Tips & Techniques: How to Spatchcock a Turkey

Tips & Techniques: How to Spatchcock a Turkey

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Over the years, the team at All Things Barbecue has cooked hundreds of turkeys. We’ve cooked whole turkeys, we’ve cooked turkeys that have been trimmed into quarters, and we've cooked spatchcocked turkeys. Every method has its place, but here’s a secret: we prefer a spatchcock turkey.

Preparing a spatchcock turkey simply means removing the backbone and pressing the turkey down flat. This results in an evenly cooked turkey with the dark meat and white meat ready at the same time. A spatchcocked turkey also tends to cook quicker, saving you time in your busy Thanksgiving schedule.

Below is a step-by-step guide through the process of spatchcocking a turkey.

Gather Your Gear

Start by gathering poultry shears, a boning knife, a large cutting board and kitchen towels. We also recommend nitrile gloves to improve grip and food safety, and speed you through the process.

Unwrap the turkey and remove the giblets and neck and set them aside. Place your turkey breast side down on a cutting board large enough to accommodate the turkey.

A raw turkey can be slippery, so we recommend patting it dry with paper towels and then setting a damp kitchen towel under your cutting board to keep it from sliding around.

The Spatchcock Process

Raw turkey on a cutting board being cut along its spine with poultry shears, preparing it for cooking, with close attention to detail.

Using your poultry shears, cut right along one side of the backbone, then turn the turkey around and repeat on the other side of the backbone to remove it.

Front view of a raw turkey on a cutting board with its spine being removed, carefully prepared after cuts along the backbone for cooking.

*Don't forget to save the backbone for making turkey stock.

Close-up of poultry shears cutting along the turkey’s ribs on a cutting board, precisely removing bones in preparation for cooking.

Using your poultry shears or boning knife you can now remove the ribs, wishbone and any other loose bones along the spine.

Removing these bones now will make carving the turkey much easier and will improve the presentation on the platter.

Close-up of a turkey on a cutting board with poultry shears cutting through the breast bone, preparing it for cooking or roasting

Once the backbone, ribs and wishbone have been removed, you need to turn your attention to the breast bone.

Using your poultry shears make a cut at the top of the bone, about an inch in. This makes it so that less force is needed when pressing down on the breast to lay the bird flat.

Turkey on a cutting board being pressed down firmly to break the breast bone, preparing it for cooking, with hands applying steady pressure.

Now that the breast bone has been cut you can place the palms of both hands on either side and press down until you hear, and feel, the breastbone crack.

Downward view of a raw turkey on a cutting board placed on a wooden table, with poultry shears resting on it, ready for preparation.

At this point you can flip the turkey over and you are ready to season and cook it however you would like.

The Spatchcock Difference: Cutting out the backbone allows you to spread the turkey out so the breasts, thighs and legs all cook at an even rate--something you do not get on a whole turkey.

 

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2 Comments

Big Jeff

October 15, 2024
I've done this a few times, but not to this level and it is a great way to cook a turkey.I was wondering about brining 1st? before or after the spatchcocking? Thanks and have a great day.
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Staff

October 30, 2024
Spatchcock the turkey first. You can do it either way, but if you make stock with the backbone you may not want it brined the same flavor.
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