Roast Spatchcock Turkey
The holiday season is upon us and everyone is already talking turkey! Turkey is not one of my favorite food groups so I am constantly trying to come up with new ways to prepare and serve it to my family. This year I came up with a Roast Spatchcock Turkey with Caribbean spices that is guaranteed to surprise and delight!
What is Roast Spatchcock Turkey?
Spatchcock is a fancy name for a “butterflied” and “flattened” turkey. You cut the backbone out of the whole turkey and flatten it out, the best you can, before you roast or grill it.
This will reduce your cooking time by about half , give you a nice even brown skin, and produce moist and juicy thigh and breast meat.
How to Roast Spatchcock Turkey:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
Mix the spices together in a small bowl, set aside.
Place the turkey breast side down on a cutting surface. Use kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the backbone, beginning at the tail end. If you hit a really tough spot, try cutting with just the tip of the shears.
Set aside the backbone and giblets to make gravy, or stock. Carefully flip the turkey over, breast side up.
Press down firmly on one side of the breast to flatten, you will hear a crack. Do the same on the other side.
Place the flattened turkey on the prepared baking sheet and brush with oil.
Sprinkle with spice mixture and rub in to the skin to thoroughly coat. Allow to rest for 30 minutes before cooking.
Place in the oven and roast for 75 to 90 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Do Not trust the silly little pop-up thing to actually pop up!
How to carve a Spatchcock Turkey:
First, remove each leg by cutting through the turkey where the thigh connects to the breast.
Next, separate the drumsticks and thighs at the joint.
Then find the joint that connects the wing and breast, and cut through it. Repeat to cut off other wing.
Finally, slice the breast meat across the grain.
Arrange on a serving platter and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- No, I did not get my turkey as flat as I would have liked. It takes A LOT of force to break the breastbone!
- Try standing on a stool to get above the counter if possible, or place a cast iron skillet on top of the turkey and press down….hard!
- I used a Caribbean inspired spice mixture, but you can use any spices that you like.
Recipes to serve with Spatchcock Turkey:
- Brown Butter Mashed Cauliflower
- Simple Mashed Cauliflower
- Keto Stuffing
- Keto Gravy
- Keto Cranberry Sauce (coming soon)
Enjoy!!
Roast Spatchcock Turkey
Ingredients
Caribbean Spice Mix
- 3 Tablespoons Swerve brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 Tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper it has a kick, use less for a less spicy flavor
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 12 pound free-range turkey
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
- Mix the spices together in a small bowl, set aside.
- Place the turkey breast side down on a cutting surface. Use kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the backbone, beginning at the tail end. If you hit a really tough spot, try cutting with just the tip of the shears.
- Set aside the backbone and giblets to make gravy, or stock. Carefully flip the turkey over, breast side up.
- Press down firmly on one side of the breast to flatten, you will hear a crack. Do the same on the other side.
- Place the flattened turkey on the prepared baking sheet and brush with oil.
- Sprinkle with spice mixture and rub in to the skin to thoroughly coat. Allow to rest for 30 minutes before cooking.
- Place in the oven and roast for 75 to 90 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Do Not trust the silly little pop-up thing to actually pop up!
How to carve a Spatchcock Turkey:
- First, remove each leg by cutting through the turkey where the thigh connects to the breast.
- Next, separate the drumsticks and thighs at the joint.
- Then find the joint that connects the wing and breast, and cut through it. Repeat to cut off other wing.
- Finally, slice the breast meat across the grain. Arrange on a serving platter and serve
Notes
- No, I did not get my turkey as flat as I would have liked. It takes A LOT of force to break the breastbone!
- Try standing on a stool to get above the counter if possible, or place a cast iron skillet on top of the turkey and press down….hard!
- I used a Caribbean inspired spice mixture, but you can use any spices that you like.
