Recipe and photos/videos by Chef Ross Lancon

Cooking a Thanksgiving Turkey doesn’t have to take all day when you opt for the spatchcock method! Spatchcocking refers to removing the spine and wishbone from a bird prior to cooking so it lies relatively flat. By doing so, we double the amount of surface area and cut the cooking time by half – and without ending up with a dry protein.

The only drawback to spatchcocking your turkey is you’ll lose the classic presentation. However, what you gain in flavor, quality of meat and time saved more than makes up for it!

For this spatchcock turkey recipe, we also opted for a medley of roasted vegetables and spices as our side dish, which includes carrots, fennel, potatoes, mushrooms, shallots and garlic. Hardy root veggies are best for this technique, so mix and match whichever you prefer! Fennel really makes an excellent addition to a roast due to its sweet floral taste. Just make sure you have a nice large cutting board for all of that veggie chopping!

To break down fennel into its different edible parts (fronds, stems and bulbs), first give them a good rinse and pat dry. Next, use a paring knife to remove the stems from the bulbs, then use your hands to pull off the leafy parts attached to the stems and set aside. Next, use a paring knife or peeler to peel off the outer layer of the stems. Then, grab your chef’s knife and cut the stems into sticks.

Next, grab that chef’s knife to easily slice through the bulbs in half. Then, use the tip of the knife to cut out and remove the core before slicing the halves into wedges. Now grab those leafy parts of the stem and roughly chop. 

For the potatoes, peel the skin and cut into quarters. Next, roughly chop the  rest of your veggies before tossing them all together in a casserole dish, then roast in the oven for about 45 minutes at 450 degrees. We prefer using the casserole dish because we like to add some stock to the veggies about halfway through cooking to add some extra flavor. To do this, you can use either vegetable or chicken stock to cover the veggies about halfway.

To prepare your roasted veggie medley and spatchcock your turkey, follow along with the video and/or steps below:

Step 1: Dry your turkey with paper towels so it doesn't slide around on your cutting board.

Step 2: Begin with removing the neck and discarding any organs stored in the body cavity. If there is excess skin around the neck, be sure to remove it so you have a clear view of the meat near the neck hole.

Step 3: Locate the wishbone indicated by a lighter shaded line and use your paring knife to carve against it. Make as many cuts as needed to ensure you’re getting all of that good meat against the bone.

Step 4: Use either a chef’s knife or kitchen shears to snip the bone at the two points that line up near the joints of the wings.

Step 5: Use your dominant hand to reach into the cavity and pull out the wishbone, then either discard or set the wishbone aside for the wish-making tradition.

Step 6: Roll the turkey onto its chest and pat dry, then use your chef’s knife to cut along the spine starting where the wishbone was removed.

Step 7: Use your paring knife to carve away the spine, cutting where the joints connect the bone.

Step 8: Snip the ribs using either a chef’s knife or kitchen shears. Also note, you should be working your way down the bird about a half an inch away from the spine. Once you finish one side, repeat on the other.

Step 9: Lay the bird breast up on your cutting board and press down with both hands. The breastbone should break, leaving your bird lying flat.

And there you have it – a spatchcocked turkey ready to be roasted in the oven, smoked in a smoker, or cooked on a grill! You can also use this method to make spatchcock chicken, cornish hen, duck and other poultry. 

When your ready to cook your turkey, preheat the oven to 450℉ and give it a good rub down with a spice rub (like our blood orange and thyme butter rub recipe included below). Then, simply roast for about 2 hours or until the internal temp reaches 160℉.

Enjoy your spatchcocked turkey and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

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Oven-Roasted Spatchcock Turkey With Blood Orange & Thyme Butter Rub

Ingredients for the Rub:

Instructions:

About the Recipe Creator

Louisiana native Chef Ross Lancon fell in love with the art of cooking at an early age. After graduating with a degree in Culinary Arts from Nicholls State University,

Chef Ross has gained experience in some of the top restaurants in New Orleans and Houston. His passion and knowledge of food shines through in his dishes. 

You can follow Chef Ross’s adventures on Instagram @rosslancon.