Spatchcock Turkey with Dry Brine

This Spatchcock Turkey with Dry Brine recipe offers a life-changing, reliable, foolproof method to achieve the crispiest, juiciest turkey in the least amount of time. Read on to learn all the tips and tricks to pull it off with ease.

I have never had much of a desire to shake things up for Thanksgiving. The location, the menu, the guests, pretty much stay the same. This year, things have been shaken up for us. A pandemic is still restricting and endangering our lives; Social distancing, job losses, and a very chaotic political climate causing uncertainty for so many; The brutal realities of past and persistent systemic racism exposed, and demanding much-needed changes.

Given all of that, it is hard to sit here and write about our Canadian Thanksgiving. About roasting a turkey, no less when our gathering is sure to be smaller. And yet, at the peak of quarantining, when we were all terrified out of our minds and wanted to bury our heads in the sand, we all seemed to turn to cooking. It became a calming distraction, even for those who had never enjoyed it before. Cooking, or baking, something delicious made everything a little better, it kept us sane. Now that the much-dreaded second wave of the virus has been officially announced, I can’t help but think there will be a third. The statement that this will be our new normal, slowly sinking in.

So, while our Thanksgiving celebration (if you can call it that) will definitely be simpler, quieter, and much smaller, we will still be needing the comfortable, the familiar. For you, this may not include turkey. But if it does, this post is meant to convince you of the many reasons to spatchcock it. Its so very worth it for its simple ease of preparation, time-savings, and most importantly, its juicy, delicious flavour. If you are (understandably) passing on turkey this year, keep this one in your files. Once you try it, you will never cook turkey any other way.

Why spatchcock a turkey 

Okay, so I’m messing with tradition here, but just a little. I have a few other recipes on this site where I extol the advantages and virtues of spatchcocking a whole chicken. The same exact principles and techniques apply to a whole turkey. Simply put, it is a simpler, quicker method to achieve a perfectly cooked, juicy, and succulent turkey.

To be sure, a spatchcocked turkey will not look as lovely as a whole roasted turkey on your holiday table. But have you ever really done that? I mean, who does that? Not me. And I’m willing to bet you don’t either. Aside from the cook, and assigned carver, no one really sees the turkey in its whole glorious state

Here are the main reasons for spatchcocking a turkey:

• Even cooking: When the turkey is flattened the legs and breast become an even surface. This allows the legs – which take the longest to cook – to be done at the same time as the breast.
• Higher heat: Because of the even cooking explained above, you no longer risk drying out the breast before the thighs are done. This allows you to roast the turkey at a higher temperature without burning, or drying out the breast. A spatchcocked turkey is cooked between 400 and 450 degrees and is done in approximately 90 minutes. Genius.
• Crispier skin: All the skin is now exposed in one even layer which means it will crisp up evenly in the hot oven.
• Juicy dark AND white meat: Again, a flat turkey will cook evenly allowing both the dark and white meat to remain juicy and moist.
• Takes up less space in the oven: No need to remove racks to make space for a flattened turkey. This allows you to cook two turkeys at the same time, if needed.
• The backbone makes fantastic gravy : If you spatchcock the turkey you will have the turkey backbone to make an easy wonderful stock along with the giblets which makes a delicious gravy. If you order a spatchcocked turkey from a butcher, be sure to ask them to include the removed backbone with the turkey.

How to spatchcock a turkey

Spatchcocking a turkey is much easier than it sounds and the bit of initial effort will reward you plenty in the end.

1. To remove the backbone, place the turkey, breast-side down on a large cutting board and cut down each side of the backbone, cutting all the way through to remove the backbone completely. Use a pair of poultry shears or sharp kitchen shears which will make this an easier task.
2. Cut a small incision on the cartilage that is between the two breast bone. Now flip the turkey breast-side up and press hard on the breast to break the rib cage bone to flatten the breast even further. This short video is very helpful.
3. Carefully place the flattened turkey, breast side-up on a prepared large sheet pan to apply dry brine.
4. Save the turkey back and giblets to make gravy. You can make the gravy a day or two ahead from roasting the turkey.

