Name: Perfect Spatchcock Turkey
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: American

Flavor the Moments Verified

August 11, 2025

5 Ingredients

HARD

The term spatchcock means to butterfly, or remove the backbone of a chicken, turkey or game bird, and lay it flat during cooking. If you want a juicy turkey that’s evenly cooked with the crispiest skin ever, this Spatchcock Turkey is the recipe for you! It comes out perfect every time and cooks up in under an hour and a half. Cooking a turkey using this method is completely life changing. Once you try it, there’s no going back!

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Perfect Spatchcock Turkey

Flavor the Moments Verified

Ingredients

servings

Warning0 allergens identified

Instructions

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Spatchcock the turkey

Remove the giblets from the turkey. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels and place on a cutting board breast side down. Using sharp kitchen sheers, cut along either side of the backbone to remove.

Using a paring knife, cut along the tip of the breast bone to make it easier to flatten the turkey. Flip the turkey over and place both hands over the center of the turkey breast and press down firmly to flatten. PRO TIP: If you'd rather not do this yourself, ask your butcher to spatchcock the turkey for you.

Dry brine the turkey: Loosen the skin over the turkey breast using your hand, being careful not to tear it. Rub the turkey breast with some of the kosher salt, then sprinkle the remaining salt over both sides of the turkey. You may need more than 1 tablespoon of salt if your turkey is larger than 14 pounds.

Place the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the refrigerator uncovered for 1-3 days.

Prep the turkey

Combine the olive oil, smoked paprika and black pepper in a small bowl and stir well to combine.

Rub the evenly with the paprika mixture (no additional salt is needed due to the dry brine), and tuck the wings under the turkey. Let stand 1-2 hours at room temperature before cooking.

Position the oven rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees for 1 – 1.5 hours depending on the size of your turkey (check for doneness after 1 hour). Cover the turkey loosely with foil after 20-30 minutes or once it has browned.

The turkey is done when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thighs without touching bone registers at 175 degrees, or the thickest part of the breast registers at 160 degrees. Remove from heat and allow to rest loosely covered with foil for about 20-30 minutes before carving (the turkey will continue to cook as it rests). Carve and enjoy!