Roasting a dry brined and spatchcocked turkey is absolutely the best way to cook your Thanksgiving or Holiday bird! With this method you get crispy roasted skin, super moist dark and white meat, with a deep and delicious turkey flavor that’s perfectly seasoned! Cooking time with the spatchcock method is quicker too!
This is a hit with EVERYONE...even those that don’t like turkey. Trust me, this whole roasted turkey is everything - and it’s actually super easy and simple to make! It just takes some planning ahead of time to thaw and to dry brine, which is essentially air drying the turkey in your fridge. With a bit of patience and a poultry cutting lesson, you will never go back to any other way of cooking a turkey!
Jump to:
- What is dry brining?
- What is a spatchcock (butterflied) turkey?
- Step by step instructions - how to spatchcock a turkey
- How to dry brine a spatchcock turkey
- Ingredients
- Equipment for a spatchcock turkey
- Cooking a spatchocked turkey
- How long to cook a spatchcock turkey?
- To carve the turkey
- What to serve with a thanksgiving turkey
- Pro Tips
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Holiday Recipes to Enjoy
- Dry Brine Spatchcocked Turkey
What is dry brining?
Dry brining is a method of pre seasoning meat with salt and other seasonings and allowing it to rest and penetrate the meat prior to cooking.
Salt is the key ingredient to brining. It draws out moisture from the turkey meat, and at the same time the seasoning absorbs through the meat. The result? A perfectly tender and well-seasoned bird, with extra crispy skin!
What is a spatchcock (butterflied) turkey?
Spatchcocking, also called butterflying a turkey, is the technique of removing the backbone and laying it out flat to cook. Doing this allows the turkey to cook evenly, yielding crispy skin and perfectly tender white and dark meat.
Spatchcocking also significantly cuts down on the cooking time. Instead of cooking a 14 pound turkey for 3 hours, when it's spatchcocked, it will only take about 1 ½ to 2 hours total!
You can spatchcock a turkey at any size. We usually cook a 13 to 15 pound turkey for small gatherings. When we have my family over (and feeding about 20 people or so) we make TWO 12 to 14 pound turkeys. The meat will be more moist and tender from two smaller birds. Also, roasting a spatchcocked turkey bigger than 15 pounds will be hard to fit on a roasting pan and in the oven!
Step by step instructions - how to spatchcock a turkey
1). Fully thaw the turkey in your fridge. Rule of thumb is 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey. Remove the turkey neck and giblets from the body cavity, snip out the kidneys if it's still in the cavity, save these for giblet gravy! Make sure to also check the neck cavity as sometimes the gizzards are placed there in a bag. Pat dry the cavity and outside part of the turkey with paper towels.
2). Locate the backbone, facing it up towards you. Using kitchen sears, cut along each side of the back bone from the tail to neck.
3). Turn the turkey over, skin side up. Use the heel of your hands, apply pressure (put your weight into it!) on the upper middle of one side of the breast bone to break it. You may hear a small crack.
4). Repeat on the other side of the breast bone.
How to dry brine a spatchcock turkey
1). Mix the dry brine seasoning together.
2). After spatchcocking the turkey, completely dry the inside and outside of the turkey again.
3). Season the cavity part of the turkey first, using ⅓ of the seasoning. Then turn it over and use the rest of the seasoning on the skin.
4). Place the turkey skin side up, laying it flat on a clean sheet pan and place it in the fridge, uncovered for 2 to 3 days. Make sure nothing is touching it, and that nothing stored in the door will touch it when closed.
Ingredients
Turkey - Frozen or fresh turkey is fine. Frozen is more economical. I would choose smaller sized turkeys as it thaws quicker and cooks quicker too. Smaller turkeys also cook more consistently. For a larger crowd, I opt for 2 smaller sized turkey around 14 pounds each to cook.
Seasoning -Salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary is all you need to get a delicious flavor.
Butter or olive oil - This helps give a beautiful golden color to the turkey.
Equipment for a spatchcock turkey
Kitchen shears - Sharp kitchen shears is highly recommended. Cutting out the backbone will require some elbow grease and using heavy duty shears will help make the cutting easier.
Roasting sheet pan - A large, full size sheet pan works best, 26” x 18” (or similar).
Meat thermometer - Digital or analog works just fine to check the internal temperature of the turkey.
Cooking a spatchocked turkey
To cook, preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Place the turkey in the middle rack uncovered and roast for 1 hour. After the hour, add butter or olive oil to the skin so it will crisp up nicely.
Check the temperature at 1 hour and 30 minutes. Keep roasting until it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit at the deepest point of the breast, then remove from the oven. The temperature will normally rise another 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
Let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving or all the juice will run out and your meat will be dry.
How long to cook a spatchcock turkey?
