Learn how to grill a Spatchcocked Turkey with crispy skin and flavorful, tender meat in this step by step recipe. Flattening (butterflied) the bird allows the dark and white meat to cook evenly and more quickly. Grilling the Thanksgiving turkey infuses a smoky flavor in it, in addition to freeing up oven space for sides and dessert!
It's easy to do with a pair of kitchen shears and a grill. I give you comprehensive directions for spatchcocking and cooking the turkey on a wood pellet grill, propane gas grill, and charcoal grill!
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
I may never bake a whole turkey again! The naturally round sphere-shape of a turkey prevents the legs and thighs from cooking evenly with the breast meat. It's always a battle to make sure the breast doesn't become dry before the juicy dark meat is done.
Spatchcocking the turkey by removing the backbone and flattening it before cooking, whether it's on the grill or oven, solves this time consuming dilemma-with no basting!
A spatchcocked turkey may not have the Norman Rockwell picture-perfect look you're used to Grandma presenting at the dinner table. But, honestly, most people cut it up and put it on a platter anyway, right?
When you taste the moist turkey and crispy skin, you may never go back to the basted bird in the oven, either!
Spatchcock is a funny word with a simple meaning. "Spatch" comes from the term dispatch which, according to Merriam-Webster.com means to take care of a task rapidly and efficiently. The word "cock" refers to a fowl or bird, which probably got its name from the sound a rooster makes early in the morning.
It makes sense since cooking a turkey, chicken, duck, or any bird with this method of flattening, cooks it much faster than a whole bird.
Is butterflying a turkey the same as spatchcocking a turkey? Technically, no, but butterflying is often used to describe the flattening of the whole bird to grill or bake it. To butterfly a piece of meat actually means to cut a thick piece of meat partially in half horizontally, so it can be opened up to create one large thinner piece.
Scroll down to printable recipe for ingredient quantities.
This is a very basic seasoning blend that I actually prefer so the flavor of the turkey stands out. I give suggestions for substitution options below.
Completely thaw the turkey in the refrigerator or in cold running water. Either method will work if you plan ahead. To thaw an 11 to 13 pound turkey in the refrigerator, allow 2 to 3 days. To thaw it in cold water, allow 5 to 6 hours. (Be sure to check and make sure water remains cold the entire time.)
Here's a detailed post from I Heart Naptime on how to thaw a turkey with a chart to help you determine when to start thawing your turkey and details about both methods.
Don't forget to allow time to dry brine in the fridge. (Keep reading.)
This is the most challenging part of spatchcocking a turkey. So, it's smooth sailing from here on!
Clip either side of breast bone. You'll be glad you didn't skip this step.
Pro Tip: I was on my THIRD test of this recipe when I read somewhere that it would make it easier to flatten the breast bone in the next step if you clipped this first. It works!
Y'all know I'm short, so I was having a little trouble pressing down hard enough. This little trick was GOLD! You're welcome.
Hint: If you are short like me, try standing on a step stool to get more leverage. You can also put one hand over the other like performing CPR.
Pro Tip: Save the backbone and simmer it with the neck bone along with onion and celery to make homemade chicken broth.
No need to wipe off the salt before grilling. Much of it will be absorbed and the rest will taste yummy. The oil and salt helps to prevent the skin from drying out in the fridge and creates that crispy turkey skin.
One of the best things I love about grilling a spatchcocked turkey is I can place the rack it brined on in the fridge right on the grill! I don't have to wrestle with a floppy, slippery bird or even put my latex gloves back on!
Tip: Now, be sure your metal rack is NOT nonstick. It needs to be able to withstand the high heat of the grill.
I tested this recipe on 2 kinds of grills so you could make a spatchcocked turkey with whatever you already have available. I didn't test it with a charcoal grill but researched the time and method and I include it below. My husband also cooked one on the smoker with good results but that's a whole 'nother post and not my area of expertise.
I do not own one of these (yet). My local Ace Hardware store (Ace of the South in Gardendale, AL) has an outdoor grill area set up where they had a Traeger demo model for customers to see them in action. They graciously allowed me to grill this turkey you see in the image above on this grill.
Heat the grill to 375F. Place the turkey (still on the rack from the fridge) over the drip pan, legs facing the front of the grill.
Close the lid and cook for about 1 hour. Using grill spatulas, grill tongs and silicone mitts, turn the rack (the one with the turkey on it, not the grill rack) around, with breast facing the front of the grill.
Close the lid and cook an additional 40 to 50 minutes, depending on the size of the turkey, or until an instant read meat thermometer registers 165F in the thickest part of the thigh but not touching the bone. The breast should register 155F.
Hint: Both of these temperatures are 5 degrees low because they will rise when resting.
I used indirect heat method here. Light the left 3 burners on medium-high heat 400F and placed the turkey (still on the rack) on the right side of the grill. Place the turkey with the legs and thighs facing the lit burners so they will cook a little faster than the breast meat. Place a drip pan or aluminum foil below the turkey and on top of the unlit burners.
If you have only 3 burners, light the left 2 and place turkey on the unlit burner facing the lit burners. If you turkey is extra large, try lighting just one burner, but you may have to turn the turkey (still on the rack) halfway through cooking. Watch internal temp.
Close the lid and cook for 40 to 50 minutes. Using grill spatulas, grill tongs and silicone mitts, turn the rack (the one with the turkey on it, not the grill rack) around so the breast is now facing the lit burners.
Close the lid and cook an additional 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the turkey, or until an instant read meat thermometer registers 165F in the thickest part of the thigh but not touching the bone. The breast should register 155F.
Hint: Both of these temperatures are 5 degrees low because they will rise when resting.
Use indirect heat method here on a large charcoal grill. Place about 6 quarts of ashy white charcoal (from a chimney or wait til they are white-hot coals) on one side of the grill. If desired, place a couple of pieces of apple or hickory chunks on the coals.
Place the grill grate in place on the grill. Place the turkey (still on the wire rack) on the other side of the grill. Place the legs and thighs towards the hot coals so they will cook a little faster than the breast meat.
Close the lid and cook at at 375F to 400F for 1 hour to 70 minutes. Using large metal grill spatulas, grill tongs or silicone mitts, turn the grill grate or the turkey rack (the one with the turkey on it) so the breast is now facing the hot coals. Check to make sure the coals are hot enough to maintain temperature. If not add more white ashy coals from a chimney, being careful not to allow ashes to float up to the turkey.
Close the lid and cook an additional 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the turkey and the heat consistency of the coals. Check the internal temperature with an instant read meat thermometer registers 165F in the thickest part of the thigh but not touching the bone. The breast should register 155F.
Hint: Both of these temperatures are 5 degrees low because they will rise when resting.
The wood pellet grill was my favorite grill. The only downside was the cost of this high- end grill. I'll have to stick with what I have for now and put it on my wish list!
I think my final answer to this question is the grill you have available to you is the best one to use. They all impart a smokey flavor to the turkey and produce a golden brown
The seasoning for this grilled turkey is similar to what I use in my Instant Pot Bone-In Turkey Breast without the paprika. I like to keep it simple, but here are a few flavor options to try.
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