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An overhead shot of a roasted spatchcocked turkey seasoned with lemon herb butter arranged on a white serving platter. The platter has been garnished with various fresh herbs and lemon slices. A light gray linen napkin is tucked underneath the platter and the platter sits atop ​a lightly colored textured surface.

Lemon Herb Butter Roast Spatchcock Turkey (The Easiest Thanksgiving Turkey Recipe!)

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  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Resting time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 90 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours
  • Yield: serves 10-12 1x
  • Category: Main Dishes, Poultry & Turkey Recipes, Thanksgiving Recipes
  • Method: Spatchcock, Butterflied, Roasted
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

With the classic flavors of lemon & herbs, this Herb Butter Roast Spatchcock Turkey is the easiest recipe for an unforgettable meal for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or any holiday dinner! Mix lemon zest, rosemary, sage, & thyme in with fresh butter, & then use it to season a spatchcock turkey for a perfectly juicy herb butter roasted turkey made in 3 hours or less!

Ingredients

Scale

INGREDIENTS:

  • one 1214 pound whole turkey, thawed (& brined – optional) (see Recipe Notes)
  • lemon herb butter (below)
  • 12 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 carrots, roughly chopped into 34 large pieces
  • 2 yellow onions, quartered
  • kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

for the Lemon Herb Butter:

  • 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 lemons, zested
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped hardy fresh herbs, such as oregano, rosemary, sage, or thyme
  • kosher salt & ground black pepper, to season

Useful Equipment:

  • Large plastic cutting board
  • Sharp kitchen shears 
  • Sharp chef’s knife
  • Rolling pin
  • Shallow roasting pan or full baking sheet (rimmed) fitted with a wire baking rack (see Recipe Notes)
  • Turkey baster or basting brush
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Carving set

Instructions

*REMINDER: If frozen, do not forget to begin thawing your turkey well before the day you plan on roasting it! If it is still frozen day-of, your turkey will not safely defrost & cook in time for dinner – it’s just not possible. The safest way to thaw a frozen turkey is by placing it in the coolest section of your refrigerator. The cool, controlled temperature will slowly thaw without any areas of the turkey being in the ‘danger’ temperature zone in which bacteria grow & multiply (between 40-140 degrees F). As a general rule of thumb, plan for 24 hours refrigerated thawing for every 4 pounds – so, a 12-14 pound turkey will require 3-4 days refrigerated thawing before it’s ready to be spatchcocked & roasted.

