{"title":"How to Spatchcock a Turkey","canonicalUrl":"https://www.showmestepbystep.com/cooking/how-to-spatchcock-a-turkey","category":{"slug":"cooking","name":"Cooking"},"creator":{"name":"Jacob Burton","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpPsrEZJFKKelnKzjHLl1bg","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDSkekArbeo"},"tldr":"Spatchcock turkey recipe with cooking times by weight. Remove the backbone, roast flat at 450F in about 70 minutes, and get crisp skin all over.","totalDurationSeconds":552,"difficulty":"medium","tools":[],"materials":[],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Step 1: Cut Down One Side of the Backbone","text":"Put the turkey breast side down and cut along one side of the backbone with sharp kitchen shears.It goes easily until you reach the joint where the thigh meets the hip. That part is tough, and it is exactly why you need proper poultry shears rather than scissors."},{"number":2,"title":"Step 2: Take the Backbone Out","text":"Cut down the other side and lift the backbone free.Keep it. With the neck and any trimmings it becomes stock, and you are going to want that for gravy."},{"number":3,"title":"Step 3: Flatten the Bird","text":"Flip it skin side up and press down hard on the breastbone with both hands until you feel the keel bone crack.That crack is the point. Until it goes, the bird springs back and will not lie flat.Grab the bone through a towel if you push on it directly. It is sharper than you expect."},{"number":4,"title":"Step 4: Ladle Boiling Water Over the Skin","text":"Boil a kettle and ladle the water over the skin.You will see the skin tighten and shrink instantly. It renders a little fat out and, more importantly, pulls the skin taut across the bird.This is one of two things that gets you genuinely crisp skin rather than flabby skin."},{"number":5,"title":"Step 5: Dry Brine Overnight","text":"Weigh the bird and salt it with 1% salt by weight. For a 14 pound turkey that is about 64 grams.Then put it skin side up, uncovered, in the fridge overnight.Two things happen. The salt diffuses into the muscle and seasons the meat all the way through, and the uncovered air dries the skin surface out. Dry skin crisps; wet skin steams."},{"number":6,"title":"Step 6: Turn the Backbone Into Stock","text":"Brown the backbone and trimmings, then add onion, carrot and celery and let them take some colour.Deglaze with white wine, cover with water, and let it go low and slow overnight.This is the gravy base, and it is better than anything from a carton because it is made from the exact bird you are serving."},{"number":7,"title":"Step 7: Roast It Flat","text":"Lay the flattened bird on a rack over a roasting pan with a little water in the bottom.That water turns to steam, and steam transfers heat far better than dry oven air, so the bird cooks faster. Meanwhile the skin on top stays in the dry air and browns.Roast at 450F until the breast hits 150F, roughly five minutes per pound."},{"number":8,"title":"Step 8: Rest It Properly","text":"Rest for about 40 minutes before you cut anything.That sounds like a long time and it is not optional. The internal temperature is still around 135F when you start carving, so it stays hot, and the resting is what keeps the juice in the meat instead of on the board.Use that window for the gravy and the last of the sides."},{"number":9,"title":"Step 9: Carve the Breast","text":"Cut down along one side of the breastbone and take the whole breast off in one piece, then pull the tender off the back of it.Flip the breast skin side down to slice it. Cutting through the meat first and the skin last stops you dragging and tearing the crisp skin you worked for."},{"number":10,"title":"Step 10: Take Off the Legs and Plate","text":"Pull the wings apart and cut through the joint. Then the legs - underneath the thigh bone is a small plate of hip bone that pulls right off with your fingers.A properly cooked spatchcocked bird comes apart easily, which is a good sign in itself.Cross cut the thigh skin side down, flip it back for presentation, and leave the drumsticks whole."}],"recipe":{"servings":"Serves 10 to 14","prepMinutes":30,"cookMinutes":70,"cuisine":"American","ingredients":[{"name":"whole turkey","notes":"about 14 lb","amount":"1"},{"name":"kosher salt","notes":"for the overnight dry brine","amount":"1% of the bird's weight"},{"name":"boiling water","notes":"ladled over the skin","amount":"1 kettle"},{"name":"onion","notes":"for the stock","amount":"1"},{"name":"carrots","notes":"for the stock","amount":"2"},{"name":"celery","notes":"for the stock","amount":"2 stalks"},{"name":"white wine","notes":"for the stock","amount":"1 cup"}]},"lastUpdated":"2026-09-12T03:20:56.691Z","published":"2026-09-06T22:42:42.350Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}