This grilled Spatchcock Turkey recipe is so amazingly tasty you are going to want to make it all year round. Turkey doesn’t have to be just for special holidays! The mix of herbs and spices that make up the seasoning really brings out the flavors of the turkey.
We love turkey here at BBQing With The Nolands. If you are looking for some other turkey recipes, you need to check out this Smoked Turkey recipe! If you are cooking for a small crowd, this Southwest Grilled Turkey Breast is a quick easy way to get your turkey fix all year round!
Yes, you have to prepare your bird a day or 2 in advance. But when it’s time to cook your turkey, you can have it cooked and ready to eat in under 2 hours! Plus, because it is cooked on the grill, you have much less mess to clean. It’s a win-win!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Easy to make
- Cooks in much less time than a traditional oven roasted turkey
- Juicy and flavorful
- Elegant Sunday dinner
- Classic comfort food
- Looks amazing
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What do You need to make this grilled Spatchcock turkey?
There are really three parts to this recipe. First, you have to spatchcock and season the turkey. Then you have to let it rest in the refrigerator. Finally comes the grilling, which takes much less time than you might think.
INGREDIENTS
TUrkey
- Whole turkey – You want an 11 – 13 pound bird. If it is too large it may not fit on your grill.
- Kosher salt – I always use Kosher salt when I’m cooking, but it is a must for this recipe. Table and sea salt are much saltier and will ruin the taste of your turkey. If you must use table or sea salt, use less than half of the amount specified in the ingredients.
- Fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary – Fresh herbs add great flavor to any recipe. If you can’t find fresh herbs you can use dried. General rule of thumb: you should use about 1/3 of the amount called for if you are substituting dry herbs for fresh.
- Fresh ground pepper – I always use fresh ground pepper whenever I can; it does make a difference.
- Smoked paprika – Bumps up the smoky flavor and adds that special taste to the turkey.
- Zest of an orange and a lemon – The citrus flavors help to liven up all the other herbs and spices in the rub.
Basting Butter
- Salted butter – Adds a extra layer of flavor to the outside of the turkey.
- Fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary – Fresh is best but dried herbs also will work. Remember, use 1/3 of the amount when substituting dry herbs.
TUrkey GraVY
- Turkey broth – Make your own using the giblets and the backbone.
- Butter – If you use unsalted butter, you will have to add more salt when adjusting the seasoning.
- AP flour – To thicken the gravy.
- Apple cider vinegar – Adds a hint of acid to the gravy to brighten the taste.
How do I prepare my Grilled spatchcock turkey?
Start by spatchcocking your turkey. Although you can get your butcher to do this if you have a fresh turkey. If your turkey is frozen and you have thawed it, you will need to do this yourself. Not to worry! It is really quite simple.
Starting with a thawed turkey, remove the giblets and the neck from the turkey cavity. These are great for making turkey stock. Set them aside and boil them with the backbone to make turkey stock.
Rinse the turkey both inside and out, then pat it dry with paper towels. Place the turkey breast side down on a baking sheet.
Firmly hold the turkey with one hand, and, using a pair of strong kitchen shears, cut down the back just to the right of the backbone. Rotate the turkey and repeat, cutting down the left side close to the backbone. Remove the bone and set it aside with the giblets to make the stock for turkey gravy.
Now turn the turkey over so that the breast side is facing up. With both hands, press down hard in the center of the breast until you hear a snap. Once the breast bone is broken the turkey should lay flat.
Now it’s time to make up the rub for your bird. In a small bowl, combine the Kosher salt, sage, thyme, rosemary, fresh ground pepper, orange and lemon zest.
Lift the skin of the turkey and liberally apply the rub under the skin as best you can. Then rub the entire outside of the turkey using all the rub. You can even season the underside of the turkey.
Arrange the turkey on the baking sheet so the legs are pointed away from each other. Tuck the wings back behind the turkey.
Put the turkey in the fridge, uncovered, for at least 24 hours; you can leave it for up to 48 hours. This process helps to dry out the skin, which will give you a nice crispy skin when you grill your bird.
Cooking your turkey on the grill
You are going to want to remove the turkey from the fridge an hour or two before you grill it. This will help the turkey cook more evenly on the grill.
While the turkey is coming to room temperature, you can make the basting butter. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped herbs and allow it to gently simmer for 1 – 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. If the butter begins to solidify before you use it, you can gently re-warm it.
To make the turkey stock, add the giblets and backbone to a stock pot. You can add some sliced vegetables like a carrot, celery or onion if you like. Pour in 5 – 6 cups of water and simmer for about 2 hours. Strain the liquid and set it aside to make the gravy.
