My husband loves to roast chicken and large cuts of meat. During weekends, we take turns preparing dinner. This weekend, he prepared Super Moist Spatchcock Turkey– even though it wasn’t Thanksgiving yet. The crispy skin of the roasted spatchcock turkey coupled with the juicy meat was delicious! Good thing it was a large turkey. Otherwise, it would’ve disappeared in an hour! I decided that I would save some so I can make some turkey sandwiches or use it for tacos.
If you haven’t tried to spatchcock a turkey before, make sure you watch the video at the bottom of this post. You’ll see how my husband prepared his specialty spatchcock turkey.
This slow roasted butterflied turkey is easy to prepare. The secret is in the spices. As I preheated the oven to 450 degrees F and lined the roasting pan for turkey with foil, my husband started his magic.
Cooking The Gravy
While hubby was busy with the turkey, I got busy with the gravy. I finely chopped the leftover neck, giblets, and backbone and stir-fried it for about 5 minutes. When browned, I added the onions, carrots, and celery and cooked them until tender, for another 5 minutes. Next, I added the chicken stock, bay leaves and thyme. I let it simmer for 45 minutes then strained the liquid into a bowl. Another tip is to collect the turkey drippings and use them to make some gravy.
In a medium saucepan, I melted some butter and stirred in the flour, stirring until it turned golden brown. Slowly, I whisked in the broth mixture, let it boil, then turned down the heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes, stirring constantly. I just seasoned it with some salt and pepper and set it aside.
Dinner Is Served – Super Moist Roasted Spatchcock Turkey!
I tell you, the smell of that roasted spatchcock turkey was amazing! The kids were already at the table even before I announced that dinner was served.
Once my husband sliced the turkey, the kids couldn’t wait. Nobody even asked for their favorite part, they just started forking down whatever piece they could reach.
That super moist, roasted spatchcock turkey with crispy skin was the best roasted turkey I ever had! And no, I’m not saying this because my hubby prepared it. You don’t have to wait for Thanksgiving to try it! For special occasions, we would have a salad ready or some potatoes. But for now, they were contented with just homemade gravy. The dinner table was silent for a few minutes coz everyone was busy enjoying the meal.
P.S. I also prepared some Berries and Cream Cupcakes for dessert!
Don’t forget to share this recipe with your friends! Leave us a comment if you loved it, too.
Roast Spatchcock Turkey
Ingredients
- 1 whole turkey wing tips removed
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp dried tarragon
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tsp melted butter
- 2 pieces lemon seeded and sliced
Alternatives to the Spices:
- Louisiana Cajun Butter Marinade Injector
- Your favorite turkey rub, such as Rudy’s Turkey Rub.
For the Gravy:
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 quarts low-sodium homemade or store-bought chicken or turkey broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tbsp butter
- Leftover neck, backbone, and giblets
- 3 pieces large onions roughly chopped
- 3 pieces large carrots peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 stalks celery roughly chopped
Instructions
- Place the turkey breast side down on a flat and clean surface. Start at the tail end and cut along the sides of the backbone. Remove the backbone and open the turkey like a book.
- Turn the turkey around, breast side up. Push down on the breast part to flatten the turkey. You will hear the bones crack which means you are doing it correctly. Just make sure not to ruin the turkey– you need it whole.
- Transfer the turkey into your baking pan lined with foil. There are 2 options to season the turkey, depending on the availability of ingredients.
- The first option is to mix the salt, paprika, tarragon, and pepper. Add the melted butter. Gently lift the turkey skin and rub the seasoning under it. Place the lemon slices under the skin, making sure they are evenly distributed. This method ensures that the meat remains juicy and the flavors are fully absorbed. To make it juicier and to add more flavor, inject the Louisiana Cajun Butter Marinade into the turkey.
- Another version is to inject the Louisiana Cajun Butter Marinade into the turkey. After that, apply Rudy’s Turkey Rub all over, including under the skin.
- Roast it for about 35 minutes at 450 degrees F. Use a kitchen thermometer and measure the temperature of the breast part until it reads 165 degrees F. Remove from the oven, transfer to a cooling rack, and let it stand for 5 minutes before slicing.
3 thoughts on “The Best Roasted Spatchcock Turkey Recipe for the Family”
Perfect! This was the best turkey I’ve ever had or made. Will definitely make this again.