Spatchcock Turkey on the Grill
A butterflied turkey grilled over indirect heat in about 90 minutes, with crispy skin, a hint of smoke and a free oven for the sides.
- Full Meals
- Grill
- Smoker
- Turkey
- Dinner
- 150 min total
- Serves 10
Ingredients
Ingredients for servings
Enter a number of at least ½, in steps of ½.
Original recipe serves 10. Ingredient amounts adjust automatically. Cooking times and pan size may need adjusting separately.
Turkey
- 12 lb whole turkey, thawed, 12 to 14 lb max for spatchcocking
- 4 tbsp butter, melted, for basting at the end
Rub
- 2 1/2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp rubbed sage
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
Smoke
- 2 cups wood chips, apple or cherry, optional, soaked 30 minutes
Quick gravy
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups turkey or chicken broth, simmer the backbone in it for an hour for best flavor
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Gear
- Gas or charcoal grill with lid
- Heavy poultry shears
- Disposable aluminum drip pan
- Probe thermometer
- Large cutting board
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Steps
Step 1: SPATCHCOCK: Set the turkey breast-side down. With heavy kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it (save it for gravy). Flip the bird over, open it like a book, and press down hard on the breastbone with both hands until it cracks and the turkey lies flat.
Step 2: Pat it dry. Mix the rub ingredients except the oil. Rub the turkey all over with oil, then the rub, getting some under the breast skin. Refrigerate uncovered at least 4 hours or overnight.
Step 3: Set up the grill for indirect heat at 325 to 350°F. Gas: burners on one side only. Charcoal: coals banked to one side. Put a drip pan under the cool side. Add the wood chips over the heat if using.
Step 4: Lay the turkey skin-side up on the cool side, legs pointing toward the heat. Close the lid.
Step 5: Grill 75 to 100 minutes, rotating the bird halfway through, until the breast reads 160°F and the thighs 175°F. Brush with melted butter for the last 15 minutes.
Step 6: Rest on a cutting board 20 to 30 minutes, tented with foil.
Step 7: GRAVY: While it rests, melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour and cook 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the broth (and any drippings from the pan), simmer 5 to 8 minutes until thick, and season.
Step 8: Carve the legs and thighs off, then the breasts, and slice.
Game plan
Dinner at 4:00 PM:
- Day before: Spatchcock and rub the turkey. Simmer the backbone in broth for gravy and refrigerate. Make casseroles and stuffing up to the baking step.
- 12:30 PM: Turkey out of the fridge. Light the grill at 1:15 PM.
- 1:30 PM: Turkey on the grill. The whole oven is free for sides.
- 2:15 PM: Rotate the turkey. Casseroles and stuffing into the oven at 350°F.
- 2:45 PM: Start checking temperature. Butter baste.
- 3:00 to 3:15 PM: Turkey off. Rest. Make gravy and mash potatoes.
- 3:45 PM: Carve.
- 4:00 PM: Eat.
Swaps
- Smoker: At 275°F it takes about 3 to 3.5 hours. Skin won’t be as crisp; finish on a hot grill for 5 minutes if you want.
- Rub: Your favorite poultry rub; just add the kosher salt.
- Oven: Spatchcocked turkey also roasts at 425°F in about 80 minutes on a sheet pan.
Tips
- Legs toward the heat. Dark meat needs to hit a higher temp than the breast.
- Keep the lid closed. Every peek adds time.
- Use a thermometer you can leave in, and check both breast and thigh.
The story
HAM Cooking. Let’s fire it up.
Spatchcock is a funny word for a smart idea. You cut out the backbone and lay the bird flat. It sounds like something you’d get a ticket for, but it’s the best thing you can do to a turkey.
Here’s why it works. A whole turkey is a tall, round shape, so the outside cooks long before the heat reaches the middle. That’s why breasts dry out while you wait on the thighs. Flatten it and every part is the same thickness and the same distance from the heat. It cooks in about half the time, and evenly. The legs face the fire because dark meat needs to cook hotter than the breast.
And the biggest perk? The turkey’s outside on the grill, so the oven is all yours for stuffing, casseroles and rolls. No more oven traffic jam. That’s how you stay calm on Thanksgiving. Or at least calmer.
HAM out.
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