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Close-up of sliced turkey breast on a platter.

Spatchcocked Roasted Turkey with Homemade Dry Brine

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  • Author: Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen – Ashley Covelli
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes, plus 1-4 days in the refrigerator
  • Cook Time: 2 hours (or more, based on the size of your turkey)
  • Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes (varies, based on the size of your turkey), plus 1-4 days in the refrigerator
  • Yield: Varies
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Spatchcocking a turkey drastically reduces the cook time of your holiday meal + helps the white & dark meat both stay juicy while cooking!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 whole turkey, not previously brined or injected with saline solution (see post above)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • Dry brine spice blend (you'll need 1 tablespoon per 4 pounds of turkey if using my dry brine recipe)

Instructions

  1. Remove giblets and neckline from the turkey cavity and reserve for gravy, if desired.
  2. Dry the skin of the turkey well with paper towels. Score the skin of the turkey along both sides of the backbone with a sharp knife. Using poultry shears, cut through the ribcage along both sides of the backbone. Remove the backbone and add it to the reserved gravy bits.
  3. Flip the turkey so the breast is facing up. Press down firmly with one hand on top of the other until you feel it pop/crack. You'll likely need to really lean into it.
  4. Gently lift the skin of the turkey and season it with some of the dry brine mixture (see post above for detailed instructions and photos). Flip it over and rub some more of the mixture all over the cavity side.
  5. Flip the turkey over and pat the skin-side dry once more. Sprinkle baking powder all over the skin and rub well to coat, making sure to get underneath the wings. Add the remaining dry brine mixture to the skin side and rub all over to coat evenly.
  6. Transfer your seasoned turkey to a baking dish and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 day, up to 4 days.
  7. Preheat your oven according to the chart in the post above, based on the weight of your turkey. Transfer your turkey to a large, rimmed baking sheet.
  8. Roast in the preheated oven until the light and dark meat both reach 165°F. Reference the chart in the post above for time guidelines. I recommend probing the light and dark meat with a dual-probe thermometer.
  9. Once the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and tent it with foil until you're ready to carve it. Be sure to reserve the pan drippings for homemade gravy!


Notes

See my post above for more in-depth information, tips, and step-by-step photos of how to spatchcock the turkey, cooking times based on weight, etc.

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