Spatchcocked Turkey

Submitted by GinKitty

"Fast cooking delicious turkey"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 5mins
• Ingredients: 4
• Yields: 1 turkey
• Serves: 10

ingredients

• 8 -12 lbs turkey, thawed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and pepper, more if needed
• 1⁄3 cup olive oil
• 10 garlic cloves (optional)

directions

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Cut back bone out of turkey.
3. Turn turkey over and push on breast bone to flatten, wings should cover breasts and legs should stick out a bit.
4. Tuck garlic under turkey and in wing and leg nooks if desired.
5. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
6. Roast undisturbed for 20 mins, turkey should be starting to brown.
7. Baste with pan juices.
8. reduce heat to 400 (350 if browning too fast).
9. Check temperature of thigh meat every 15 mins (10 if turkey is smaller).
10. When thigh meat reaches 165 remove from oven and rest a few minutes.

Reviews

[cayotica]

I had been butterflying chickens for the grill for decades but never once thought about cooking turkey this way. I’ll never roast a turkey the old fashion way again. Nice crispy skin over the entire surface and your cooking time is cut by about 2/3s. I strongly recommend you use a reliable cooking thermometer for this kind of cooking and don’t trust the pop-up thermometers that come with many turkeys, don’t pull the pop up out throw it out leave it in the bird but use a nice reliable cooking thermometer instead. I cover the breast of the turkey with foil for about 2/3s of the cooking time to keep it from drying out only removing it to crisping the skin. I don’t recommend doing this to huge bird I generally buy the smallest turkeys I can find, if one is not enough that’s OK buy another one. I’m not saying a 20 pound bird cannot be spatchcock , I’m just saying smaller birds are easier to work with.