Spatchcock Smoke Roasted Turkey
On November 07, 2019 (Updated October 17, 2024)
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Spatchcock Smoke Roasted Turkey will be the star of your Thanksgiving spread this year. By spatchcocking the turkey first, you flatten the cooking surface, allowing for faster cook time and lots of smoke flavor.
Spatchcock Turkey
There is nothing more impressive than a beautiful whole roasted bird with crispy golden skin to elicit the oooooooohs and aaaaaaaaaaahs of approval from your in laws. When they ask why the bird is flat, you can tell them it has everything to do with even cooking temperatures and distribution of heat and more smoky flavor penetration from your grill.
What you don’t have to tell them is that your turkey cooked in less than half the time of a normal turkey and you were able to actually enjoy your morning. Everybody wins, but I think you win the most.
What Size Turkey Do I Need?
Before we jump into the specifics on spatchcocking a turkey, we need to talk size. I recommend planning 1 pound per person (ex: a 10 lb turkey would feed 10 people). Not everybody is going to be eating a pound of turkey, you also need to account for bones, giblets, etc. that are included in your turkey. Also, LEFTOVERS!! Perhaps the best part of a turkey!
This recipe is designed for a smaller turkey, 10-12 pounds. I don’t recommend this recipe for birds any larger than that with this high temperature grilling technique because the skin will overcook before the internal temperature is right. If you need more than 10-12 pounds, cook two turkeys (double the wings and legs that way, anyways!)
Next, up, a quick note on brining. Frozen turkeys will almost always be pre-injected with a saline solution to help them stay juicy during cooking. If that is what you want to use, that is absolutely fine! There are millions of discussions about wet brining/dry brining, etc. Those are for whole roasted birds, in my opinion. The purpose of a spatchcock smoke roasted turkey is to get great flavor from the grill and cook fairly quickly. If you do decide to brine, I do not recommend a brine with any sugar in it, as it is likely to burn or get too dark with the high temperature cooking in this recipe.
How to Spatchcock a Turkey
Spatchcocking a turkey is actually much more simple than it may seem. Make sure you have a sharp pair of kitchen shears, and you’ll be ready to go. I have the instructions in the recipe card below, but I am going to expand on the condensed version up here so you can tackle this turkey with full confidence!
First: Prepare the Bird. Create a fairly open work space for yourself that is easy to sanitize. Any time you are working with raw poultry, easy clean up is a must. Remove the neck and any other gizzards from the cavity of your turkey and flip it breast side down on your cutting board.
Second: Cut! Starting on one side of the backbone, use your shears to cut a straight line from the tailbone to the neck. Most of the bones will be fairly easy to cut through with sharp scissors. Repeat on the other side of the backbone and cut all the way through until you can remove the backbone completely.
Third: Flatten that bird. Turn the turkey over onto it’s back. Turn out the thighs until they lay flat on the cutting board. Using both hands, press firmly on the breastbone of the turkey until you feel a snap and the breast presses down to the cutting board. Take the wing tips and tuck behind the back of the turkey. You are now ready to dress your turkey! Nicely done!
Once your turkey is flat, you can add whatever seasonings you like. My favorite thing to do is slide herbed butter (the recipe is below) underneath the skin to add moisture and flavor to the breast while helping crisp the skin. This method truly saves time too!
How Long to Smoke a Spatchcock Turkey
A 10 lb turkey will cook in about 45 minutes on a 450 degree grill; a larger 12-15 lb turkey would take close to an hour and 15 minutes or more. The real key is constantly monitoring the internal temperature of your turkey. Remember that the only way to know if your turkey is both safe to eat and not overcooked is with an accurate digital thermometer. Check in the thickest part of the breast and thigh for an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
For your reference, I cooked this turkey on my pellet grill with apple wood pellets. Any type of indirect smoker or indirect grilling set-up would work as long as you can maintain high temperatures without worrying about flare-ups from grease and butter dripping off of the bird.
Can I Roast a Spatchcock Turkey in the Oven?
Absolutely! If you are concerned about flare-ups, you can set the turkey on a foil lined baking sheet. The temperature in your oven will be the same, but you can plan on this method increasing the overall cook time. I would plan an extra 15-30 minutes of cook time for an oven roasted bird.
One of the major upsides about using this pan method is that you will have the melted butter and turkey drippings to use in gravy. In fact, I will occasionally place my turkeys in a pan before placing them on the grill when I want to reserve the drippings.
More Spatchcock Recipes
So you’re a spatchcocking master now, huh? Now that you’re a master at cooking a flattened bird, check out these other delicious spatchcock recipes:
Grilled Spatchcock Chicken
Spatchcock Smoked Chicken with Cherry Chipotle BBQ Sauce
And if you just want to keep things simple with your smoked turkey, this recipe is the best of the best for smoking your bird:
Spatchcock Turkey Recipe
Watch the video below, and let’s make some really good food! I’m all about helping you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a BBQ hero. Head on over to YouTube, Instagram, or Facebook for more behind the scenes action!
Spatchcock Smoke Roasted Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 10 pound turkey gizzards and neck removed
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper
Herb Butter
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 Tablespoon fresh sage finely minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons coarse Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker or indirect grill to 450 degrees F.
- Create a fairly open workspace for yourself that is easy to sanitize. Flip your turkey breast side down on your cutting board. Starting on one side of the backbone, use your shears to cut a straight line from the tailbone to the neck. Most of the bones will be fairly easy to cut through with sharp scissors. Repeat on the other side of the backbone and cut all the way through until you can remove the backbone completely.
