The first time you smoke a turkey, you are bound to hear things like this. “That’s the only turkey I’ve ever liked.” or “That’s the best turkey I’ve ever tasted.” It’s that good. Our Smoked Spatchcock Turkey recipe makes the most tender, moist, flavorful meat possible and will be a favorite for all.
🍽️ Why This Works
The Fastest Method. If you want to smoke a whole turkey but don’t want to wait forever for it to finish, making a smoked spatchcock turkey is the answer. This is much faster than the smoked whole-bird method because you increase the surface area of the turkey exposed to the heat and reduce the thickness at the same time.
Retains Moisture and Flavor. Smoking your spatchcocked turkey helps prevent the meat from drying it out because it is cooked relatively fast but at lower smoker temperature. This means all of the meat cooks evenly and finishes at roughly the same time.
Amazing Leftovers. Always get a turkey that will be big enough to feed those at your table and allow for leftovers. Leftover smoked meat is a boon for future meals! Make turkey chili, turkey pot pie, turkey and biscuits, or carved turkey sandwiches and paninis. The possibilities are endless!
What is a Spatchcock Turkey?
To spatchcock a bird is to cut it so that it can be spread out and cook more evenly. The back bone is removed completely using poultry shears, and then the bird is split open and flattened as we did with Smoked Spatchcock Chicken, Grilled Spatchcock Cornish Hen and Grilled Spatchcock Turkey.
🦃 Ingredients
📝 Ingredient Notes
Turkey | To make sure it will fit in your smoker, look for a turkey that is around 10-11 pounds. Sometimes you can get these turkeys at a significant discount around the holidays and freeze them for later use!
Butter | You can use a butter-flavored substitute if necessary for your dietary needs. Fun fact, butter burns easily at higher temperatures but won’t burn in your smoker at 275ºF!
Poultry Seasoning | This spice mix typically includes sage, thyme, celery seed, marjoram, black pepper, and nutmeg. The ingredients and proportions can vary depending on which brand you use. If you don’t want to purchase poultry seasoning, you can always mix your own!
Salt and Pepper | To taste. If your poultry seasoning includes pepper you might want to go easy on that.
Quick Read: Top Smoking Turkey Tips
⏲️ Equipment and Tools
Poultry Shears. These are an essential tool for the spatchcock method. Stronger than normal kitchen shears, poultry shears will stand up to the extra pressure needed to break a thicker turkey bone. We’ve tested that theory and have broken more than one pair of scissors trying to prove it wrong. We finally broke down and bought the poultry shears.
Smoker. Our favorite is the Big Green Egg. Traeger is also an excellent company. The smoker you already have will work.
Wood Chips. Read about the best wood for smoking turkey.
Basting Brush. We love to use brushes that are a little bit longer when working over the grill, indoors it doesn’t matter as much. A combo set that offers both options is a huge win.
🔥 Instructions
Step One: Clean and spatchcock the turkey. We have detailed instructions for How to Spatchcock a Turkey if you need a refresher.
Step Two: Melt the butter. Add the poultry seasoning, salt and pepper to the butter.
Step Three: Make sure to pat the turkey dry using a paper towel. Preheat your smoker to 275ºF.
Step Four: Use a pastry brush to cover the turkey in the butter mixture. Flip the turkey over to coat both sides.
Step Five: Place the turkey on the heated grill grate making sure the legs are splayed out. Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF. Use the olive oil in the last 10 minutes to brush on the skin for a little extra crispiness.
Step Six: Let the turkey rest under a foil tent before serving. It will come up to the 165°F temp as it rests.
❗ Recipe Tips and Tricks
Should your smoker be too small for even a 10 pound turkey in one large piece, you can spatchcock it and then cut it half to produce two sections. These can be arranged on the shelves of an electric smoker, or smoked in two different sessions.
Allow plenty of time to thaw your turkey if it is frozen. It will take several days to safely thaw in your refrigerator. Thawing a turkey in the refrigerator takes about twenty four hours per five pounds of turkey according to the USDA.
If you want a crispy skin, baste the bird in olive oil or butter and turn up the heat for the last ten to fifteen minutes. Keep a close eye on it so that it doesn’t burn.
Plan on a half pound of turkey per person at your dinner table.
For the most juicy meat possible, do not carve the turkey until it has had time to rest for ten or fifteen minutes under a foil tent. This allows time for the water content of the meat to redistribute itself and settle in so that you don’t cover your cutting board with all the flavorful juice you want to experience with each bite.
