Easy Spatchcocked Turkey (Dry Brined)
If you’ve ever ended up with dry turkey breast and undercooked thighs on the same bird, spatchcocking is about to fix all of that. This Spatchcocked Turkey cooks faster and more evenly, and a simple overnight dry brine takes care of the flavor and that perfectly crispy skin.
This recipe features a spatchcocked, dry-brined turkey seasoned with a savory herb and brown sugar rub to ensure exceptionally crispy skin and juicy, well-seasoned meat. Roasted flat over aromatic vegetables and broth, it cuts traditional cooking time down to under two hours while delivering maximum flavor and even cooking.
What I love about this spatchcocked turkey recipe is how forgiving it is! Flattening the bird means it cooks faster and far more evenly, so you’re much less likely to end up with dry breast meat by the time the thighs are fully cooked.
This dry-brined, spatchcocked (butterflied) turkey has become one of my favorite techniques precisely because it takes so much of the guesswork out of cooking a whole turkey, while still delivering that crispy, well-seasoned skin everyone fights over at the table.
Why You’ll Love This Spatchcocked Turkey Recipe
- It cooks significantly faster than a whole turkey. Flattening the bird cuts down the roasting time considerably compared to a traditional upright roast.
- The dry brine deeply seasons the meat. Resting the turkey with the salt-based rub overnight allows the flavor to work all the way through the meat, not just the surface.
- The skin gets wonderfully crispy. Roasting the flattened turkey uncovered and at a higher initial temperature helps render the fat and crisp up the skin beautifully.
- It cooks more evenly. With the backbone removed and the bird flattened, the breast and thighs are more likely to finish cooking around the same time.
- You get built-in gravy ingredients. Roasting on a bed of broth, onions, carrots, and celery means you’ll have flavorful drippings ready to turn into gravy.
Ingredient Notes
- Whole turkey (12-14 pounds): A bird in this weight range works well for spatchcocking and fits most standard baking sheets once flattened.
- Olive oil: Helps the dry brine adhere to the turkey and promotes even browning.
- Kosher salt: The base of the dry brine, kosher salt is less concentrated than table salt, so don’t substitute one for the other without adjusting the amount.
- Brown sugar: Balances the saltiness of the brine and helps the skin caramelize as it roasts.
- Coarse ground pepper: Adds a mild, gentle heat to the seasoning blend.
- Spices: You’ll need garlic powder, onion powder, rubbed sage, dry thyme, chili powder and smoked paprika to add plenty of flavor to the turkey.
- Chicken or turkey broth: Forms the base of the liquid in the roasting pan, which becomes flavorful drippings for gravy.
- Onions, carrots, and celery: These aromatics flavor the broth and drippings as the turkey roasts above them.
- Butter: Basted over the finished turkey for extra richness and shine.
Variations & Substitutions
- Adjust the spice blend. Swap the chili powder and smoked paprika for other favorite spices, like cumin or a favorite all-purpose seasoning blend, to change up the flavor profile.
- Use a different size turkey. Smaller or larger birds can be spatchcocked or butterflied using the same method, just adjust the cook time accordingly and rely on a meat thermometer rather than the clock.
- Make it dairy-free. Skip the butter baste at the end, or substitute a dairy-free butter alternative or extra olive oil.
- Save the backbone for stock. Use the removed backbone to make a homemade turkey stock or broth instead of discarding it, which is also a great base for your gravy.
- Adjust the vegetables. Swap in parsnips, leeks, or fennel for the onions, carrots, or celery in the roasting pan for a different flavor base.
Tips for Success
- Use heavy-duty kitchen shears to remove the backbone. If the shears struggle with thicker sections, a large chef’s knife can help you cut through the tougher parts, especially on a larger bird.
- Don’t skip the dry brine, even though it looks like a lot of salt. This amount is exactly what’s needed to season the entire turkey and help the skin crisp up properly, so resist the urge to cut it back.
- Use a meat thermometer to check doneness. Pull the turkey when the breast reaches 150°F (65°C) and the thighs reach 165°F (74°C), since the turkey will continue cooking as it rests.
- Let the turkey rest for the full 30 minutes before carving. This resting period allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, which keeps every slice moist rather than letting the juices spill out onto the cutting board.
Serving Suggestions
This butterflied or spatchcocked turkey recipe is a natural centerpiece for a holiday table, especially alongside a big bowl of Mashed Potatoes. For something a little different, my Holiday Prune Sauce is delicious on the side. Round out the table with a batch of Cheese Stuffed Dinner Rolls for scooping up gravy and sauce alike, and you’ve got a complete, crowd-pleasing holiday spread!