Tips for spatchcocking turkey

• If you find your scissors getting stuck, try cutting even closer, or further, to the backbone
• If you don’t have poultry shears, you may need to cut some smaller bones before cutting all the way through.
• It is best to start cutting from the tail end of the bird but if you are struggling, spin the bird around and cut from the neck end.

What size turkey is best for spatchcocking

For spatchcocking, you want to buy a smaller size turkey. A 12-14 lb turkey is ideal since anything larger will be hard to fit on a baking sheet. Chances are you won’t be needing a large turkey this year, but for when you do, you can roast two small turkeys at the same time. Alternatively, you can spatchcock a large turkey then cut it in half separating the breasts, and place it on two separate baking sheets. If roasting a larger turkey, or two turkeys at once, you may need to add a few more minutes to the cooking time.

Best way to brine a turkey

It is hard to infuse enough flavour into turkey meat without brining it. I prefer a dry brine over a wet brine. In fact, I did a wet brine only once and never did it again. I won’t get into details but I have no desire to have a massive bucket filled with water and a turkey in my fridge ever again. It’s a nightmare. A dry brine is a much easier, no hassle method to add flavour to the turkey and ensure it stays crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Essentially, a dry brine is simply rubbing the turkey down with a lot of salt and a few optional herbs, then letting it rest in the refrigerator for 24-72 hours. The salt changes the protein structure in the meat, causing it to release moisture then reabsorb it again resulting in perfectly juicy, tender, and flavourful meat.

Furthermore, placing the turkey with a dry brine in the fridge to air dry uncovered for at least 12 hours, will give your bird a beautiful, crispy, golden-coloured skin.

How to prepare and dry brine a turkey

It is important to note that dry brining is not for self-basting or pre-seasoned turkeys. If possible, buy a turkey from a butcher or a market that sells natural turkeys. In the Kitchener-Waterloo, I always order my turkey from Brady’s Meat & Deli. It is a very friendly family business that is a joy to support and all their products are reliably delicious.

Here are the simple steps to dry brine a turkey:

1. Remove turkey from its packaging.
2. Remove neck and giblets from the body cavity, reserving for stock and gravy, if desired.
3. Set an oven-safe wire rack on top of a large baking sheet and place the spatchcocked turkey on top, skin side up. Use approximately 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per 5 pounds of turkey. Mix the salt with chopped fresh herbs, if you wish. Pat the bird dry inside and out, and then rub the salt mixture all over the skin, and the inside areas of the turkey as well.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 24-72 hours. If you don’t have room in your fridge for a large baking sheet, place the turkey on a baking sheet to rub the dry brine, then transfer it to a large bowl. For really crispy skin, remove the plastic wrap 1 day before you plan on roasting the turkey. If you are dry brining for only 24 hours or less, leave uncovered the whole time.

NOTE: The turkey does not need to be rinsed before roasting. Rinsing the bird will wash off all the flavour and rehydrate the skin which defeats the purpose of dry brining. The turkey will not be too salty but if making gravy, hold off on adding any salt just to be safe.

Best salt for dry brining

Kosher salt is best for dry brining any meat. Table salt is a lot saltier and is not a salt you should be cooking with, and it definitely does not work for dry brining. My preferred brand of Kosher salt is Diamond Crystal which has the perfect-sized grains and will not make the turkey too salty. If you use a different brand of Kosher salt such as Windsor, or Morton, which have larger salt granules, you will need to reduce the amount of salt by about 1-2 teaspoons.

How to roast a spatchcocked turkey

Once your turkey is spatchcocked and brined, the rest of the process is quick and fuss-free.

1-2 HOURS BEFORE ROASTING:

• Remove turkey from the fridge and bring to room temperature. This step is important. A fridge-cold turkey will take longer to roast and will seize up in a hot oven. It takes at least 1 hour for a fridge-cold turkey to reach room temperature so be sure to plan ahead. Do not rinse the turkey!

