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

Spatchcock Turkey

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.

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 12x17 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!

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.

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