What is the Point of Spatchcocking?

Spatchcocking eliminates many of the usual turkey-roasting requirements: No Need to Brine: Spatchcocked turkeys are less likely to dry out, meaning there’s no need to deal with a messy, time-consuming brining process. Takes Up Less Space: With spatchcocked turkey’s slim profile, it fits in fridges and ovens more easily than a whole turkey. Make-head: Once you remove the backbone, you can use it to make a small batch of turkey stock , then prepare gravy in advance, saving precious time on the big day. Fast, Even Cooking: Flattening distributes heat evenly, ensuring perfectly cooked, juicy meat. Plus, the skin gets evenly crispy all over – a coveted characteristic in any turkey. As a bonus, once you spatchcock a turkey, you’ll be more confident trying this method on other poultry, from chicken, to duck, Cornish hens, and more! Try this technique and find out how it can make your poultry prep easier and even more delicious!

Kitchen Tested

Spatchcock Turkey

Name: Spatchcock Turkey
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Yield: 14
Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened; 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves; 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves; 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 4 teaspoons salt; 1 whole turkey (12 to 14 lb)

Ingredients:7
Servings:14

By Betty Crocker Kitchens(Opens in a new tab)Updated 04/16/2025

Spatchcock Turkey

Ingredients:7
Servings:14

Behold the art of spatchcocking: an innovative method that's about to revolutionize your Thanksgiving feast!

The term “spatchcock” might seem intense, but it’s just a centuries-old method of quickly preparing poultry. The term is a contraction of the technique: to “dispatch” a “cock” (or cook a bird).

Spatchcocked turkey has been having a moment in the past few years, and we know why! It frees up fridge and oven space and gets your turkey on the table faster, while providing a literal and figurative backbone for make-ahead turkey stock. The turkey’s backbone is removed to flatten the bird for a more even roasting experience.

Turducken, a turkey stuffed with duck and chicken, used to be the go-to holiday stunner, but it demands excessive hours of prep. Tasty and visually striking -- a spatchcocked turkey is a modern spin on getting your bird to be a show-stopper. Unleash your culinary prowess this Thanksgiving with this fun technique.

Spatchcocking and Preparing the Bird

A spatchcocked turkey is essentially a butterflied turkey recipe. This is done by removing the backbone and flattening the bird to allows for fast, even cooking. It’s also easier to store in the fridge and less complicated to carve. It can seem intimidating at first, but after you’ve done it once, you’ll be a pro!

Make the Compound Butter

This whipped garlic-herb butter provides flavor and seasoning for the turkey. Beating with the hand mixer quickly combines the mixture and makes it easier to spread.

Prepare the Pan and Dry the Turkey

Spraying the rack and pan is essential to preventing the skin from sticking to the rack. And patting the turkey dry will help the butter mixture stick to the skin.

Remove the Backbone

Using kitchen shears or a sharp, heavy knife, cut along one side of the backbone, then repeat on the other side. The heavy bones near the neck are the most difficult to cut through, so it helps to start at the bottom. Once cut, the rib bones can be sharp, so be careful of those. Disposable gloves make this step easier.

Flatten the Turkey

With the breast side up, press down hard in the center of the breast until you hear a crack. Once flattened, the turkey will be easier to manage.

Arrange Turkey in Pan

Place the turkey on the rack in the pan and tuck the wings under the breasts. Tuck the legs too if they happen to be hanging off the side of the pan, this way they won’t drip on the bottom of the oven.

Add the Butter

Rubbing the flavorful butter mixture under the skin of the breast and all over the outside of the turkey adds flavor and helps the skin brown. Adding butter under the skin help moisten and flavors the meat. Without doing this, most of the seasoning would be only on the skin.

Roast and Baste

The cook time for a spatchcocked turkey is where this method really shines. Instead of the typical 3 to 4 hours in the oven, this method can take as little as 90 minutes. Basting after the first hour of cooking and tenting with foil keeps the turkey moist and prevents overbrowning.

A Brine Free Bird

To brine or not to brine; that is the question! Whether wet or dry, the process of brining adds flavor while also keeping your bird tender and moist. While brining is great, it can also be time-consuming and takes up valuable fridge space during the holidays when every square inch of fridge space matters.