ROAST THE TURKEY:

• Preheat oven. A half hour before the turkey is ready to roast, preheat the oven to to 450 degrees F.
• Place the room temperature turkey on a rack set inside a large rimmed baking. A shallow baking sheet does work best for roasting a spatchcocked turkey. If you don’t have one, you can use a large baking pan and scatter chunks of vegetables on the bottom so the turkey sits on top of them. The turkey should be spread out, skin side up. Tuck the wing tips under and turn the legs out.
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter. Brush all the skin with melted butter (or you could use olive oil). This will add lovely flavour, and colour, to the turkey.
• Roast. Place the turkey in the oven and pour 2 cups of water, or broth, in the pan. Roast at 450° F for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 400° and rotate the pan. Add a bit more water, if necessary. Roast until the internal temperature of the thickest past of the thigh reaches 165 – 170 degrees and the breast 155 – 160 degrees. A 14-pound turkey will take about 90-95 minutes. A 12-pound turkey may only need 80-85 minutes. A spatchcocked turkey is best cooked at a high temperature. If your oven is really hot (mine isn’t) you can lower the temperature to 375 degrees after 30 minutes.
• Rest the turkey. Remove the turkey from the oven and transfer it to a cutting board and tent with foil. Allow it to rest for 30 minutes (you can go a little longer, if necessary) before carving. This step is crucial for a juicy, perfectly cooked turkey. Strain the pan drippings to make gravy, if desired.
• Carve and serve! 

Tips for the best roast turkey

• Read over the recipe once or twice. Though the steps to roasting a spatchcocked turkey are simple, there is a lot of information and tips. Read over the recipe instructions and notes a few times to become a bit familiar with the whole method.
• Season simply. Because the spatchcocked turkey will roast at a high temperature, you want to keep the seasoning simple. Minced garlic, dijon marinades, etc, will burn too quickly. I added fresh herbs to the dry brine but even that is not necessary. Butter, salt, and pepper add plenty of flavour and gorgeous colour to the turkey.
• Use a meat thermometer. You cannot guess the temperature on this one. Use a reliable meat thermometer to ensure you don’t over cook or under cook the turkey. An instant read thermometer such as this one, works great. When inserting the thermometer into the meat, make sure it is not touching the bone to get an accurate reading.
• Add more water to roasting pan. To prevent pan drippings from burning, feel free to add more water or chicken broth to the pan.
• Sharpen your knife for carving. If you have the time to get your knives professionally sharpened, this would a great time to do it. It makes the job of carving the turkey a breeze.

More holiday dishes to love

• Roasted Delicata Squash and Quinoa Salad
• Sweet Potato Gratin with Sage
• Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Agrodolce Sauce

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Spatchcock Turkey with Dry Brine

Author: Sandra Valvassori

This Spatchcock Turkey with Dry brine offers a life-changing, reliable, easy, and foolproof method to achieve the crispiest, juiciest turkey in the least amount of time. Read on to learn all the tips and tricks to pull it off with ease. 

At first glance, the instructions may appear long and complicated for this spatchcocked turkey. I assure you it is all very simple - I have just included a lot of tips to ensure you have fabulous results with your turkey.

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins

Total Time 2 hrs

Servings 8 to 10

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 1 12-14 pound fresh turkey natural, organic, or free-range

For the dry brine

• 3 tablespoons Kosher salt (or 1 tbsp per 5 pounds) I use Diamond Crystal (*see notes)
• ¼ cup chopped fresh herb leaves and tender stems I used thyme, rosemary, and sage (optional)

To Roast the Turkey

• 6 Tablespoons melted unsalted butter or unrefined olive oil
• freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 cups water, or chicken stock plus more if needed

