Smoked Spatchcock Turkey (Pellet Grill or Smoker)

Spatchcocking is the single biggest upgrade you can make to a smoked Thanksgiving turkey. Take out the backbone, press the bird flat, and the breast and thighs finish at almost the same time instead of fighting each other for three hours. The skin gets more direct heat, the smoke reaches more of the meat, and dinner shows up when you said it would.

This is our full method, built on Pitmaster Rosalie's original recipe and updated with what we have learned cooking a lot of turkeys since. We also looked hard at how the most popular smoked spatchcock turkey recipes do it. Most start low at 225F or 275F and either finish hot or settle for softer skin. We go straight to 325F, which is simpler and gives you crisper skin in less time.

Smoked Spatchcock Turkey at a Glance

Why Spatchcock a Turkey for the Smoker?

A whole turkey is a bad shape for even cooking. The breast sits high and exposed while the thighs hide underneath, and the thighs need to finish hotter than the breast to be pleasant to eat. Spatchcocking fixes all of that at once.

• Even cooking. Breast and thighs sit at the same height, so you are not drying out white meat while you wait on dark meat.
• Faster. A flat bird cooks 30 to 45 minutes faster than a whole bird of the same weight.
• Better skin. All of the skin faces up toward the heat, which is the most reliable way to get it to render and crisp.
• More smoke flavor. More surface area means more of the meat gets kissed by smoke.
• Easier carving. No hunting for joints under a domed bird. The legs, thighs and breast halves come off cleanly.

What You Need

Ingredients

• 1 whole turkey, 10 to 14 lbs, fully thawed, giblets and neck removed
• Turkey brine: Super Soaker Bird Brine or our homemade turkey brine recipe (skip if the turkey is pre-brined or enhanced)
• 2 tablespoons oil or a thin coat of BBQ sauce as a binder (Rosalie's original uses Fat Boy Copperhead Sauce)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons turkey seasoning, such as Perfect Turkey Seasoning and Roasted Garlic Blend
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, melted, for the baste and injection
• 1 tablespoon of each seasoning you used on the outside, stirred into the melted butter

Equipment

• Smoker, pellet grill, kamado or kettle set up for indirect heat
• Heavy-duty kitchen shears
• A brine bag or food-safe container that fits the turkey
• A marinade injector
• A reliable instant-read or leave-in probe thermometer
• A rimmed sheet pan for moving the bird

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Step 1: Brine the Turkey (If It Is Untreated)

Check the label first. If it says enhanced, self-basting, kosher, pre-brined or injected with a solution, the turkey is already seasoned. Skip the brine and keep the rest of your salt light. If the turkey is untreated, brining is the best insurance you can buy for juicy breast meat.

Spatchcock before you brine. A flat bird fits the bag more easily and the brine reaches the meat more evenly. Submerge it completely, keep it at 40F or below, and brine 12 to 24 hours with Super Soaker Bird Brine. Then drain it, pat it dry, and set it on a rack in the refrigerator, uncovered, overnight. That air-dry is what gives you crisp skin later.

Want to make your own? Our guide to turkey brine and injection recipes has a from-scratch wet brine, a dry brine and four injections with exact amounts. Not sure you need to brine at all? Read should you brine a turkey before smoking.

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Step 2: Spatchcock the Turkey

Set the turkey breast side down on a large cutting board with the tail end facing you. Pat it dry so it does not slide around.

1. Cut out the backbone. With heavy-duty kitchen shears, cut along one side of the backbone from tail to neck, then the other side. Save the backbone and neck for stock or gravy.
2. Open it up. Spread the two halves apart like a book. If you want it extra flat, nick the white cartilage at the top of the breastbone with a paring knife.
3. Flip and flatten. Turn the bird skin side up, place the heels of your hands on the center of the breast and press firmly until you feel the breastbone crack and the turkey lies flat.
4. Tuck and turn. Tuck the wing tips behind the breast so they do not burn, and turn the legs inward so the thighs sit evenly.

Prefer a walkthrough with more photos? Here is our step-by-step guide on how to spatchcock a turkey. Your butcher will usually do it for you if you ask, too.

Step 3: Dry and Season

Pat the bird completely dry, top and bottom. Moisture on the surface turns into steam on the smoker, and steam is the enemy of crisp skin.

Gently work your fingers under the skin of the breast and thighs to loosen it without tearing. Season the meat under the skin first, then apply a thin binder to the outside and season all over, including the underside. A 12 to 14 lb bird takes 3 to 4 tablespoons of seasoning. If the bird was brined, use a seasoning without much added salt.

Step 4: Fire Up the Smoker at 325F

Set up for indirect heat at 325F. On a pellet grill, just set the temperature. On a kettle or kamado, bank the coals to one side or use a heat deflector. On an offset, keep the bird away from the firebox end. Nothing should sit directly under the turkey except a drip pan if you want drippings for gravy.

