Description
A spatchcocked turkey is popular because it cooks evenly and more quickly. This perfectly cooked turkey is sure to impress your friends and family.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Equipment Needed
- Baking sheet
- Instant-read thermometer or meat thermometer
- Kitchen shears
- Sharp knives
- Smoker or pellet grill
- Wood chucks or wood chips (hickory, mesquite, or pecan)
Ingredient List
- 15–pound turkey
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed rosemary
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 tsp sage
- 1/2 tsp celery salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Locate any parts you need to remove from the turkey, including the gizzard and neck parts
- Use kitchen shears to carve the left side of the turkey’s backbone. Repeat this for the right side of the backbone.
- Flatten your turkey. Press on the turkey to crack the breastbone so the bird lays flat.
- Season your turkey by mixing all the dry rub ingredients together in a mixing bowl and liberally covering the surface of the turkey. Let it sit at room temperature as you prepare your smoker.
- Preheat the Traeger smoker or pellet grill to 275°F. Place a drip pan beneath the grill grates to collect turkey drippings.
- Place the bird on the grill grates and allow the bird to smoke. Baste occasionally with any collected drippings. Continue to cook until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the turkey reads 165 degrees F.
- Rotate the turkey once during the cook time for even cooking. The turkey is done once a meat thermometer reads 165°F when placed in the thickest part of the meat.
- After smoking the turkey, remove it from the heat and let it rest, covered in aluminum foil for around 10 minutes. Resting helps to ensure the meat is juicy and succulent. The rest period allows the juices in the meat to reabsorb, making for a more succulent bird.
- Carve and serve the turkey as a delicious centerpiece of your feast with your favorite side dishes like dinner rolls or sweet potato casserole!
Notes
You can store your leftover turkey in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or keep them in the freezer to eat later.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 ounces
- Calories: 192
- Sodium: 2040mg
- Fat: 5.1g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2g
- Protein: 23.1g
- Cholesterol: 93mg