Spatchcock Turkey: The Low-Effort, High-Reward Secret to the Juiciest Thanksgiving Turkey Ever
Imagine roasting a foolproof turkey that’s perfectly juicy and flavorful—in just 90 minutes! No more obsessively checking the oven all day or drowning your turkey in gravy to make it edible. Spatchcocking is the answer!
I first learned How to Spatchcock a Turkey back in 2013, and I’ve never looked back. (Fun fact: it saved my first-ever Thanksgiving, which was thisclose to being a total disaster when I lost track of time juggling all my recipes. 😅)
In the 10+ years since, I’ve shared many Thanksgiving recipes, but this spatchcock turkey guide is my all-time favorite. If you’re a first-timer or feeling intimidated, don’t worry—I’ve got you! It’s much easier than it seems, and I have tons of tips to help you roast the juicy turkey of your dreams. 🤩
What is Spatchcock Turkey?
Spatchcocking (aka butterflying) is a simple technique where you remove the turkey’s backbone so it lays flat while roasting. This method is a game-changer for 2 key reasons:
- Spatchcocking prevents dry turkey. When roasting a whole bird, the legs are tucked underneath, which causes the white breast meat to overcook while you wait for the legs to finish. A spatchcock turkey lays flat, allowing both white and dark meat to cook evenly for guaranteed juicy results.
- Spatchcocking saves you hours of cooking time. With its uniform thickness, a spatchcock turkey roasts in half the time and cooks more evenly since both the breasts and legs are equally exposed to heat.
TL;DR? If you’re looking for a stress-free, foolproof way to make the best-ever Thanksgiving turkey, spatchcocking is the answer. I’ve prepared dozens of spatchcock turkeys over the years and have made it my mission to to share this method with as many people as possible. It’s a simple 3-step process, and I’ll walk you through it from start to finish!
Maximum Flavor, Minimal Effort
3 foolproof secrets to low-fuss, flavor-packed dinners, learned from years working in restaurants.
Best Turkey Size and Must-Have Equipment for Success
You can spatchcock any size bird, but a 12 to 16-pound turkey is ideal for roasting—it fits perfectly on a sheet pan in the oven. If you plan to prepare a grilled or smoked spatchcock turkey, feel free to use any size bird you like.
Essential equipment:
- Kitchen shears: A sharp pair of shears is key to removing the backbone easily. These are the kitchen shears I use.
- Chef’s knife: Its blade wedges into the chest bone, making it easier to crack the turkey open. Again, using a sharp knife is essential—this one is my go-to!
- Rolling pin. The secret to spatchcocking large poultry – like turkey! – with ease. Tapping the knife with a rolling pin adds extra force to spatchcock the bird. It’s much easier and safer than muscling your way through it!
- Large sheet pan with a wire rack: Roasting the spatchcock turkey on a a sheet pan fitted with a wire rack allows hot air to circulate around it, keeping the bird juicy while ensuring extra-crispy skin. I use this extra-large baking sheet, which comes with a wire baking rack for perfect results.
Tools for the Perfect Spatchcock Turkey
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Before you get started! At this point, your turkey should be prepped and ready for roasting—thawed, with the neck and giblets removed, and brined for extra flavor if you’d like. (Reminder! ⇢ Frozen turkeys require about 24 hours of thawing time per 4 pounds in the fridge, so plan ahead!)
Remove the turkey’s backbone. Place your turkey breast-side down on a large, sturdy cutting board (or any non-slip surface), with the backbone facing up. Using kitchen shears, carefully snip along both sides of the backbone to remove it.
✨Tip! ⇢ Be sure to save the backbone for homemade turkey stock—a must-have for extra-flavorful Turkey Gravy!
Crack the chest bone. Gently stretch open the turkey cavity and locate the thick chest bone behind the breasts (the breastplate). You’ll need a little extra force to split through it—this is where the rolling pin comes in handy!
Finish spatchcocking. Flip the turkey breast-side up. If it isn’t laying completely flat, place your hands between the breasts and press down with your body weight until you hear a crack.
Seasoning, Roasting, and Serving Your Spatchcock Turkey
My favorite way to season a spatchcock turkey is with a simple herb compound butter. It’s packed with flavor, and as the butter melts in the oven, it bastes the turkey in savory richness, keeping it incredibly juicy. 😋
I use herb compound butter for my Lemon Herb Butter Roast Spatchcock Turkey, a fan-favorite that’s been a hit with hundreds of PWWB readers. Made with tons of garlic, rosemary, sage, and thyme, its classic flavors always impress! Herb butter is also the secret to my Maple Glazed Spatchcock Turkey, which is finished a maple glaze for perfectly crispy skin.
From there, roasting a spatchcocked turkey is much faster than roasting a whole bird—it takes about about 90 minutes total—leaving you plenty of extra oven time for all your favorite Thanksgiving side dishes!
Carving a roast spatchcock turkey is similar to carving any other poultry. Start by cutting at the joints to remove the legs, drumsticks, and wings, then slice the meat away from the breastbone. Finally, slice the light and dark meat into serving-sized pieces, and you’re ready to dig in!
I can’t wait for you to learn How to Spatchcock a Turkey! This miracle method will ensure you never have to suffer through overcooked, bland turkey at Thanksgiving again.
If you do give it a try, be sure to let us know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. We LOVE seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
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How to Spatchcock a Turkey (Juicy Thanksgiving Bird Guaranteed)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: serves 8–12 1x
- Category: Techniques & How-Tos, Poultry & Turkey Recipes, Thanksgiving Recipes
- Method: Spatchcock
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
If you’re tired of bland, dry turkey ruining your Thanksgiving dinner, learning How to Spatchcock a Turkey is the miracle you’ve been waiting for!