The cooking time will depend on the cooking temperature and oven. For this recipe, we are roasting at 350 F. At this temperature, general rule is about 6 minutes per pounds.
Cooking a 14 pound turkey will cook for about 90- 120 minutes.
Adjust the cooking time based on the size of your turkey, but make sure to always use a meat thermometer for more accurate reading.
Remove the turkey when the internal temp reaches 160, when it’s resting, the temp will increase to about 5 degrees.
To carve the turkey
Let the turkey rest for at least 20 minutes before carving or all the juice will run out and your meat will be dry.
Use a sharp knife to first cut the legs from the breast. Remove the drumsticks from the thigh, then cut the wing from the breast. Lastly, slice the breast meat in 1 inch thickness. Place on the platter and garnish with optional decorative fruit and herbs to serve.
What to serve with a thanksgiving turkey
Carve and serve with some amazing giblet gravy and sides like Instant Pot mashed potatoes and green bean casserole!
Pro Tips
- Save the giblets and backbone to make a delicious gravy!
- Trim the tips of the wings off at the joint (save it to make gravy), as it burns easily or you can tuck the wings under the body of the turkey.
- Minimize opening the oven door. It drops the temperature and you won’t get that golden brown, crispy skin.
- Get creative with your spices, feel free to substitute other spices in with the salt for the dry brine.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can dry brine a turkey anywhere from 2 to 3 days.
No, rinsing the turkey is unnecessary and makes it likely for bacteria to spread on your sink and kitchen counters.
That’s up to you - but if you like crispy skin, and cutting your cooking time by ⅓ to ½, then you’ll love this method!
The flavor will be deeper. It won’t be salty, but will be taste well seasoned.
The thermometer should be placed deep in the thickest part of the breast. You should also check the temp near the wing joint, where the wing meets the breast.
More Holiday Recipes to Enjoy
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Dry Brine Spatchcocked Turkey
Ingredients
- 14 pound whole turkey
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt if using table salt, half the amount.
- ½ tablespoon dried thyme
- ½ tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Instructions
- Fully thaw the turkey in your fridge. Rule of thumb is 24 hours for every 5 pounds of turkey.
- Remove the turkey neck and giblets from the body cavity, cut out the kidneys if it has not been removed. Make sure to also check the neck cavity as sometimes the gizzards are placed there in a bag.
- Thoroughly pat dry the cavity and skin of the turkey with paper towels. Locate the backbone, facing it up towards you. Using kitchen sears, cut along each side of the back bone from the tail to neck. Use scissors to snip at the skin and fatty tissue near the neck as needed.
- To spatchcock, turn the turkey over, skin side up. Use the heel of your hands, apply pressure (put your weight into it!) on the upper middle of one side of the the breast bone to break it. You may hear a small crack. Repeat on the other side of the breast bone.
- To season the turkey, use paper towels to completely dry the inside and outside of the turkey again. Place the turkey on a clean and dry roasting sheet. Season the cavity of the turkey first, using ⅓ of the seasoning. Then turn it over and season the skin with the remaining seasoning.
- Place the turkey skin side up, laying it flat on the sheet pan and place it in the fridge, uncovered for 2 to 3 days. Make sure nothing is touching it, and that nothing stored in the door will touch it when closed.
- To cook, preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Place the turkey in the middle rack uncovered and cook for 1 hour. After the hour, add butter or olive oil to the skin so it will crisp up and brown nicely.
- Check the temperature at 1 hour 30 minutes. Keep roasting until it reaches 160 degrees at the deepest point of the breast, then remove from the oven. The temperature will normally rise another 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving or all the juice will run out and your meat will be dry.
Notes
- Save the giblets and backbone to make a delicious gravy!
- Trim the tips of the wings off at the joint (save it to make gravy), as it burns easily or you can tuck the wings under the body of the turkey.
- To check the doneness, place the thermometer deep in the thickest part of the breast. You should also check the temp near the wing joint, where the wing meets the breast.
- You can spatchcock a turkey at any size. However, roasting a spatchcocked turkey bigger than 15 pounds will be hard to fit on a roasting pan and in the oven. Roasting two smaller birds from 12 to 14 pounds will give you meat that's more moist and tender.
- Use sharp kitchen shears.
Gladys
Great idea! How do you cook 2 turkeys for a large family?
Do you cook them at the same time? Do you use 2 racks?
Kaylie
I've actually done this several Thanksgivings in a row! I'll cook two spatchcocked turkeys on two racks, one on the next to last level of the oven, and one at least 2" above, leaving at least two inches above the second turkey so air can circulate. I'll roast them like this for 45 min, then switch positions, moving the bottom turkey to the top rack, and the top to the bottom. Roast for another 45 min or so, or until the internal temp reaches 165 in the thickest part of the breast. If the bottom turkey's skin isn't browned enough, roast under the broiler until it reaches a nice golden brown (but not burnt).