Rosalie uses hickory. Apple and cherry are milder and give the skin a beautiful mahogany color. Whichever you use, run a clean fire with thin blue smoke. Turkey soaks up smoke fast, and heavy white smoke makes it bitter.

Step 5: Smoke, Baste and Inject

Lay the turkey skin side up on the grate, legs out, and close the lid. Melt 2 sticks of butter and stir in about 1 tablespoon of each seasoning you used on the outside. That is your baste and your injection.

Here you have a choice, and both work:

• Rosalie's way: baste and inject during the cook. Baste every 30 minutes, then at the 2 hour mark inject the breasts and legs with the butter for extra juiciness. You get a glossy, deeply flavored skin. Each lid opening costs heat, so plan on about 3 hours total.
• Crispest skin: inject before, then leave it alone. Inject the butter in a grid about every inch and a half across the breasts, thighs and drumsticks before the bird goes on, then keep the lid closed. You get crisper skin and a shorter cook, about 2 to 2.5 hours.

To inject cleanly, push the needle deep into the thickest part of the muscle, start the plunger and pull back slowly as you go so the butter spreads out instead of pooling. Keep the butter warm, not hot, so it flows without clogging the needle.

Step 6: Check the Temperature, Rest and Carve

Start checking about 30 minutes before you expect the bird to be done. The turkey is ready when the thickest part of the breast reads 165F, checked in a couple of spots and not touching bone. The thighs will be hotter, usually 175F or more, which is exactly where dark meat tastes best.

Move the turkey to a cutting board, tent it loosely with foil and rest it for 20 to 30 minutes. The juices settle back into the meat, and the bird stays plenty hot.

Carving a spatchcocked turkey is easy. Pull the legs and thighs off where they meet the body, separate drumsticks from thighs at the joint, take off the wings, then lift each breast half off the bone in one piece and slice it across the grain.

Smoked Spatchcock Turkey Times by Weight at 325F

These are planning ranges with the lid mostly closed. Basting every 30 minutes adds time, so lean toward the long end or add 20 to 30 minutes. Cook to temperature, not the clock.

Whole bird instead? See how long to smoke a turkey for the full chart, and our smoked turkey cheat sheet for thawing times and a backward timeline from dinner.

Make Gravy From the Drippings

Set a disposable pan under the grate, beneath the turkey, with a cup of stock in it so the drippings do not scorch. When the turkey comes off, pour the drippings into a measuring cup and let the fat rise. No fat separator? Use our zip-top bag trick to separate the fat from gravy. Simmer the drippings with stock made from the backbone and neck, then thicken with a little flour or cornstarch slurry.

Troubleshooting

• Rubbery skin. The skin was wet, the cooker was too cool, or there was butter on the outside. Dry the bird overnight, cook at 325F, and keep butter under the skin.
• Breast is done before the thighs. Turn the thighs toward the hotter side of the cooker next time, and make sure the bird is truly flat.
• Bitter or too smoky. Too much wood or a smoldering fire. Use less wood and get a clean, hot fire before the turkey goes on.
• Taking longer than expected. Cold weather, wind and lid opening all add time. Stop basting, close the lid and give it time. Never rush it by cutting the bird.
• Dry meat. Almost always overcooking. Pull at 165F in the breast. More fixes in how to keep smoked turkey moist.

Frequently Asked Questions

What temperature should you smoke a spatchcock turkey at?

We smoke spatchcocked turkey at 325F. It is hot enough to render and crisp the skin and still gives the bird a couple of hours of smoke. Lower temperatures like 225F or 250F work, but the skin tends to turn out rubbery unless you finish hot.

How long does it take to smoke a spatchcocked turkey?

At 325F, plan on about 2 to 2.5 hours for a 12 to 14 lb spatchcocked turkey if you keep the lid closed, and closer to 3 hours if you baste every 30 minutes. Always finish by temperature: 165F in the thickest part of the breast.

Do you flip a spatchcocked turkey on the smoker?

No. Cook it skin side up the whole time, on indirect heat. Flipping tears the skin and lets out heat, and the flat shape already cooks evenly.

Do you have to brine a spatchcocked turkey?

No, but it helps, especially for lean breast meat. Brine an untreated bird. If the label says enhanced, self-basting, pre-brined or injected, skip the brine and go light on salt everywhere else.

What wood is best for smoked spatchcock turkey?

Pitmaster Rosalie uses hickory. Apple and cherry are milder and give great color. Turkey takes on smoke quickly, so use a moderate amount of whichever wood you choose.

Can you spatchcock a turkey that is still partially frozen?

Not safely or easily. Thaw the turkey fully in the refrigerator first, about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds, then spatchcock it.

The Bottom Line

Flatten it, dry it, season it over and under the skin, and smoke it at 325F until the breast hits 165F. It is the fastest, most even, best-looking turkey you can pull off a smoker, and it leaves the oven free for everything else.

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