Cajun-Spiced Spatchco*cked Turkey Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How much faster does a spatchco*cked turkey cook? ›

A spatchco*cked whole turkey will cook more quickly than a standard turkey. While the spatchco*ck turkey cooking time will depend on the size and oven temperature, 6 minutes per pound is a good rule of thumb. Depending on the size of the turkey, cook times are estimated between 60-90 minutes.

Spatchco*ck Ahead Of Time

To save yourself some roasting time, you can spatchco*ck your turkey the day before. Just set it onto a baking sheet and leave it in the fridge uncovered overnight. Rub it with a little salt for a dry brine and allow the cold air to dry up the skin. This results in the ultimate crispy skin.

Set the smoker to 275 degrees F. Place the turkey on the smoker (top rack) with the skin side up and place a water pan underneath to catch the drippings. Smoke until the internal temperature of 160 degrees and remove.

If one part is done before the other, simply take it off the grill so that it doesn't overcook! A spatchco*cked turkey also cooks much faster than a whole one: our 15-pound bird only took about 1 1/2 hours to grill.

Spatchco*cked turkey roasting temp

Once your bird is well flattened, it's time to roast. Cook your bird at 425°F (218°C) until it reaches an internal temperature on your ChefAlarm^® of 155°F (68°C). (If that seems low, read our article on chicken internal temps—the same concepts apply to turkey as they do to chicken.

Spatchco*cking ensures even cooking and browning since the entirety of the skin and meat are exposed to even heat. Plus, with that shorter cooking time, you are especially guaranteed to have juicy, perfectly cooked turkey meat.

According to a study by the food safety experts at the USDA, washing or rinsing raw turkey can put you at risk of foodborne illness. There's only one time you should wash a raw turkey, and that is after brining. Otherwise, do not wash a turkey before cooking.

The United States Department of Agriculture advises to cook a whole turkey breast side up during the entire cooking time. Turning over a large, hot bird can be dangerous and it's very easy to tear the skin, making the finished product less attractive.

When smoking at 225°F, it can take about 30 to 45 minutes to cook one pound of turkey. That means a 12-pound turkey should take at least six hours to cook in a smoker. To smoke your turkey faster, increase the smoker's temperature to 250°F to 275°F.

Do you have to brine a turkey before smoking it? ›

With a smoked turkey, you don't have to brine the turkey first, which is awesome. That is because, with a smoked turkey, the long slow and low heat actually doesn't dry the bird out too quickly. The low heat draws the moisture into the bird, not evaporate it out.

An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove turkey from the oven, cover loosely with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. Serve hot and enjoy!

Recipe: Herb-roasted spatchco*cked turkey »

I use baking sheets made for commercial kitchens, the rimmed ones measuring 18 by 13 inches, which are technically called half-sheet pans because there is a size twice as large too. You can find half-sheet pans in most restaurant and cooking supply stores, as well as online.

Since the whole process of how to spatchco*ck a turkey is removing the backbone of the turkey, you're going to need some sturdy, sharp kitchen shears. I used Shun shears, but you can use whatever you have. You don't have to go fancy, but I recommend you get some that come apart so you can clean and sanitize after.

Not only does spatchco*cking produce a roast chicken in at least 15 minutes less than the time required to prepare an intact bird, but it also results in a more perfectly cooked dish.

By removing the backbone from the whole bird, and then flattening the bird on top of a rack, or a pile of vegetables, both light and dark meat is exposed to the strong oven heat. This cooks the whole chicken more evenly, and also cooks it faster.

Spatchco*ck (butterfly or split) involves vertically cutting a turkey breast open and flattening it out. If you do this, your oven or outdoor grill can directly apply heat to every part of the opened meat and cook it faster.

Want to ensure your bird is juicy and delicious yet speeds up the cooking time so everyone can watch the game? Foil wrapping is the answer! This technique helps speed the cooking process and locks in the turkey's natural juices.