Storage Suggestions
Store leftover spatchcocked turkey in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To freeze, slice the cooled turkey and store it in a freezer-safe container or bag, adding a splash of broth to help keep it moist, then freeze for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I dry brine the turkey for longer than 2 days? It’s best not to exceed 2 days, since leaving the salt on much longer can start to overly firm up the texture of the meat. Overnight is the minimum for good flavor penetration, but 1 to 2 days gives you the best balance of seasoning and texture.
Do I need special tools to spatchcock a turkey? Heavy-duty kitchen shears are the easiest tool for removing the backbone, though a large, sharp chef’s knife can help with tougher sections, especially on a bigger bird. Beyond that, you don’t need any special equipment, just a sturdy cutting board and a bit of patience.
Why is my turkey skin not getting crispy? Crispy skin depends on both the dry brine, which draws out moisture, and roasting uncovered at a higher initial oven temperature. Make sure the turkey isn’t covered while it roasts and that you’re using the full amount of dry brine, since skipping salt is the most common reason for skin that stays soft.
Can I stuff a spatchcocked turkey? Since the bird is flattened and the cavity is essentially removed, this method isn’t well suited for traditional stuffing cooked inside the turkey. Instead, bake your stuffing separately in its own dish.
What should I do with the turkey backbone? Save it to make a rich, homemade turkey stock or broth, which you can use for gravy or soup later. Simply simmer the backbone with water, aromatics, and any vegetable scraps for a couple of hours to extract as much flavor as possible.
Easy Spatchcocked Turkey (Dry Brined)
Ingredients
- 12-14 pound turkey 5.45-6.35 kg
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
For the dry brine mix:
- ½ cup kosher salt 65 grams
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons coarse ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons rubbed sage
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
To bake the turkey:
- 2 cups low sodium chicken or turkey broth 480 ml
- 2 large onions quartered
- 3 large carrots chopped into 3-inch (8cm) pieces
- 3 celery stalks, cut into 2-3 pieces
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place an oven proof rack on top.
To spatchcock the turkey:
- Pat dry your turkey with paper towels. On a large cutting board, lay your turkey, breast side down. Use heavy duty kitchen shears to cut out the back bone along both sides.
- Try to get as close to the spine as you can to avoid cutting out too much meat. Set the backbone aside to make gravy with or discard.
- Use your hands to pry open the turkey slightly then flip over so it’s breast side up.
- Press your hands firmly in the center of the breastbone and press down. You should hear a slight crack, allowing your turkey to lay flatter.
- Place the turkey breast side up on the prepared baking sheet and rack. Arrange the legs so they lay flat as well. Tuck the wing tips under the bird.
- Rub the olive oil all over the turkey.
To dry brine the turkey:
- In a small mixing bowl whisk together the salt, brown sugar, pepper, garlic powder, sage, thyme, chili powder, smoked paprika, and onion powder.
- Rub the entire dry rub all over the outside of the turkey on all sides, making sure the turkey lays flat when finished. Place in the fridge at least overnight or up to 2 days, uncovered.
To bake the spatchcocked turkey:
- When ready to bake, remove the turkey from the fridge an hour before cooking. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Make sure your oven rack is on the bottom third of your oven.
- Remove the turkey with the wire rack briefly and fill the rimmed baking sheet with the broth, onions, carrots, and celery. Cut the veggies thin enough that the wire rack can still sit on top of them.
- Place the turkey and rack back on top of the rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes then reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C). Bake for an additional 70-90 minutes or until the internal temperature in the turkey breast is 150°F (65°C) and 165°F (74°C) in the thighs. Check the turkey every 20-30 minutes. If it is ever getting too golden brown on top and not cooked through yet, tent lightly with foil to prevent the skin from burning.
- Remove from the oven, baste with 3 tablespoons of melted butter and let the turkey rest for 30 minutes before carving.
Notes
- Sometimes even the heaviest duty kitchen shears have a hard time cutting the backbone. You can use a large chef’s knife to help on the larger parts. The larger the turkey the harder the backbone will be to cut it out.
- You can use the backbone to make a turkey stock or broth.
- The turkey will continue to cook during the resting period so don’t overcook in the oven.
- I suggest using all of the dry brine mix. It seems like a lot of salt, but this is how the whole turkey gets flavored and the skin is crispy.
Photos of the step by step preparation process photos for how to prepare a Spatchcock Turkey (with dry brine):
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