This Herb Roasted Spatchcock Turkey cooks much quicker than the traditional way! Plus, the meat is juicier and the skin is crispier. Learn how to butterfly and roast a turkey before your next gathering!
Herb Roasted Spatchcock Turkey
This butterflied roasted herb turkey is the turkey for you if you don’t want to spend 5+ hours roasting your bird on T-day! Butterflying (otherwise called spatchcocking) creates more surface area which enables less cooking time and juicier meat. Oh, and another perk… crispier skin! Score!
Consider making spatchcock turkey for the holidays this year. It’s so much less stressful and time-consuming. I sure don’t want to wake up at 4am to get dinner in the oven — and I know many of you feel the same!
That said, if you would rather roast a bird the traditional way check out my Beer and Butter Turkey. And don’t forget the sides like Sweet Potato Casserole with Streusel Topping, Homemade Green Bean Casserole, Cranberry Pomegranate Sauce, Homemade Herb Stuffing, and Homemade Turkey Gravy.
Why You’ll Love This Spatchcock Turkey Recipe
- Full of flavor
- So much easier than traditional turkey recipes
- Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside
- Perfect for parties and get-togethers
- Ready in just under 2 hours!
Key Ingredients to Make Spatchcocked Turkey
- TURKEY – I’m using a 14-15 pound turkey for this spatchcock turkey recipe. As a general rule, you’ll want to make sure to have at least 1.5 pounds of meat per guest. If you want leftovers, plan for 2 pounds per person!
- CHICKEN STOCK – You could also use chicken broth or even vegetable. The added liquid in the baking pan helps keep your spatchcocked turkey juicy!
- BUTTER – To create the herb rub for your bird. Make sure it’s softened before you get started.
- HERBS – You’ll need seasoned salt and black pepper, as well as parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Opt for fresh if you can — it really does make a difference!
Instructions to Make Herb Roasted Turkey
RECIPE PREP: Remove the turkey from the fridge at least 1 hour before roasting. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F and prepare the baking sheet.
MAKE THE HERB BUTTER RUB: Add the herbs, salt, and pepper to the softened butter in a small bowl and combine.
SPATCHCOCK TURKEY: A spatchcocked turkey is a turkey with the backbone removed. You can do this by either having your butcher do it, or you can do it with a very sharp knife or a pair of scissors. After the backbone is removed, it is opened up and flattened out by pushing on each side of the breastbone. Refer to the video at the end of the post to watch how it’s done.
ADD THE HERB BUTTER: Gently separate the skin from the bird as instructed on the recipe card below and apply the herb and butter mixture.
ROAST: Place the butterflied turkey breast side up on your prepared baking sheet, then add the chicken stock. Roast for 40 minutes, reduce the heat to 375 degrees F, and bake for another 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
CARVE AND ENJOY: Let your herb roasted turkey rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. Use the juices to make gravy, serve, and enjoy!
Pro Tips for Making Butterflied Turkey
- This recipe is for a turkey that has already been brined. How do you know if yours has been brined? Look at the ingredient label on your turkey. If it says anything other than turkey, it has been brined. If you are purchasing a natural or “heritage” turkey that hasn’t been brined, I highly recommend brining it. This will also ensure you have really juicy meat. This post from The Kitchn on how to dry brine a turkey is great!
- Be sure you allow for plenty of time to defrost your turkey. You can do this by leaving it in the refrigerator for 4-5 days before you plan to brine your turkey or roast it. If you are short on time, you can thaw the turkey in your sink with cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. This will take about 30 minutes per pound.
- This post from Allrecipes on how to butterfly a turkey is a great pictorial guide. You can save the backbone you remove from the turkey to make broth/stock.
- Be sure to use a meat thermometer to check to see when your spatchcock turkey recipe is done. Check the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone. It’s ready when it has reached 165-170 degrees F. I like to pull it when it has reached 165 and no more. It will rise another 5-10 degrees once you remove it from the oven.