  1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F, ensuring a rack is positioned in the center of the oven. Remove the turkey from its packaging. There is no need to rinse your turkey (rinsing promotes cross-contamination). Instead, simply use paper towel to pat the surface of the turkey as dry as possible. If present, remove the neck & giblets from the cavity of the turkey. Discard or set aside for easy turkey gravy. Transfer the turkey to a large plastic cutting board atop a stable, sturdy surface. Place the turkey breast side facing down. Spatchcock Turkey ingredients arranged on a light textured surface: one whole turkey, kosher salt, butter, lemon, garlic, and fresh herbs. The whole turkey rests a top two sheets of brown crumpled parchment paper that sit atop a white cutting board. A pair of beige kitchen shears rest alongside the raw turkey.
  2. Prep the lemon herb butter: Add all listed herb butter ingredients to a medium bowl. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt & ground black pepper as desired. Mix to combine well. Set aside for immediate use, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
  3. Spatchcock the turkey: (Note: For more guidance + step-by-step photos, be sure to check out this full How to Spatchcock a Turkey guide!) Using very sharp kitchen shears or a sharp knife, carefully snip along each side of the turkey’s backbone until it’s completely detached. Discard or set aside for easy turkey gravy. Locate the top of the turkey’s breast plate directly behind the turkey breasts. Place the heel of a sharp chef’s knife in the center of the top of the breast plate. Use a rolling pin to carefully yet forcefully tap the spine of the knife, wedging the heel of the knife into the bone. Continue tapping until the bone cracks. Use your hands to stretch the inner cavity of the turkey as wide open as possible, then flip the turkey such that its breast side is facing up. Place your hands on the center of its breasts, on the breast bone. Use your body weight to apply pressure to the chest plate, cracking the bone all the way through such that the turkey lays flat  – your turkey is spatchcocked & ready for roasting. Great job!!! [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="22605,22606,22608,22611"]
  4. Season the spatchcocked turkey: Use your hands to spread the prepared lemon herb butter from Step 2 between the turkey skin & meat. Buttering the turkey meat directly helps keep it juicy & flavorful. If needed, use paper towel to pat the turkey skin as dry as possible. Drizzle the olive oil over the entire surface of the turkey skin, then season generously with kosher salt & ground black pepper. If you have any remaining lemon herb butter, dot it over the top of the turkey. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="22784,22786"]
  5. Prepare for roasting: Arrange the onions & carrots across the bottom of a roasting pan. (You can be as rustic as you’d like – no one will see!) If desired, place the turkey neck & spine in the roasting pan, too, for extra flavorful turkey gravy. Set your seasoned spatchcock turkey over top, breast side facing up. Gently tuck the wing tips behind the breasts to prevent burning.
  6. Roast the turkey: Transfer the roasting pan to the oven. Roast at 450 degrees F for 30 minutes. Remove the turkey from the oven for basting. Carefully spoon or brush the drippings in the roasting pan all over the surface of the turkey. Return the roasting pan to the oven, reducing the oven temperature to 400 degrees F. Continue roasting the turkey for 1 additional hour, removing the turkey from the oven every 20 minutes to repeat the basting process. If desired, rotate the roasting pan 180 degrees each time you place it back in the oven to promote even roasting & browning. Pull the turkey from the oven once an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers an internal temperature of 155 degrees F. Note: Roasting time may vary based on the size of your turkey, the temperature of your oven, and the depth of your roasting pan. I recommend checking internal temperature each time you baste the turkey. In my oven, a 12-14 pound turkey is typically ready after roasting for a total of 1 hour and 30 minutes. A larger turkey and/or deeper roasting pan require longer cook time – adjust as needed to reach doneness. [gallery columns="2" size="full" ids="22791,22794"]
  7. Rest the turkey. Very carefully transfer the roast spatchcock turkey to a cutting board or large flat surface. Tent with foil & set aside to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before carving. As the turkey rests, its juices will redistribute throughout the meat & its internal temperature will continue to rise to a safe 165 degrees F.
  8. Optional: Prep turkey gravy: Meanwhile, as the turkey rests, prep turkey gravy as desired. For more guidance + step-by-step photos, be sure to check out my Easy Turkey Gravy recipe!
  9. Carve & serve: Carve, serve & enjoy!

Notes

  • Jess’ Tips and Tricks:
    • What size Thanksgiving turkey should I use?  The general rule of thumb is to aim for one pound of turkey per person. For this roast spatchcock turkey recipe, I recommend using a turkey between 12-14 pounds. Since it lies flat as it roasts, a turkey larger than 14 pounds likely won’t fit in a conventional roasting pan. If you need more turkey to feed your guests, then try preparing two smaller spatchcock turkeys rather than one large turkey. This will also help your turkey meat stay extra-juicy!
    • Roasting Pan: You don’t need anything fancy, but it’s especially important to use a large, shallow roasting pan. The butterflied turkey needs to be able to lay completely flat in the roasting pan and the sides shouldn’t be so deep that they inhibit airflow around the turkey as it roasts. I use a simple 16×13-inch roasting pan with a 2 ½ inch depth, similar to this one. If you do not have a large, shallow roasting pan, you can also roast a spatchcock turkey on a full baking sheet (rimmed) fitted with a wire baking rack.
    • Determining doneness: Roasting time may vary based on the size of your turkey, the temperature of your oven, and the depth of your roasting pan. I recommend checking internal temperature each time you baste the turkey. In my oven, a 12-14 pound turkey is typically ready after roasting for a total of 1 hour and 30 minutes. A larger turkey and/or deeper roasting pan require longer cook time – adjust as needed to reach doneness.
  • Other Thanksgiving Prep Tips: This herb butter roasted turkey recipe is quite straightforward & easy, though you can prep a couple of components in advance to make Thanksgiving day cooking even more effortless. Here’s what I suggest: 
    • Make-ahead lemon herb butter: Up to 1 week in advance, prepare the lemon herb butter according to Step 2 of Recipe Directions, above. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The morning of your holiday meal, simply pull the herb butter from the fridge to soften to room temperature for turkey prep. (<10 minutes active prep)
    • Make-ahead spatchcock turkey: If you have some time the night before your holiday meal, taking 30 minutes to get a head start on prepping the turkey is a great place to start. Spatchcock the turkey according to Step 3 of Recipe Directions above. Place it in a roasting pan & let it sit, uncovered, in the fridge overnight. This helps the turkey skin lose some of its excess moisture, resulting in an even crisper golden brown herb butter turkey. This not only cuts down on day-of prep time quite a bit, but will also make for an even tastier turkey! (30 minutes active prep)