Preheat your grill for 10 – 15 minutes. Set up the grill using the indirect cooking method. Have one side of the grill hot and the other side where the turkey is on low heat.
Once the grill is preheated, place the turkey breast side up on the cooler side of the grill. Baste the turkey with the butter and close the lid. You want to keep the temperature of the grill as close to 350 degrees F as you can; it’s ok if it gets a little hotter.
Baste the turkey with the butter every 20 – 30 minutes. Continue cooking until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 165 degrees F. using an instant read thermometer. This should take about 90 – 110 minutes, depending upon the size of your turkey.
Once the internal temperature is reached, remove the turkey from the grill and allow it to rest on a clean baking sheet for about 20 – 30 minutes before carving or moving to a serving platter.
While the turkey is resting you can make the gravy. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth and the mixture turns slightly brown in color. Slowly add the turkey stock, whisking to combine. Add the apple cider vinegar and simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens 7 – 9 minutes.
Adjust the seasoning, adding salt and fresh ground pepper as needed. Keep warm and serve with the grilled spatchcock turkey.
Doesn’t that look absolutely delicious? Best of all it cooks in under 2 hours. You can do the same thing using a whole chicken too!
Pin it HERE!!
Pin it HERE!!
Grilled Spatchcock Turkey
Ingredients
- 12 pound turkey
- 3 tablespoons Kosher Salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Zest of 1 orange
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 onion, cut into large chucks
- 1 carrot, large sliced
- 2 celery stalks, large sliced
Basting Butter
- ½ cup salted butter
- ½ tablespoon fresh sage chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped
Turkey Gravy
- 4 cups turkey broth
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp AP flour
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Set aside the giblets and neck from inside the turkey cavity to use to make the turkey broth for the gravy.
- Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold water. Use paper towels to dry the turkey really well both inside and outside of the turkey.
- Place the turkey on a baking sheet and turn the turkey so the breast side is down and the back is up. Firmly hold the turkey with one hand and use a pair of sharp and strong kitchen shears to cut down the back just to the right of the backbone. Rotate the turkey and cut the left side close to the backbone as well. Remove the bone and set aside to make stock for gravy.
- Turn the turkey back to breast side up and press with both hands in the center pretty firmly until you hear a snap and the turkey lays flat. Tuck the legs and thighs so they lay nicely.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, sage, thyme, rosemary, pepper, and the zest of the orange and lemon.
- Lift the skin on the turkey and liberally apply your spice rub under the skin all over. Rub the rest of the seasoning mix over the outside of the turkey generously. Use all of your seasoning and rub even on the underside of the turkey. Arrange the turkey so the legs are pointed away from each other. Tuck the wings back behind the turkey.
- Put the turkey uncovered in the fridge for at least 24 hours or up to 2 days. This will help the skin dry out and help you get a crispy skin when grilling.
- While the turkey is in the fridge you can make the turkey stock. In a stock pot, add the giblets, neck, backbone, onion, carrot, and celery. Pour in 5 – 6 cups of water and simmer for 2-3 hours.
- Let the stock cool, then strain through a fine sieve and refrigerate in an air-tight container until ready to use.
- Remove the turkey from the fridge and let it set out of the fridge for 1 – 2 hours before you grill it. This will help the turkey to cook more evenly if it’s not put on the grill directly from the cold fridge.
- During this resting time, you can make the basting butter. Set a small saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the chopped herbs and simmer for 1 – 2 minutes. Remove from heat, but if the butter solidifies before needing to use it, rewarm it gently.
- When ready to grill, turn 2 burners on medium-high heat (not the side where you will have the turkey.) Preheat the grill for about 10 – 15 minutes. You’re aiming to keep the inside of the grill at about 350 F. Once the grill is heated, add the turkey, breast side up, and baste the turkey with butter. Close the lid and grill for 20 minutes, maintaining the temperature around 350F. Baste every 20-30 minutes until the thickest part of the breast reaches 165F with a thermometer. This will take about 90 – 110 minutes, depending on the size of turkey you use.
- Remove fully-cooked turkey to a clean baking sheet to rest for 30 minutes before slicing or moving to a serving platter.
- While the turkey is resting, make the gravy. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth.
- Slowly pour in the turkey stock while whisking constantly. Bring to a boil and simmer for 7 – 9 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached.
- Serve garnished with halved oranges, citrus fruits, and fresh herbs.
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