Dry Brined Spatchcock Turkey

Every Thanksgiving, the pressure is on to deliver the perfect turkey. But with all the different recipes and techniques out there, it can be tough to know where to start. If you’re looking for a method that guarantees a moist, flavorful, and crispy turkey, then dry brining and spatchcocking is the way to go.

Whether you’re a seasoned cook or a novice in the kitchen, dry brining and spatchcocking your turkey is the ultimate way to achieve a moist, flavorful, and crispy Thanksgiving feast. This simple yet effective method ensures that your turkey cooks evenly and develops a rich, savory taste that will have your guests asking for seconds.

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Want To Make My Dry-Brined Spatchcock Turkey
• Equipment – Here’s What You’ll Need to Spatchcock the Turkey
• Steps to Spatchcock a Turkey
• Ingredients – Here’s What You’ll Need For The Dry Brine
• Steps To Making the Dry Brine
• Ingredients – Here’s What You’ll Need to Roast the Turkey
• Steps To Roasting the Turkey
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Recipe Tips And Tricks
• Side dished to serve with my Dry Brined Spatchcocked Turkey
• Recipe

Why You’ll Want To Make My Dry-Brined Spatchcock Turkey

• Moist and flavorful turkey: Dry brining helps to draw out moisture from the turkey, which is then reabsorbed, resulting in a moist and flavorful bird.

• Reduced cooking time: Spatchcocking reduces cooking time by up to 30%, so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your family.

Equipment – Here’s What You’ll Need to Spatchcock the Turkey

• Large Cutting Board: The one I used measures 15×20 inches. You’ll want one that gives you an extra-large surface area to work with. Also, you should place a damp towel, larger than the cutting board, underneath the cutting board so it doesn’t slip around while you’re working. The towel will also help absorb any juice that comes off the turkey while spatchcocking it.

• Vinyl Gloves: Let’s face it, a raw turkey is disgusting and full of bacteria. Wearing vinyl gloves when working with raw turkey is essential for preventing the spread of harmful bacteria and ensuring food safety. Vinyl gloves act as a barrier between your skin and the raw turkey, preventing direct contact and reducing the risk of contamination. Just ensure the gloves you use are food-safe and do not contain any powder. Also, make sure you wear them whenever you touch the raw turkey.

• Heavy-Duty Kitchen Shears: Regular kitchen shears will not work; you need something substantial to cut through the turkey’s backbone. I ordered a pair of heavy-duty poultry shears from Amazon, and they worked like a charm.

• Paper Towels: There is going to be a lot of liquid coming off your turkey and you’ll want to use paper towels to help combat the bacteria-laden juices. I probably went through about half a roll by the time I was finished.

• Half Size Hotel Pan: I used a half-size 4-inch deep stainless steel pan to thaw my turkey in. You don’t have to use specifically what I used, but you will want to place your turkey into a large pan while it’s thawing in your fridge. After mine had thawed, about a cup of liquid was in the bottom of the pan. And trust me, you do not want your fridge contaminated by turkey juices. A disposable foil pan would also work for this.

• Turkey: I bought a frozen 10-pound L’il Butterball. Interestingly, after it had thawed and I had removed everything from inside, it only weighed 7.85 pounds. While you can technically spatchcock a turkey of any size, you should know that 12-13 pounds is the maximum that will fit on the size pan you’ll be using.
  
• 12×18 inch Baking Pan: You will want to roast your turkey in a pan that is deep enough to put the aromatics in the bottom, while also ensuring that the wire rack that’s holding the turkey is not touching the aromatics. This site pan will fit a half sheet pan wire rack perfectly.
  
• Half Sheet Pan Wire Rack: You will be using the same rack for both the dry brining and the roasting. Make sure it fits snugly in the top of your baking pan and not the bottom. This is to make sure there is room between the turkey and the aromatics that will be placed in the bottom the pan while it’s roasting, as well as ensuring good airflow during roasting.
  

Steps to Spatchcock a Turkey

1. Place your frozen turkey in a large deep pan and set in your refrigerator to thaw. Your thawing time will vary depending on the size of your turkey, the temperature of your fridge as well as how full it is. All the experts say one day for every 4-5 pounds of weight. However, mine took four days to thaw, and there was still some ice inside the cavity. Also, I had about a cup of turkey juice that had accumulated in the bottom of the pan.
   
   Once your turkey has thawed, drain the liquid from the bottom of the pan and return the turkey to the pan. Then, wearing vinyl gloves, carefully remove the wrappings from the turkey because more liquid is going to come out of the wrappings and you’ll need the pan to collect them. Stick your hand inside both ends of the bird and remove whatever is inside. Mine included the neck, a giblets package, and a package to make gravy.
   
   Lay a damp kitchen towel down on your counter and then place your extra large cutting board on top. Try to use a kitchen towel that is larger than your cutting board. This will help absorb any juice that might run off the cutting board. Then place several layers of paper towels down on your cutting board. This is to absorb the liquid that will come off the turkey and prevent it from slipping around while removing the backbone. Then place your turkey breast side down on the paper towels.