This Spatchcock Turkey skips the brine because it doesn’t really need it. Our whipped garlic-herb butter contains enough seasoning for the turkey. Plus, baking a spatchcock turkey takes much less time than a whole bird, drastically reducing the chances of it drying out.

What to Serve with Your Spatchcock Turkey

Gravy isn’t the only other recipe you’ll want to have on-hand to complement this beautiful spatchcock turkey.

Betty has dressing and stuffing recipes galore, but our favorite is this classic bread stuffing. And you can’t call it Thanksgiving without our 4-ingredient green bean casserole. Highly-rated scalloped potatoes hit the spot for any holiday dinner, and our Thanksgiving side dish recipes to find recipes for sweet potato casseroles, creamed corn, rolls, and more!

Baking the Turkey

If you’re looking for roasting instructions and cook times for spatchcock turkey, you’ve come to the right place.

Cook Times: While roasting times vary based on the size of the turkey, a standard 12- to 14-pound spatchcocked turkey will need to roast 1 1/2 to 2 hours at 425°F. As a rough guide, plan to cook your spatchcocked turkey for about 8 minutes per pound.

When to Baste: After 1 hour of cooking, the turkey should be basted with the pan drippings. This prevents the pan drippings from burning in the hot oven and helps the skin crisp and brown.

Doneness: The only true way test doneness in a turkey is by using a thermometer. We prefer instant-read thermometers. Insert the thermometer into the thickest parts of breast and thigh, without touching the bones. The turkey is done once the thermometer reads at least 165°F. Some people prefer the firmer texture of leg and thigh meat that has reached a higher temperature of about 185°F.

Cutting and Serving

Usually at Thanksgiving dinner, you have to carve a whole bird. With a spatchcocked turkey, you’ve done a lot of the work ahead of time, so carving is easier.

Grab Your Tools: Transfer the turkey to a large cutting board with a “juice groove” if you have one. You’ll need a sharp, heavy knife, a large platter, and towels.

Carve: Cut between the breast and thigh on each side to remove the legs. Separate thighs from drumsticks by cutting through the joints. Then slice the meat off the thigh bone. Serve drumsticks whole. Starting at the top, head end of the bird, slice along the breastbone to remove meat from one side. Cut off the wing. Repeat on the other side. Carefully slice through the breast, keeping the skin on the slices.

Plate It: Arrange the turkey on a platter and garnish with herbs and sliced citrus as desired.

Frequently Asked Questions

Spatchcocking eliminates many of the usual turkey-roasting requirements:

No Need to Brine: Spatchcocked turkeys are less likely to dry out, meaning there’s no need to deal with a messy, time-consuming brining process.

Takes Up Less Space: With spatchcocked turkey’s slim profile, it fits in fridges and ovens more easily than a whole turkey.

Make-head: Once you remove the backbone, you can use it to make a small batch of turkey stock, then prepare

Butterflying means cutting a piece of meat or poultry almost in half, leaving the two pieces attached on one side for an evenly-thick, boneless cut. However, recently, the term is also being used for the spatchcocking technique.

While using the term “butterflying” for a spatchcocked bird technically doesn’t adhere to the letter of the law, it’s easy to see why this linguistic shift has happened. Most people are familiar with butterflied shrimp; “spatchcock” is not quite as mainstream. But it’s essentially doing the same thing – making a large piece of meat evenly thick by cutting it almost entirely in half.

To prepare your spatchcocked turkey, you will need a cutting board and kitchen shears or a knife.

Cutting Board: Choose a large cutting board with a “juice groove” or “moat” to catch any liquid to keep counters clean.

Kitchen Shears or Knife: Sharp kitchen shears make quick work of removing the backbone, but a sharp, heavy knife will also do. Either way, consider wearing gloves. If using a knife, pat the turkey dry along the backbone to prevent the knife from turning or slipping.

Spatchcock Turkey

Ingredient

1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 teaspoons salt
1 whole turkey (12 to 14 lb)

Instructions

Step 1
In medium bowl, beat softened butter, parsley, sage, thyme, garlic and salt with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Step 2
Heat oven to 425°F. Place large oven-proof cooling rack in 18x13-inch rimmed sheet pan. Spray rack and pan with cooking spray. Pat turkey dry with paper towels.

Step 3
Place turkey, breast side down, on cutting board. Using heavy-duty kitchen scissors or poultry shears, cut closely along one side of backbone from thigh end to neck. Repeat on other side. Remove backbone; save for making stock, or discard.

