Smoked Spatchcock Turkey
Do you want the juiciest, most flavorful turkey you’ve ever had - I’ve got you covered! For Thanksgiving this year, we’re making a smoked spatchcock turkey that will have your family and friends speechless. In case you don’t have access to a smoker, try my Spatchcock Turkey Recipe in the oven which is also phenomenal!
The best part about a spatchcock turkey is that the meat cooks evenly, plus takes a up to half the amount of time it takes for a traditional cooked turkey.
First and foremost, what is a spatchcock turkey?!
Its a turkey that has the backbone taken out and is flattened by breaking the breast bone. Seems intimidating, but actually really easy to do. All you need are some good cooking shears (linked here) and a little effort to break the breast bone (think a chiropractor).
I recommend getting a fresh thawed turkey, although if you get a frozen one I found a great template for how many days to defrost by Williams-Sonoma (linked here).
When using a frozen turkey, pick it up four-five days days before Thanksgiving to allow enough time to defrost and to brine. and adding it to a wet brine on Tuesday evening for 1-2 hours/pound of turkey. You can make your own brine or one of these I’ve used which are both incredible by Urban Accents and Traeger. Brining your turkey is an absolute game-changer! It retains so much flavor and won’t dry out as easily if you don’t brine it.
To Brine:
Bring the brine with a quart of water to a boil for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and add a gallon of cold water. Once the water is at room temperature, you can either place your turkey in a brining bag, in a large bowl or ice chest (make sure to remove the neck, giblets, etc and save for making fresh bone broth). Brine for 1-2 hours/pound of turkey breast side down..
After brining, pat dry and place on a baking sheet or in the roasting pan uncovered back in the fridge for up to 24 hours with your seasoning before cooking. This will help get the outside skin crispy while retaining the inside of the turkey juicy when cooking.
How To Spatchcock Your Turkey:
Once the turkey has ready to roll after brining - it’s time to spatchcock your turkey. Using a good pair of cooking shears, cut along both sides of the backbone of the turkey. Once its removed save it for the gravy and/or making fresh bone broth. Then, flip over the turkey so the breast side is up. I recommend either placing the turkey on the ground or on a low table as you’re going to have to put your body weight into breaking the breast bone - especially if its a large turkey. The best analogy here is think that you’re a chiropractor cracking someone’s back. Place your hands over one breast bone and put your bodyweight into breaking the bone. Repeat on the other side.
Once complete, arrange your turkey on either a large cutting board or baking sheet to add a roasted garlic-herb butter in between the skin, plus any remaining butter and seasoning over the turkey.
How To Cook:
Pre-heat your traeger to 250 degrees to smoke. Once ready, place your turkey directly on the grill grate with a baking sheet under to catch any drippings.
Cook until internal temperature reaches between 160-165 degrees F in the deepest part of the breast and 180 degrees in the thigh should take about 12-14 minutes per pound.
Remove from the traeger and let rest uncovered for 45 minutes before carving.
Plate your turkey and enjoy the juiciest turkey you’ll ever have!
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below or DM me @sweatspace on Instagram. I hope you enjoy and be sure to tag me in your creations!
All the Best,
Mike