By laying flat (aka butterflied), a spatchcock turkey cooks evenly, giving you the juiciest, most flavorful turkey you’ve ever tasted—all with less effort and in half the cooking time of a traditional oven-roasted bird.
This easy 3-step method saved my first Thanksgiving 10+ years ago, and I’ve never looked back. Get ready for your best holiday dinner yet!
Ingredients
- one whole turkey, defrosted if frozen (see Recipe Notes)
Other useful equipment:
- sharp kitchen shears
- sharp chef’s knife
- rolling pin
- rimmed XL baking sheet fitted with wire baking rack
Instructions
- Prep: If present, remove the neck and giblets from the cavity of the turkey. Discard or set aside for turkey stock or gravy. Transfer the turkey to a large cutting board or baking sheet, positioning the bird breast side facing down.
- Remove the back bone: Using very sharp kitchen shears, carefully snip along each side of the turkey’s backbone until it’s completely detached. If it’s too difficult to snip the shears through the rib bones or near the hip bones, switch to a sharp chef’s knife and rolling pin—place the center of the blade along the joint(s), then gently tap the rolling pin against the spine of the blade to drive the knife through. Once the backbone is completely detached, discard or set aside for turkey stock or gravy.
- Split the breast bone: If needed, carefully stretch open the ribs to reveal the turkey’s inner cavity. Locate the top of the turkey’s breast plate directly behind the turkey breasts—place the knife’s blade on the center of the bone, then gently tap the rolling pin against the spine of the blade to drive the knife through.
- Finish spatchcocking: Flip the turkey such that the breasts are facing up. Place your hands on the center of the breasts. Press down, using your body weight to crack the bone all the way through such that the turkey lays flat. Your turkey is spatchcocked and ready for roasting—great job!
Notes
Easy Roasted Spatchcock Turkey Recipes:
Once spatchcocked, your turkey is ready to roast or smoke. Use your recipe of choice to season and cook. I have 2 tried and true roasted spatchcock turkey recipes that PWWB readers have made about over the years with rave reviews:
- Lemon Herb Butter Roast Spatchcock Turkey—perfect you love the flavor of garlic, rosemary, sage, and thyme!
- Maple Glazed Spatchcock Turkey—a little cozier thanks to a beautiful maple glaze.
- Easy Turkey Gravy From Dripping—It’s not turkey dinner without gravy! This recipe makes use of a roast spatchcock turkey’s flavorful drippings to create the easiest, best turkey gravy you’ll ever make!
Other Tips and Tricks:
- What size Thanksgiving turkey should I use? If roasting, I suggest using a turkey between 12-16 pounds—when butterflied flat, larger birds don’t quite fit on a baking sheet (or in a shallow roasting pan). If smoking or grilling, you may have room to use a larger 18-20 pound turkey depending on size of the cooking grates in your smoker/grill. Note, the general rule of thumb is to prep one pound of turkey per person—if you’re feeding a larger crowd you may want to prepare 2 smaller turkeys rather than one large bird. Bonus—this also helps keep the turkey extra-juicy!
- *REMINDER: If frozen, be sure to thaw your turkey well before the day you plan to roast it! The safest way to thaw a frozen turkey is by placing it in the coolest section of your refrigerator. As a general rule of thumb, plan for 24 hours of refrigerated thawing for every 4 pounds of turkey (e.g. a 12-14 pound turkey requires 3-4 days refrigerated thawing).
Follow along with Plays Well With Butter on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest for more unfussy recipes that pack a big punch of flavor!
Looking for oven temp!
Hi Jan, we roast our turkeys at two temperatures: 450 degrees F for the first 30 minutes, then 400 degrees F for the remaining roasting time. You can find instructions for roasting your spatchcock turkeys in our two turkey recipes: Turkey with Lemon Herb Butter and Maple-Glazed Spatchcock Turkey. Hope that helps!
The only thing you left out is the temperature of the oven and how long to cook your turkey. I have a 20 pound turkey.
Hi Kathy, you can find more in-depth instructions on how to roast your turkey in our Lemon Herb Butter Roast Spatchcock Turkey or Maple Glazed Spatchcock Turkey posts. In general, you’ll roast the turkey at 450 degrees for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400 and continue roasting until the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees. This typically takes about an hour for a 12-16lb turkey, so a 20lb turkey will take longer. Hope that’s helpful – please let us know if you have any other questions. Happy Thanksgiving!
Do you cover turkey with foil for cooking ?
Thank yoi
Hi Russell, we don’t cover our turkeys with foil to roast. You can find full turkey instructions in either of our roasted turkey recipes, Maple Glazed Turkey or Lemon Herb Butter Turkey. Happy Thanksgiving!!
i believe you’ll like my comment on youtube.
thanks a lot
Sure did, Bill! Hope your turkey is fantastic!
thank you. now i have to bake the cake just in time for good friday.
Hope it turns out great for you! 🙂
Thank you for the step by step instructions! We used your recipe for an almost 19lb bird and cooked it in an electric roaster. Although it was nice to have the oven available for other dishes, the roaster did not finish with golden skin. I’m not sure what I did wrong with the gravy, but it was incredibly unsuccessful. Way too much liquid (even only using 3 cups of liquid), regardless of the cornstarch slurry I added. I will definitely spatchcock our turkey from now on and will pick up the WS turkey base to keep from any last minute stressors. My only complaint… there were so many ads and videos running on the web page that my computer kept reloading due to using “significant memory”. Thankfully I had printed out the recipe prior to prepping the turkey. Thank you for providing a delicious recipe!
Hi Heather, glad to hear that the spatchcocking worked well for you this year! We definitely recommend using the printer view for recipes if you’re having an issue with videos and ads! As far as the gravy goes, we’d recommend simmering it for longer – it reduces as you continue to cook it. Hope that helps!