Roasted Spatchcock Turkey

A roasting pan with a golden brown spatchcocked turkey resting on top of lemon and vegetables, with melted butter and fresh thyme on the bottom of the pan, and a kitchen towel on the table next to the roasting pan.

5 from 1 vote

Roasted Spatchcock Turkey made with a whole turkey butterflied and seasoned with fresh herbs and butter, then roasted until juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, ready in under 2 hours!

Prep Time20

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 50

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: servings

Calories: 678kcal

Author: Jacqui

Equipment

1 large roasting pan
1 large cutting board
1 pair of sharp kitchen scissors

Ingredients

10 pound whole turkey giblets and neck removed from cavity
1 medium Vidalia onion peeled and quartered
2 medium celery ribs cut into pieces
2 medium carrots cut into pieces
1 medium garlic bulb top cut off and discarded
1 medium lemon cut in half lengthwise

Compound Butter

1 cup unsalted butter softened
2 tablespoons fresh parsley roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chives roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves only
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Seasoning Mixture

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Set the roasting pan aside for now.

Prep the Compound Butter and Seasoning

Add the butter, fresh herbs, lemon juice, and minced garlic to a food processor. Pulse until everything is combined and set aside.
In another small bowl, whisk together the spices and olive oil and set aside.

Spatchcock the Turkey

Place the turkey on the cutting board back-side-up. Use the kitchen scissors to cut along one side of the spine. You are cutting through the rib bones, this might take some strength.
When one side is done, cut through the other side until you can remove the spine completely and discard. Use a paper towel to absorb any liquid in the turkey cavity and discard. Flip the turkey over and pat the turkey breast dry with another paper towel.
Place your hands on top of the middle of the turkey breast and push down until you hear a crack, and the turkey is laying mostly flat. Turn the leg pieces to face out.

Season the Turkey

Place the vegetables and garlic clove (open-side-up) on the bottom of the roasting pan. Place the turkey on top, breast-side-up. Adjust any of the vegetables to make sure the turkey isn't touching the bottom of the pan, and tuck the turkey wings in.
From here, use your fingers to make space between the skin on the turkey breast and legs. Go slowly and separate the skin gently so it doesn't tear.
Make a 2-3 inch ball of the compound butter and place it under the skin on one side of the turkey breast. Hold the skin opening down, and use your other hand to spread the butter by gently pressing down on it. Repeat for the other turkey breast and the leg sections until the butter is all used.
Pour the olive oil and spice mixture over the turkey skin. Use your hands to spread it evenly over the entire outside of the turkey.

Roast the Turkey

Pour 1-2 cups of water on the bottom of the roasting pan, and roast the turkey uncovered for 30 minutes.
After time is up, drop the oven temperature to 350°F and cook for an additional 60 minutes, or until the turkey is golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F on a meat thermometer, in the most center part of the breast and leg sections.
If the turkey skin gets too dark before the meat is done cooking, you can cover it with aluminum foil so it doesn't burn. When the turkey is done cooking, take it out of the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.

Notes

Click on the time in the instructions to start a timer!

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

Carve the turkey into pieces first, because a whole turkey may take too long to cool down in the refrigerator. You can read more about Thanksgiving food safety here.

Freeze turkey pieces for 2-3 months in a freezer-safe container.

Cooking Tips

When you drop the temperature down to 350°F, don't open the oven door. It'll come down to temperature naturally once you change the setting.
I'm using a 10-12 pound turkey for this recipe, if yours is larger you should plan on a longer cooking time. The cooking time will also depend on your oven temperature.
You can use a wire rack on top of the roasting pan to hold the turkey up instead of resting it on top of the vegetables. I feel like that just creates more dishes to wash, and the veggies help add flavor to the turkey.
If you don't have kitchen scissors (the easiest method), you can use a sharp knife to cut through the turkey. Just be really careful, and don't work with dull knives because they cause more accidents.
The olive oil on top of the skin helps keep the butter from burning if any of it comes out while it's cooking. I'm also adding water to the bottom of the pan for the same reason, and to make sure we have enough liquid to make gravy later.

Nutrition