🧑🍳 Leftover Storage and Reheating
Keep leftover turkey in a freezer quality plastic bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. If you still have leftovers at that point, move it to the freezer for future use. It will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
Thaw the turkey in the refrigerator overnight or microwave using the defrost function carefully. Reheat it in the oven, in a skillet, or use the leftover turkey in new dishes. Poultry should be reheated to 165ºF and should not be reheated more than once, so only heat up what you will use.
Meal Prep
One of the best things about a smoked spatchcock turkey is leftover meat! I recommend dicing or slicing up the extra turkey and separating it white meat from dark meat. Place the leftover meat in airtight containers. Whatever you won’t use within two days can be frozen and used later in soup, stew, salads, baked one pot meals like pot pie or sandwiches.
Leftover cooked turkey can also be ground. Use ground turkey to make make turkey salad sandwiches, tacos or sloppy joes. It can also be added to soup for a different texture.
Additions and Substitutions
We didn’t brine this particular turkey, but we have enjoyed a dry brine or a wet brine for turkey in the past. Either method of brining will require at least 12 hours so make sure to account for that in your planning.
If you don’t love poultry seasoning, simply switch that out for your favorite seasoning mix of choice.
Try this same method for a whole chicken or whole duck. Smaller birds will take less time but have just as much amazing flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your smoked turkey with one of these sauces: your favorite BBQ sauce, ranch dip, honey mustard dressing, blue cheese dressing, homemade bourbon barrel cranberry sauce, turkey gravy, or fruit preserves.
Pair the turkey with traditional sides such as mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, fresh baked bread and asparagus. Go in a completely different direction and serve up turkey with spicy rice and beans and fried plantains. Bring almost any side dish to the table and it will work with smoked spatchcock turkey.
Don’t forget dessert! Grilled Mini Pumpkin Pies that were featured in Fox News and Yahoo News in 2021! We took it to the next level and Smoked Pumpkin for ours but you don’t have to go that far!
⏲️ How Long to Smoke Turkey
Depending on the temperature you choose, here are the guidelines:
| Smoker Temp | Time per Pound | Total Time for 12 lb Turkey |
|---|---|---|
| 225°F | 30-35 minutes | 6 hours |
| 250°F | 25-30 minutes | 5½ – 6 hours |
| 275°F | 20 minutes | 4 hours |
❓ Recipe FAQ
275ºF. Some like to turn the temperature up and smoke the turkey faster. Others like to turn it up just at the end to crisp the skin.
Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 165°F degrees (according to the USDA) in the thick breast meat. The total cooking time will depend on the size of the bird and the thickness of the meat as well as the efficacy of the smoker. Plan on several hours.
You can smoke a turkey of any size as long as it will fit into your smoker. If you have a vertical electric smoker with shelves, simply cut the turkey fully in half and place each half on a separate shelf. If you have a more traditional wood smoker, make sure to purchase a turkey that will fit on what you have or consider smoking the turkey for two different meals.
This size turkey might work better smoking it without spatchcocking it as we did with the grilled on here.
Smoke the bird for about 20 minutes per pound at 275°F. For a 12 pound bird, it should take about 4 hours.
Related Recipes
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Smoked Spatchcock Turkey
Equipment
- Smoker
- Basting Brush
Ingredients
- 1 whole Turkey 10-11lb
- 1 cup Butter melted
- 2 tbsp Poultry Seasoning
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Pepper
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
Cleaning and Spatchcocking Turkey
- Start by opening up the package of the turkey and giving it a really good rinse. Pat dry with paper towels to remove as much of the surface moisture as possible.
- Using poultry scissors, cut away the backbone. Turn the turkey BACKSIDE up towards you. Using the poultry scissors, start with small cuts along both sides of the back bone. You will hear little snaps as it cuts through the small bones on either side of the spine. Expect to have to use some muscle to get through the larger ones.
- Turn the bird over BREAST SIDE up and using the palm of your dominate hand, press hard on the breast bone to force it to lay flat. You will hear a crack. It should lay as flat as it can with the wings and legs spread out.
Smoking Spatchcock Turkey
- Heat the smoker up to 275°F. Add your favorite wood chunks. I recommend sticking with a fruit wood like apple or cherry.
- Make sure to pat the turkey dry using a paper towel.
- Melt the butter and add in the poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir until well combined.
- Using a basting brush, brush the entire turkey on both sides with the butter/seasoning mixture. Place the turkey on the heated grill grate making sure the legs are splayed out.
- As the turkey is nearing 160°F, brush olive oil on the skin and let it continue to cook for about 10 minutes. This will help the skin get crispy.
- Smoke until the internal temperature reaches 160°F in the thick breast meat. (You want an internal temp of 165°F and bringing it in early and tenting it in foil will allow it to continue to come up to temperature and not dry out.)
- Remove from the smoker and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before carving under a foil tent.
Notes
Nutrition
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