cooling rack or roasting rack on top of the vegetables.  Set the baking sheet of vegetables aside while you prepare the turkey.
  • Remove turkey backbone. With the breast side of the turkey placed down on a cutting board, use kitchen shears to cut down one side of the backbone of the turkey, starting from the tail and cutting toward the neck. Repeat this on the other side of the backbone to completely remove it. 
  • Turn the turkey over and push down on the turkey breasts to flatten out the turkey.  You will hear a pop or cracking as the breastbone breaks with the completion of this step.
  • Pat the skin dry using a paper towel and place the flattened turkey onto the cooling rack over the prepared vegetables. Tuck the wings up and under the breast portion as much as possible.  Make sure the skin is dried well as this will help when spreading the butter and crisping the skin during baking.
  • In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper and 2 Tablespoons chopped herbs. Rub butter across the skin of the turkey.
  • Roast the flattened turkey for 65-75 minutes, rotating the baking sheet 180° after the first 30 minutes.  You can tent the turkey with foil if you find the turkey browning too quickly (I did this after the first 40 minutes of baking). Roast until the thickest part of the breast reaches 155°F on a meat thermometer. 
  • Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and allow the turkey to rest until it reaches 165°F, about 30 minutes.  Carve and serve!

Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.

Notes

Save the backbone for turkey stock. Use pan drippings make homemade turkey gravy.
My 12-pound turkey was done at 65 minutes, but depending on the size of the turkey, the size of the oven, how often you open the oven door, and how your oven maintains heat it could take longer.

Nutrition

Calories: 98kcal, Carbohydrates: 4g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.4g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 141mg, Potassium: 119mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 2396IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 21mg, Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

Variations

  • You can certainly play around with the seasonings. Use whichever herbs you like, add extra seasoning like poultry seasoning or paprika.
  • Add potatoes with the carrots. Sweet potatoes work too.
  • You can also choose to rub the turkey with olive oil rather than butter.

Recipe FAQs

How long does it take for turkey to thaw?

This will depend on the size of the turkey and whether you’re thawing it in the fridge or in cold water. I have a guide for how long to thaw a turkey that I refer to every year.

How to store leftover spatchcock turkey?

Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s easier to remove the meat and portion it out, so you don’t have to thaw all of it at once. Then, you can use the carcass for turkey broth if you’d like.

Can I freeze it?

Yes, it’ll keep frozen, wrapped in foil in a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the fridge before reheating.