Garlic Butter Spatchcock Turkey

garlic butter spatchcock thanksgiving turkey on platter with persimmons and greens.

This turkey recipe is meant for those who don’t want to spend days prepping and brining a bird and additional hours roasting it. It’s perfect for the last minute cook who is still looking to impress guests with a beautiful presentation.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 50

Servings

Calories 170kcal

Author Kylie Mazon-Chambers

Equipment

Kitchen shears (a sharp chef knife will work too)

Ingredients

1 (15 to 17 pound) whole Turkey, (neck and giblets discarded or removed and reserved for stock), thawed if needed
15 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
Kosher salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Remove the turkey from the refrigerator and pat it dry inside and out with paper towels. Let the turkey stand at room temperature for 45 minutes, as this allows for the turkey to cook evenly.
Heat oven to 450ºF (230ºC). Place the turkey breast-side down on a clean workspace with the legs facing towards you.
Starting at the thigh, cut along one side of the backbone with kitchen shears. Turn the turkey around and then cut along the other side of the backbone. Discard the backbone or save it and use it for homemade stock/ gravy.
Flip the turkey over so the skin side is facing up. Use the palm of your hand to press down hard on the breastbone and flatten the turkey. Add to a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet with a rack set over it, breast-side up.
In a medium mixing bowl stir together the garlic and butter.
Rub the garlic butter mixture all over the skin of the turkey as well as under the skin, using your fingers to separate the skin from the meat. Generously season the turkey with salt and pepper.
Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 20 minutes.
Turn the oven down to 400ºF (200ºC) and rotate the pan, continuing to cook until a thermometer inserted into the deepest part of the breast reads 150ºF (65.5ºC), about an additional 1 hour and 30 minutes for a 15-pound turkey.
Let the turkey cool for about 15 to 20 minutes before carving. Pour any collected pan juices through a fine mesh strainer and reserve for gravy.

Video

Notes

You can spatchcock and season the turkey the night before, then refrigerate uncovered to let the skin dry for extra crispiness. Roast it fresh the day of serving.

Nutrition