2. Next, using heavy-duty kitchen shears, cut along one side of the backbone. It took me about five cuts to get through one side.

3. Once you have cut through one side of the backbone, repeat the same method on the other side.

4. Then after you have successfully cut through both sides of the backbone, you can either discard it or save it if you’re planning to make turkey soup with the carcass.

5. Next, flip your turkey over so it’s breast side up. Place one hand in the center of the breast, your other hand on top of it, and press down hard until you hear the bone crack.

Ingredients – Here’s What You’ll Need For The Dry Brine

• Kosher Salt: Builds flavors that penetrate the meat of the turkey while also maintaining juiciness.

• Light Brown Sugar: A lot of dry brine recipes do not call for sugar, but I think that is a mistake. Sugar is essential for both its browning capabilities and its flavor-enhancing properties. Sugar also helps cut down the saltiness of the dry brine, and it is essential if you’re using a turkey that has been processed in a solution like mine was.

• Dried Rubbed Sage, Dried Thyme, Dried Rosemary, Garlic Powder: These spices will add flavor, tenderness, and moisture to your meat.

Steps To Making the Dry Brine

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the Kosher salt, light brown sugar, dried rubbed sage, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and garlic powder.

2. After you have combined all of the spices for the dry brine, rub the mixture evenly over your spatchcocked turkey.

3. To prepare your pan for the turkey, place several layers of paper towels in the bottom of a large roasting pan or baking dish fitted with a wire rack. The turkey is going to give off a lot of moisture while it’s dry brining, and the paper towels will help absorb the moisture. Then place your turkey on top of the rack. You do not want your turkey lying on the bottom of the pan because this will prevent it from drying out. The turkey will give off a lot of moisture while it’s dry brining, and the paper towels will help absorb it.

4. Then wrap the entire thing in several layers of plastic wrap and place in the fridge for two days, or about 48 hours. After two days, take the turkey out of the fridge and remove the plastic wrap. Then return it to the fridge, uncovered for one more day or about 24 hours.

Ingredients – Here’s What You’ll Need to Roast the Turkey

• Unsalted Butter, Olive Oil, and Freshly Ground Pepper: These are combined and rubbed all over the turkey before roasting to give it a nice and crispy skin.

• Oranges and Lemons: These give your turkey an extra layer of flavor. Plus, they add moisture to your turkey as it cooks.

• Onion, Celery, and Carrots: The veggies add flavor and also keep the turkey moist as they steam.

• Fresh Rosemary, Fresh Sage, Fresh Thyme, Whole Black Peppercorns: Using the same fresh herbs you used in the dry brine will help enhance the flavor of the meat.

Steps To Roasting the Turkey

1. Remove your turkey from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. You want to make sure the turkey is not cold when you spread the butter mixture all over it, Otherwise, the butter will not spread well. Then line a large deep roasting pan with heavy-duty foil. This will help with the cleanup after the turkey has roasted. Cut the oranges and lemons into wedges. Cut the onion into wedges and separate the layers. Cut the carrots and celery into about 2-inch pieces. Next, place all of them into the bottom of your prepared pan, along with the fresh herbs and whole black peppercorns.

2. In a small bowl combine the butter, olive oil, and freshly ground black pepper.

3. While wearing gloves, spread the butter all over the turkey. If the turkey is too cold the butter will not spread very well.

4. Next pick up the rack that the turkey is on and place it into the prepared pan. Roast the turkey in a 325°F oven for anywhere between 2-3 ½ hours depending on the size of your bird. My turkey was 7.85 pounds and it cooked for 2 hours and 5 minutes. Use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh to check the doneness of the turkey. The internal temperature should reach 165°F.

5. After the turkey is thoroughly cooked, remove it from the oven, cover it with a large piece of heavy-duty foil, and let it rest for about 30 minutes before carving. It should be noted that the turkey skin will likely lose its crispiness once you cover it with foil. It’s more important that the turkey rest under the foil than for it to have crispy skin.

6. After the turkey has rested, place it on a large carving board.

7. Remove the leg and thigh quarters one at a time.

8. Then remove both wings.

9. Next, remove both sides of the breast from the carcass.

10. Then cut the breast into slices.

With its ease of preparation, impressive results, and a myriad of benefits, dry brining, and spatchcocking is the go-to technique for a Thanksgiving turkey that is sure to impress your loved ones.

So, embrace this culinary trick and let your turkey take center stage, showcasing its moist and flavorful perfection. Happy Thanksgiving!

Frequently Asked Questions

Recipe Tips And Tricks

• Use a wire rack when roasting the turkey to allow for even air circulation.

• Let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes, covered with foil, before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute.

• Tuck the wing tips under the turkey so they don’t burn during roasting.

• Line your roasting pan with heavy-duty foil for easy cleanup.

• Use a meat thermometer to check the doneness of the turkey. The internal temperature should reach 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh.

• You should thaw your turkey in the refrigerator, in its original packaging, and placed in a pan. The turkey will give off a lot of liquid in thawing, and you do not want it contaminating your fridge.

Side dished to serve with my Dry Brined Spatchcocked Turkey

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