Spatchco*ck Turkey Recipe - Juicy Meat & Crispy Skin (2024)

FAQs

What temperature do you cook a spatchco*ck turkey? ›

Transfer your bird to the direct side (directly over the coals) to allow the skin to crisp up and cook until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 165°F. If you want to roast it in the oven, we recommend setting your oven at 400°F or higher based on the recipe.

In fact, I use it literally every single time I cook skin-on chicken, turkey, duck, or goose. That trick is a sprinkling of baking powder, and it'll get you the crispiest, crackliest bites of fatty, salty skin imaginable, whether you're cooking just one thigh, a plate of wings, or an entire bird.

It also yields perfectly crisp skin and ultra-juicy meat! And this spatchco*ck turkey recipe produces plenty of pan drippings so you can make the best giblet gravy.

Baking soda works similarly to salt, in that it helps draw moisture to the surface of the chicken. This then quickly evaporates, leading to a drier- thinner skin ― that's much more likely to crisp up. Baking soda and salt go great together in a dry brine because of the drying and crispifying (yep) effects they combine.

If getting a golden brown skin is a must when roasting your turkey(Opens in a new window), the key is to extract as much moisture and maximize the fat. Instead of basting(Opens in a new window) with the turkey's juices or butter(Opens in a new window), we prefer glazing it with clarified butter or ghee.

Spatchco*cked turkey roasting temp

Once your bird is well flattened, it's time to roast. Cook your bird at 425°F (218°C) until it reaches an internal temperature on your ChefAlarm^® of 155°F (68°C). (If that seems low, read our article on chicken internal temps—the same concepts apply to turkey as they do to chicken.

Spatchco*ck Ahead Of Time

To save yourself some roasting time, you can spatchco*ck your turkey the day before. Just set it onto a baking sheet and leave it in the fridge uncovered overnight. Rub it with a little salt for a dry brine and allow the cold air to dry up the skin.

Crispy Turkey Skin Method: Start on High Heat, Finish on Low

The Themoworks blog advises cooking at 450°F for the first hour and then reducing the temperature to 325°F for the remainder of the cook time. FoodieCrush says to roast at 425°F for 45 minutes and then at 325°F until the turkey is done.

Oven-Roasted Turkey

We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.

How many hours per pound for a spatchco*ck turkey? The rule of thumb is 6 minutes per pound on average. This will change though based on the size of the turkey and the temperature it is cooked at.

Should I brine a spatchco*cked turkey? ›

To spatchco*ck a turkey, you will want to first brine it, just as you would a bird for a traditional roast. When ready to roast, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, brush the turkey with oil and, depending on its weight, cook for 70 to 90 minutes. Roast until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Remove the backbone: Place the turkey, breast-side down, on a cutting board. Use sharp kitchen shears to cut along one side of the backbone. Repeat on the other side. Discard the backbone or reserve it for making stock.

Impart rich flavor and add moisture to your Thanksgiving turkey by adding a layer of butter under the skin before roasting. Learn how to do this simple (but genius) technique for a delicious Thanksgiving turkey.

Quick Tip: If you love crispy turkey skin, you may be tempted to broil the bird under high heat. Rodney Friedank says that this step isn't necessary: "A 12-20 pound bird should have no problem delivering a golden brown crisp skin simply because of the long oven time, even at 325 F."