Spatchcock Turkey Recipe

Prep the turkey – Remove the neck and giblets. If your turkey was brined, drain the brine, carefully rinse, and thoroughly pat dry. Set the turkey on a rimmed baking sheet, breast-side down, and legs towards you.

Remove the spine – Identify the spine and, using sharp poultry shears, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it. Keep your shears as close to the spine as you can, and cut through the bones going all the way up the spine. This requires some arm and hand strength. Rotate the pan and start cutting through on the other side of the spine.

Break the breastbone – Open the turkey and you will be looking at the bottom of the breastbone. With a chef’s knife, cut a slit into the breastbone to score it – this will make the next step easier. Flip the turkey over and press down on the breastbone – You should hear a crack, allowing you to flatten the turkey.

Prep – Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the lower third of the oven. Scatter the onion slices, garlic, and parsley in a large roasting pan and pour the water over the uncooked vegetables. Set the pan aside. In a medium bowl, combine the ingredients for the flavored butter and mash together with a fork until combined, or pulse together in a food processor.

Season – Using salt and pepper, season the bottom/inside cavity of the turkey generously (If you brined, you can skip seasoning the inside), then transfer the turkey breast-side up, to the prepared roasting pan. Tuck the wings behind the turkey so they don’t burn. If you have room, put the neck and spine in the same roasting dish to enhance the drippings.

Add flavored butter – Slide your fingers under the skin to separate the skin from the meat. Do this from the front and the back of the turkey being careful not to tear the skin. Stuff 2/3 of the butter mixture under the skin then massage the top of the skin to spread the butter. Set the legs to face inward. Melt the remaining butter and brush over the outside of the turkey. Season the whole turkey with more salt and pepper.

Bake at 425°F for 30 minutes to get the browning started. Reduce the heat to 400°F and roast for another 1 hour, or until the thickest part of the thigh registers at 165°F on a meat thermometer. Our 12 1/2 pound turkey took an hour and a half to fully cook. Check the temperature in several places with an instant-read thermometer.

Rest the turkey – Remove the turkey from the oven, loosely tent it with foil, and rest the turkey for 30 minutes before carving. Spoon over the pan juices or use pan juices to make Turkey Gravy.