- Turn the turkey over onto it's back. Turn out the thighs until they lay flat on the cutting board. Using both hands, press firmly on the breastbone of the turkey until you feel a snap and the breast presses down to the cutting board. Take the wing tips and tuck behind the back of the turkey.
- In a small bowl, make the herb butter by thoroughly combining the butter, herbs, salt, and pepper. Using your fingers, distribute the herbed butter evenly under the skin all across the turkey.
- Drizzle the turkey with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and carefully transfer to the grill grate. Close the lid and roast for 45 minutes, or until an internal thermometer reads a minimum of 165 degrees in the breasts and thighs of your turkey. The thighs may be a slightly higher temperature by the time the breast is fully cooked.
- Remove the turkey from the grill and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
**This post was originally published November 2016. It has since been updated with more information and helpful tips. The recipe remains the same.
Used your recipe as the inspiration for a 21-pounder I cooked up on Thanksgiving. Not sure I got the presentation right on the legs (they sorta fell off the main carcass of the bird), but otherwise, the bird turned out great. I smoked it for 2 hours at ~225, and then cranked up the heat to ~400 until the meat reached temp (was about an hour for the legs/thighs, and 90 mins for the breasts, which I’m pretty sure were augmented — they were HUGE). I definitely like the spatchcocking method much better for the bigger birds.
That is a big bird!! Spatchcocking is definitely a benefit when you’re cooking a turkey that size because you can better distribute heat. So glad it worked out for you!
This is my first time at a smoked turkey. I spatchcock chickens a bunch and always remove the ribs. I’ve noticed you and others do not remove the ribs when spatchcocking turkeys. Any reason I should or shouldn’t? Thank you
I just don’t think it’s necessary. I also like to use the whole smoky carcass for stock so I keep as much as I can together.
Oops, I see you do have salt. My mistake.
Happy T DAy
Any reason for no salt in your rub? Seems a lot of other recipes for turkey have a decent amount in their recipes?
Nice job
Hello!
Can you please share the link to the bacon wrapped carrot recipe? Thanks!
https://heygrillhey.com/bacon-wrapped-maple-glazed-carrots/
I have a few more questions about your recipe. I read in another recipe that you can put the turkey in the refrigerator overnight to help the skin dry and be more crisp. They also seasoned the turkey with salt and pepper. Does this make any difference with making the skin more crisp, or the meat more tender, since I will be roasting at 450 degrees? I believe my turkey is pre brined, so can I spatchcock and put it in the refrigerator overnight or early morning to let skin dry? Then I would work a ghee and herb mix under the skin, then rub some ghee on outside along with salt and pepper before roasting? What are the pros and cons to letting the bird sit uncovered in the refrigerator over night if I am not dry brining, then putting ghee on the turkey? If none, then should I just do all right before roasting?
I have my whole family here for Thanksgiving and I don’t want to mess up with the turkey.
Thanks so much for your help.
David
I have used the skin drying technique before, but only on birds I am smoking. The higher roasting temperature seems to take care of crisping the skin up beautifully without the need to air dry. Also, air drying makes the skin very taught, if you attempted to rub butter under the skin after it has been drying you will likely tear the skin. You should be good to just use the ghee/butter then season and roast.
I’m planning to brine my turkey before smoking so my question is, would you spatchcock it prior to brining or afterwards?
And do you need to let the turkey rest for awhile after brining and before smoking? Perhaps even at room temp?
Thanks.
Hey Bev- I would spatchcock prior to brining. It makes it a little easier to handle. You do not need to let it set at room temperature for any amount of time. You want to go from the fridge to the heat as quickly as possible to prevent bacteria growth.
Many thanks!
Hey Grill,
I am spatchcocking a 16 lb turkey for Thanksgiving. I am roasting it on my Kamado Joe grill. I will follow your recipe. How long will the bird take if roasting at 450 degrees? Also, is a drip pan required or needed for the roast? I will use stone deflectors to provide indirect heat.
Enjoyed your son being on the live broadcast.
Thanks,
David
Hey David-
I would plan between and hour and an hour and a half. A drip pan is not required, but if you like to make gravy from the drippings, you can put an aluminum pan under the grill grate to catch them. The stone deflectors should be enough to create the indirect heat that you need.
Last year I had problems with smoke and flare ups. I have a Kamado Joe grill with deflectors to create indirect heat. However, when the butter melted and dropped on deflector, it caused a lot of smoke and flare ups. Should I use a drip pan filled with water? Don’t plan to use drippings for gravy. Just want to eliminate the smoke and flare ups.
We will be roasting a spatchcock turkey. Recipe says a 18-20 lb turkey will take 1 hour 15 min to roast at 450 degrees. I watched your live turkey program on FB and you say turkey will take 10 min per lb to roast. With a 20 lb turkey, that is 3 hours 40 min. Which roast time is more accurate? Love your site
Hey David! Definitely follow the recipe as written here, but with a bird that size be prepare for a little longer stall time. In the live video, I had just roasted a bird at 375 degrees and it was about 10 min/pound. This one runs at a higher temp and will cook a bit faster.
Would this work on a weber charcoal grill?
Depending on the size of your turkey. You might have to go a little smaller. Try setting your grill up with the hot coals all around the edges. This will give you better indirect heat and prevent flare ups from the fat dripping on the coals.
I learned to splatchcock a turkey because my friend bought one too big for my Weber. You can do an 18-20 lb bird on a Weber kettle. I used the charcoal baskets, one one each side.