Spatchcocked Turkey & Compound Butter
The average person will make “3 frantic phone calls for family help when cooking TG dinner this year” and even if they aren’t cooking, 61% will still get stressed out (SWNS 2020). When it comes to the turkey, I’m here to hopefully ease that stress. Below are some tips and at the bottom, the full recipe!
Tip 1: Spatchcock Turkey for Best Results
Crispy skin: flat shape with skin facing same direction means it will be evenly exposed to heat
Ideal internal temp: dark meat is only done at ~175F+ while breast meat dries out above ~160F. Spatchcock exposes dark meat, allowing it to cook faster
Backbone can be used for gravy
How to spatchcock?
Remove backbone with kitchen sheers or a cleaver
Unfold legs as per the video
Flip wings over the top of the breast to fully expose skin on the breast
Press down hard on breasts until you hear a crack
Tip 2: Dry Brine for Crispier Skin
Crispy skin: skin dries out for better & more even browning
Seasoned & juicy turkey: salt penetrates deeply, moisture retention is improved
Omit this step or season very lightly if turkey comes pre-brined or salted!
Tip 3: Compound Butter Under Skin for Added Flavor
Separate skin from meat prior to dry brining (skin gets tight once brined). Keep skin attached on the seam between both breasts.
Combine ingredients with room temp butter
Once dry brined, place butter under skin (try to avoid getting any butter on top of skin)
Pour buttery drippings over breast meat once sliced, as it’s more prone to drying out while it sits on the table
Tip 4: Roast… are we really cooking in a 450F oven?
Place turkey in oven with legs facing towards the back which is hotter
If breast is getting too dark, add some tin foil.
If cooking a bird larger than 15lbs, adjust oven temp to 425F or 400F.
Pull at 150F internal on breast. During the 15 minute rest, it will continue cooking to 160F+ which is perfectly safe.
High oven temp will ensure crispy skin and cook an average turkey in under 2 hours.
Note: Some people like to add butter on top of skin (when turkey is raw, prior to cooking), but I find that it takes away from the crispy skin. Butter is full of water, which counteracts the dry skin we achieved through dry brining.
Recipe:
INGREDIENTS
~15lb turkey
Dry brine: 1/2 cup kosher salt, 1.5T baking powder (don’t necessarily use all of the salt mixture! Turkey should be well seasoned but not “salt crusted”)
Compound butter (not all ingredients necessary, customize as you like! Note, you don’t need to use all of the compound butter):
1 stick butter
1T black pepper
1T fresh thyme
1T fresh rosemary
2T fresh sage
1-2 cloves garlic
1T BBQ rub
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Serves 6-8
Spatchcock turkey: Remove backbone, unfold legs, press down on breast to flatten
Separate skin from flesh
Dry brine: Salt turkey day before cooking, rest in fridge loosely covered. Combine kosher salt with baking powder for extra crispiness.
*Some birds come pre-brined/salted. Minimally salt or skip this step if using this type
Make the compound butter and add under the skin of the turkey. Note, you don’t need to use all of the compound butter.
Cook the turkey:
Place on rack over tray. Scatter tray with vegetables like onions/carrots/root vegetables/herbs if desired, reserved juices can be added to gravy or poured on top of sliced turkey
<15lb Turkey (recommended): 450F oven until internal temperature of 150F in breast (~1.5hours). Keep an eye on the color, if browning too quickly, tent with tin foil.
>15lb turkey: 400-425F oven until internal temperature of 150F in breast. Keep an eye on the color, if browning too quickly, tent with tin foil. If bird is larger and still browning too quickly, you can also reduce the oven temp to 375F.
Refer to my “turkey” highlight bubble on instagram to understand why 150F is perfectly safe
Rest 15-30 mins
Check out my ‘how to’ on carving a turkey here!
Enjoy!