Dry Brined Spatchcock Turkey
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Dry Brined Spatchcock Turkey is the easiest and best way to prepare a tender and juicy turkey with crispy skin. The turkey is coated in a blend of kosher salt, herbs, and spices, and refrigerated for several days. Roast in the oven until golden brown for the best tasting turkey you have ever tasted!
My friend Michelle has been raving about how amazing dry brining is for her holiday turkeys. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about the amount of salt used, but the flavor and texture put those thoughts to rest. Best of all, it didn’t taste overly salty at all!!
By spatchcocking the turkey, some would call it butterfly, you cut the cooking time way down over roasting a whole turkey. That is perfect for holidays when oven space is at a premium!
What you will need to dry brine a turkey
- A fresh whole turkey between 10 and 14 pounds, with the giblets and neck removed. Look for one that is not pre-salted or kosher.
- The brine is made with kosher salt, garlic powder, dried rosemary, sage, and thyme. Feel free to substitute your favorite combination of herbs.
Be sure to check out the detailed printable recipe card below
What is a spatchcock turkey?
In this simplest of terms, it is a turkey (or chicken) that has been butterflied by removing the backbone, and pressed to make it lay flat. This creates a perfectly cooked bird that is amazingly moist in a fraction of the time.
With the entire turkey laying flat, it cooks more evenly without drying out. You can roast your turkey in the oven, or cook on the grill.
How do you spatchcock a turkey?
Place the turkey breast side down on a large cutting board, with the drumsticks pointing towards you. Remove any plastic or metal cages that may be holding the legs together or pop-up thermometers.
Using sharp kitchen shears or boning knife, but closely along each side of the backbone (spine). Remove and discard the backbone and any tiny bones/ribs that may be attached.
Flip the turkey over, breast side up, and press down firmly on the breastbone with the heel of your hands to flatten. Pat the outside of the turkey dry with paper towels.
Mix the dry brine mixture together in a small bowl.
Loosen the skin over the breast and meatiest part of the legs by carefully sliding your hand between the skin and meat, making sure to to break through the thin membrane as well without tearing the skin. Image of chicken used for illustration purposes.
Sprinkle two teaspoons of the brine mixture over the cavity of the turkey. Nest, rub four teaspoons of the brine mixture into the meat of the breasts under the skin, and two teaspoons into the meat on the legs.
Rub the remaining brine mixture all over the skin of the turkey. Place turkey on a rimmed baking sheet. Tuck the wing tips behind back behind the breast.
Place uncovered turkey, breast-side up in the refrigerator for 24 to 72 hours. (72 hours is best).
What you will need to roast spatchcock turkey
- A butterflied turkey, dry brined in our case.
- Smashed garlic cloves, chopped onion, carrots, and celery, and sprigs of fresh thyme or your favorite herb.
- Olive oil to brush on before placing in the oven. Coconut oil will work as well.
How to roast spatchcock turkey
Position the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Remove turkey from the refrigerator and allow to sit on the counter for one hour to come up to room temperature.
Place the chopped vegetables, garlic cloves, and herbs on a foil-lined baking sheet and lay a wire cooling rack on top.
Place the turkey on top of the wire rack and brush with olive oil. Roast in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until the skin starts to brown in spots.
Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and roast for an additional 45 to 65 minutes, or until the thigh registers 165 degrees F using an instant read thermometer.
Remove the turkey and allow to rest on the counter for 25 to 35 minutes before carving.
How to serve
Using a carving knife, cut to remove the legs from the turkey. This is pretty easy to do, they are ready to fall off.
Run the knife along the rib cage to remove the breast.
Slice the breast meat to desired thickness and place on a serving platter with the thighs and drumsticks.
Serve immediately with your favorite sides: Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing Muffins, Orange Amaretto Cranberry Sauce, Green Beans with Caramelized Shallots and Almonds, Candied Sweet Potato Stacks, etc.
A 14-pound turkey is about the largest size that you can fit on a baking sheet. If you need to serve more people, you would be better off making a second turkey.
NO, absolutely not! The salt has been removing the moisture from the turkey. If you wash it off you will lose your crispy crust.
It would be better not to, it will be far too salty. It would be best to prepare the gravy with chicken or turkey stock.
The general rule-of-thumb is a little over a pound per person. Make sure you make enough for leftovers.
That is quite possible, all ovens cook differently. Start checking with an instant read thermometer after 45 minutes, then every 15 minutes after that.
Tools used to create this recipe
You can see the rest of my favorite kitchen tools and gadgets here in my Amazon Affiliate Page. I earn a small commission when you purchase through my links, at no cost to you, so I can keep bringing you more delicious recipes!
- Cutting Board & Chefs Knife
- Spring-loaded Poultry Shears – cut out the backbone with ease!
- Oval Serving Platter
- Instant Read Thermometer
- Wire Cooling Racks
- Baking Sheet
- Carving Knife & Fork Set
More delicious holiday recipes
- Holiday Relaxer Cocktail
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Squash with Dried Cranberries
- Chorizo Cornbread Stuffing
- Pumpkin Pie with dairy-free option
If you love this recipe, please rate it five stars and help me share on facebook and to help other readers in our community!
Enjoy!!
Dry Brined Spatchcock Turkey
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1) 10 – 14 pound fresh, natural turkey giblets and neck removed
Dry Brine
- 3 tablespoons Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- .75 tablespoon dried sage
- .75 tablespoon dried rosemary
- .75 tablespoon dried thyme
To Roast the Turkey
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic
- 3 celery sticks sliced
- 3 carrots sliced
- 2 medium yellow onions chopped
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme or herb of your choice
Instructions
To Spatchcock the Turkey
- Place the turkey breast side down on a cutting mat, with the drumsticks pointing towards you. Remove any plastic or metal cages that may be holding the legs together or pop-up thermometers.
- Using sharp kitchen shears or boning knife, but closely along each side of the backbone (spine). Remove and discard the backbone and any tiny bones/ribs that may be attached.
- Flip the turkey over, breast side up, and press down firmly on the breastbone with the heels of your hands to flatten. Pat the outside of the turkey dry with paper towels.
To Dry Brine
- Mix the dry brine mixture together in a small bowl.
- Loosen the skin over the breast and meatiest part of the legs by carefully sliding your hand between the skin and meat, making sure to to break through the thin membrane as well without tearing the skin.
- Sprinkle two teaspoons of the brine mixture over the cavity of the turkey. Nest, rub four teaspoons of the brine mixture into the meat of the breasts under the skin, and two teaspoons into the meat on the legs.
- Rub the remaining brine mixture all over the skin of the turkey. Place turkey on a rimmed baking sheet. Tuck the wing tips behind back behind the breast.
- Place uncovered turkey, breast-side up in the refrigerator for 24 to 72 hours. (72 hours is best).
To Roast the Turkey
- Position the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F. Remove turkey from the refrigerator and allow to sit on the counter for one hour to come up to room temperature.
- Place the chopped vegetables, garlic cloves, and herbs on a foil-lined baking sheet and lay a wire cooling rack on top.
- Place the turkey on top of the wire rack and brush with olive oil. Roast in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until the skin starts to brown in spots.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and roast for an additional 45 to 65 minutes, or until the thigh registers 165 degrees F using an instant read thermometer.
- Remove the turkey and allow to rest on the counter for 25 to 35 minutes before carving.
To Serve
- Using a carving knife, cut to remove the legs from the turkey. This is pretty easy to do, they are ready to fall off.
- Run the knife along the rib cage to remove the breast. Slice the breast meat to desired thickness and place on a serving platter with the thighs and drumsticks. Serve immediately with your favorite sides.