FAQ
There is more surface area being exposed to heat, so it cooks in a much shorter amount of time! This also allows for crispier skin since more skin is exposed to the heat and not hiding under the bird.
Well, it allows the herb roasted turkey to cook more evenly. The breast meat cooks much quicker than the dark meat, so this creates a dilemma. Breast meat starts to dry out after it reaches 150-160 degrees F, and the dark meat isn’t done until close 170 degrees F. So in order to get the dark meat done, you have to sacrifice the breast meat. Opening up the bird allows for both types of meat to come up to their desired temperature at the same time.
It depends on the size of your butterflied turkey! If it’s under 12 pounds, it should fit on a half-sheet pan. Anything larger requires an oversized sheet pan like the one that I’m using. Make sure to check to see what you have on hand before starting this recipe!
More Turkey Recipes To Try
- Cranberry Glazed Turkey
- Herb Roasted Turkey
- Sweet Potato and Stuffing Turkey Roulade
- Apple Cranberry Stuffed Turkey Breast
How to Spatchcock Turkey
Thanks so much for reading! Let me know what you think about this spatchcock turkey recipe!
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Herb Roasted Spatchcock Turkey
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- pepper to taste
- 1 (14-15 pound) (5.8 kg) turkey
- 2 cups (475ml) chicken stock or broth
Instructions
- Remove turkey 1 hour before roasting.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with foil and place a cooling rack inside, set aside.
- In a small bowl combine the butter, herbs, salt and pepper, set aside.
- Place turkey breast side down on a cutting board with the tail facing you. Using a very sharp knife or heavy duty kitchen shears cut along one side of the backbone then down the other side. (Watch video in post to see how to do this) Discard any fat pockets found inside the cavity and pat the inside dry with paper towels. Turn the turkey right side up and with the heel of your hands press down on each side of the breastbone. (You should hear it snap) Pat dry with paper towels.
- Carefully separate the skin from the breast meat and rub with some of the herb butter mixture. Be sure to get under the skin on the thighs and legs as well. Spread any remaining butter mixture over the skin. Place turkey breast side up on prepared baking sheet. Pour chicken stock into baking sheet.
- Bake for 40 minutes then reduce heat to 375 degrees (190 degrees C) and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
- Remove from oven and let rest for 30 minutes before carving. Pour off juices from the baking sheet into a measuring cup to make gravy.
Notes
- This recipe is for a turkey that has already been brined. How do you know if your turkey has been brined? Look at the ingredient label on your turkey. If it says anything other than “turkey” it has been brined. If you are purchasing a natural or “heritage” turkey that hasn’t been brined I highly recommend brining it. This will also ensure you have really juicy meat. This post from The Kitchn on how to dry brine a turkey is great!
- Be sure you allow for plenty of time to defrost your turkey. You can do this by leaving it in the refrigerator 3 days before you plan to brine your turkey or roast it. If you are short on time you can thaw the turkey in your sink with cold water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed.
- This post from Allrecipes on how to butterfly a turkey is a great pictorial guide. You can save the backbone you remove from the turkey to make broth/stock.
- How much turkey do you need? Plan for at least 1 pound per person. And if you want a lot of leftover turkey plan for 1 1/2 pounds per person.
- To make gravy use this recipe for Homemade Turkey Gravy.
Great idea. And am absolutely loving your photos. So beautiful.
Thank you so much, Valentina!!
This is BRILLIANT! What an amazing idea for turkey! Who wouldn’t love a juicier bird WITH crispier skin? That’s my favorite part. Well done!
Your food always looks so good! I didn’t know you could ask the butcher to remove the bone for you. Such a great idea!
I agree!!! Crispy skin is the way to go!!!! Yum!!! My mouth is watering thinking about all the goodies for Thanksgiving!!!
Mmmmmmm crispy skin is the best! And quicker cooker time? Can’t get much better than that!
I agree!! I’m all about the crispy skin!