Step 4
Turn turkey over; flatten breast area by pressing firmly with heel of hand.

Step 5
Place turkey, breast side up, in pan. Tuck wings under breast.

Step 6
Starting at leg end of turkey, gently separate skin (do not peel back) from turkey breast using fingers, being careful not to tear or puncture skin. Rub half of butter mixture under skin to cover entire breast area; gently replace skin. Rub remaining butter mixture on outside of turkey.

Step 7
Roast uncovered 1 hour. Brush turkey with pan juices. Loosely cover turkey with foil. Roast 30 to 50 minutes longer or until thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast reads at least 165°F and drumsticks move easily when lifted or twisted. Place on cutting board, and cover with foil to keep warm. Let stand about 15 minutes for easiest carving.

Step 8
Serve roasted turkey with desired garnishes, such as sliced citrus and herbs.

Recipe Tips

For cutting raw turkey and carving cooked turkey, use largest cutting board available. For carving, choose a large cutting board with a “juice groove” to keep your counters tidy.
If planning to use turkey drippings for gravy, instead of a sheet pan, you can use a large roasting pan with a flat rack. The turkey may need to roast a few minutes longer since the sides of the roasting pan inhibit air flow, but a roasting pan is slightly easier to remove from the oven.
If starting with a frozen turkey, allow enough time to thaw the turkey before attempting to spatchcock. Turkey should be completely thawed before attempting to remove backbone.
Use a sturdy rack that can handle the weight of a large turkey. The rack helps air circulate, which helps the turkey cook faster. It also lets drippings fall under the bird, which prevents the skin on the bottom of the bird from getting soggy.
Having trouble cutting through the skin and bones all at once? Using shears, cut skin all the way up both sides of the backbone before cutting through the bones. This helps you visualize the proper cuts. If you’re going slowly, it’s easier to cut through the soft texture on the first pass and the harder texture in the second pass. After you’re comfortable with the technique, it’s faster and easier to do it all at once.

Nutrition Facts

Calories
470
Total Fat
27g
Protein
56g
Total Carbohydrate
0g
Sugars
0g

Servings: 14

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Amount Per Serving Calories : 470

Nutrition Facts
Food Component / Nutrient	Amount	% , Daily Value*
Total Fat	27g	42%
Saturated Fat	12g	61%
Trans Fat	1g	% Value Not Available
Monounsaturated Fat	9g	% Value Not Available
Polyunsaturated Fat	4g	% Value Not Available
Omega-3	0g	% Value Not Available
Cholesterol	205mg	69%
Sodium	980mg	41%
Total Carbohydrate	0g	0%
Dietary Fiber	0g	0%
Soluble Fiber	0g	% Value Not Available
Insoluble Fiber	0g	% Value Not Available
Sugars	0g	% Value Not Available
Protein	56g	% Value Not Available
Vitamin D	Value Not Available	2%
Calcium	Value Not Available	4%
Iron	Value Not Available	15%
Potassium	490mg	14%
Vitamin A	Value Not Available	10%
Vitamin C	Value Not Available	0%
Vitamin E	Value Not Available	4%
Thiamin	Value Not Available	10%
Riboflavin	Value Not Available	20%
Niacin	Value Not Available	90%
Vitamin B6	Value Not Available	45%
Folic Acid	Value Not Available	4%
Vitamin B12	Value Not Available	10%
Pantothenic Acid	Value Not Available	20%
Phosphorus	Value Not Available	40%
Magnesium	Value Not Available	10%
Zinc	Value Not Available	25%
Manganese	Value Not Available	4%
Selenium	Value Not Available	60%
Copper	Value Not Available	6%
Beta-Carotene	Value Not Available	% Value Not Available
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Exchanges

Starch 0,
Fruit 0,
Other Carbohydrate 0,
Skim Milk 0,
Low-Fat Milk 0,
Milk 0,
Vegetable 0,
Very Lean Meat 4,
Lean Meat 4,
Medium-Fat Meat 0,
High-Fat Meat 0,
Fat 2&½,
Fruits 0c,
Vegetables 0c,
Grains 0oz-eq,
Meat & Beans 7oz-eq,
Dairy 0c,
Fats & Oils 3tsp

Carbohydrate Choice

Carbohydrate Choice0

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Spatchcocking and Preparing the Bird