Instructions 

• Spatchcock The Turkey: If you can order a spatchcocked turkey from a butcher, do it! Be sure to ask for the backbone that was removed to use it to make stock. **See recipe notes for directions to spatchcock it yourself.
• Dry Brine The Turkey: Set a wire baking rack inside a large baking sheet (***see recipe notes if you don't have a large baking sheet, or can't fit one in your fridge). In a small bowl, combine the kosher salt and fresh herbs, if using. Place the turkey skin side up on the wire rack and pat dry the turkey inside and out with paper towels. Sprinkle the salt mixture evenly all over the outside and the underside of the turkey. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1-3 days. 12-24 hours before you plan on roasting the bird, remove the plastic wrap and leave uncovered in the fridge.
• Prepare the turkey for roasting: Take turkey out of the fridge 60-90 minutes before you plan to start roast it. Preheat the oven to 450° degrees F 30 minutes before roasting the trukey (a large oven will take about 25-30 minutes to preheat). Once the turkey has come to room temperature, and the oven is preheated, tuck the wing tips under the breast and make sure the legs are spread out. Brush the turkey all over with the melted butter. Sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
• Roast: Place the turkey in the oven and pour 2 cups of water, or broth, in the pan. Roast at 450° F for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 400°. Carefully rotate the pan, and add a bit more water if necesary. Roast until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees and the breast 155 degrees. A 14-pound turkey will take about 90-95 minutes. A 12-pound turkey may only need 80-85 minutes so start checking early. If the turkey is browning too qucikly, just cover loosely with foil. Add more water or broth if the pan drippings are burning.
• Rest the turkey. Remove the turkey from the oven, transfer it to a cutting board, and tent with foil. Allow it to rest for 30 minutes (a bit longer is okay) before carving. Do not rush the resting period, this step is crucial for a juicy, perfectly cooked turkey. Strain the pan drippings to make gravy, if desired.
• Carve and serve! Serve with a make ahead gravy (recipe in notes) and favourite sides.

Notes

*The larger the grains in Kosher salt the harder they are to control when applying to your food. Diamond crystal kosher salt has smaller granules than other kosher salts and therefore is less salty. If using a different brand with larger granules, such as Morton, reduce the amount of salt by 1/2 a teaspoon per 5 pounds. 

**Spatchcock the turkey:

1. Remove the neck and giblets from inside the turkey. Place the turkey, breast-side down on a large cutting board and cut down each side of the backbone, cutting all the way through to remove the backbone completely. Use a pair of poultry shears or sharp kitchen shears which will make this an easier task.
2. Cut a small incision on the cartilage that is between the two breast bone. Now flip the turkey breast-side up and press hard on the breast to break the rib cage bone to flatten the breast even further. This short video is very helpful.
3. Place the flattened turkey, breast side-up on a large sheet pan to apply dry brine.
4. Save the turkey back and giblets to make gravy. You can make the gravy a day or two ahead from roasting the turkey.

***If you can't fit a large baking sheet in the fridge, place the turkey in a large bowl. A spatchcocked turkey will roast best on a shallow baking sheet, if you don't have one, use the shallowest baking pan you have and fill it with chopped vegetables such as carrots, onions and celery. Place the turkey on top of the vegetables. 

A few more turkey roasting tips:

• Depending on how hot your oven runs, and how big or small your turkey is, you may need more or less roasting time. Start checking the temperature after 75 minutes to gauge how much longer the turkey needs to roast. 
• A spatchcocked turkey is best cooked at a high temperature. If your oven is really hot (mine isn't) you can lower the temperature to 375 degrees after 30 minutes. 
• If roasting two turkeys at once, set the oven to convection cooking, if possible. But be sure to reduce all temperatures by 25 degrees for convection. 

 

OPTIONAL TURKEY GRAVY

Pour all the pan juices from the turkey, including the fat, into a gravy separator or large measuring cup. Allow the fat to separate from the juices, you will use both.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons of fat from the pan drippings (reserve the juices)

6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour or 2 ½ Tablespoons arrowroot

3-4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (if necessary to supplement pan drippings)

4 cups chicken or turkey stock

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Warm 6 tablespoons of fat (add butter if necessary) in a medium-sized pot over medium heat.
2. Whisk in the flour and cook until lightly golden, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Slowly whisk in 4 cups of the turkey broth and all the reserved pan juices. Continue to whisk until smooth. Simmer until thickened, whisking occasionally about 5-10 minutes. 
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in the fridge, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.  Reheat over low heat until warm, whisking occasionally. 

Keywords: Gravy, Holiday, Spatchcock Turkey, Thanksgiving, Turkey

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