Smoked Spatchcock Turkey Recipe
This Smoked Spatchcock Turkey is a simple main dish and should be the centerpiece of your holiday table. Use sharp kitchen shears to remove the backbone, add the best seasoning rub for fantastic flavor, and smoke it to perfection!
Servings 12 servings
Calories 636kcal
Ingredients
For the seasoning:
- 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary - or use fresh (but use more)
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme - or use fresh (but use more)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1-2 Tablespoons lemon zest
Other:
- 15 pound turkey
- 1/2 cup Dijon Mustard (or Course Ground Mustard)
You will also need good charcoal and some smokey chips that have been soaked overnight.
Instructions
- Prepare the seasoning blend by combining all ingredients in a bowl – the kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, rosemary, thyme, onion powder, and lemon zest.2 Tablespoons kosher salt, 1 Tablespoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1-2 Tablespoons lemon zest
- Remove turkey from the packaging, and then remove the neck and giblets from the inside of the turkey. Make sure there is nothing plastic remaining. Use paper towels to dry off the outside of the bird as much as possible.
- Take a sharp kitchen shears (or a sharp knife) and remove the backbone from the turkey. This may take a bit and some hand strength! You will need to cut along both sides of the backbone, snipping through the ribs. I recommend using some paper towel to keep your hands from slipping.
- Open up the turkey so that the skin side is up, laying it on some paper towel (or an old towel works too). See pictures on the blog post. Use your hands to crack the breast bone so that the turkey lays flat. This may take a bit of body weight to crack.
- Continue to dry off both sides of the spatchcocked turkey. I normally use a bunch of paper towels to do this. You want to get it as dry as possible. Place the turkey on a large pan.
- Spread the mustard all over the outside of the turkey, using your hands to get it evenly distributed. Take the dry seasoning mixture and sprinkle it over the mustard.15 pound turkey, 1/2 cup Dijon Mustard (or Course Ground Mustard)
- Light a smoker or a grill, and heat to 250 degrees. If using a grill, add smoked chips.
- If using a smoker, place the turkey directly on the grates. If using a grill, use a disposable pan and place the turkey inside. Place lid on grill and smoke the turkey for several hours, or until done. (Mine took approximately four hours.)
- Remove turkey when the white meat registers 160 degrees AND the dark meat registers 180 degrees on a digital thermometer. Let rest 30 minutes before carving.
Notes
- Should I brine my turkey before smoking? Brining a turkey is optional. I didn’t brine for this recipe, but you could add that step, if you like. I prefer a dry brine for less mess.
- How long does it take to smoke a spatchcock turkey? At 250 degrees, it takes approximately four hours to cook.
- What if my turkey is still pink? Make sure your turkey is completely cooked before removing from the grill. I insert a digital thermometer in several places to make sure it’s all at least 160 degrees F in the breast and 180 degrees in the thigh. I also recommend wiggling the thigh around and lifting it up to make sure there are no pink juices hanging out under the leg. If it’s still pink, continue cooking!
- Do you flip spatchcock turkey? No, don’t flip a spatchcock turkey. If you do, the beautiful skin could rip.
Nutrition
Calories: 636kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 78g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 272mg | Sodium: 2154mg | Potassium: 1161mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3453IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 4mg