If you haven’t tried a smoked turkey, you are missing out! Brined, seasoned, and smoked to perfection, this Juicy Spatchcock Smoked Turkey will be your new favorite way to enjoy this large bird. So juicy (both the white and dark meat), flavorful, and perfect to feed a crowd.
This Traeger spatchcock turkey will be sure to become your favorite way to prepare turkey. Once you smoke turkey, you will never go back to more traditional ways of cooking this poultry. Great for Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner, or anytime you want to feed the family. I am going to walk you step by step on how to spatchcock a turkey and smoke it!
Why we love Spatchcock Smoked Turkey
- Juicy, moist, and flavorful
- Great way to feed a crowd
- Cooks more evenly and quicker than more traditional methods
I have probably ate more smoked turkey in the last year than I have in my whole adult life. Truly, it’s a fun cook and great if you are having friends over. We had a cold and rainy day but that didn’t stop us we busted out our sweet Traeger tent and got to cooking.
Tips for smoking a Spatchcocked Turkey
- Brine your bird for 24 hours!
- Make sure you leave time for defrosting your turkey.
- Use a trusty meat thermometer.
- Have a pair of poultry scissors or other sharp knife for easy spatchcocking.
Advantages of spatchcocking a turkey
This method sounds a little silly but once you do it you will understand. Basically the bones are broken down and the bird is spread out more evenly over your cooking grates. This allows for more smoke penetration and more even cooking. You can still roll low and slow and have a quicker cooking time for a smoked turkey.
How to make this Traeger Smoked Spatchcock Turkey Recipe
First start by defrosting your turkey. Then I like to make a brine and leave it in there for at least 24 hours. For the brine combine the water, hot honey, brown sugar, salt, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic in a pot and heat over medium-high heat on the stove. Whisk and let cook until ingredients have dissolved.
After that let the mixture come down to room temperature (or speed it up by adding ice to it). Make sure to remove the gizzards and the neck from the inside of your turkey cavity. Next add the turkey a large bucket or we have this Brining Bucket. Pour the brine mixture over the bird. If it doesn’t cover the bird add in some more water.
Then refrigerate over night. If you don’t have space in your refrigerator (like we don’t) we just added a bunch of ice to the bucket and kept it outside (cooler months).
How to Spatchcock a Turkey
Step 1: Cut & Remove backbone
Grab a pair of poultry shears or a butcher knife and remove the brined turkey to a cutting board. Place the turkey breast side down. Next cut along both sides of the backbone and remove.
Step 2: Flatten the turkey
Then flip the turkey back over and spread the legs out to the side. With your hands, press down firmly on the breasts until it cracks. If you need to make additional cuts to make the flattening more even, go for it.
Step 3: Season the turkey
Next I applied some mustard as a binder and rubbed it all over the outside of the bird. I tucked a few pads of butter under the skin as well. Then I liberally seasoned with some Traeger Fin & Feather and a couple other seasonings.
Then back in the refrigerator it went overnight. If you are shorter on time you can just season and then smoke it.
How long to smoke a spatchcock turkey
Of course every smoker is different and it will depend on your ability to keep the temperature consistent. plus the size of your bird will impact the timing of your cook.
When you are ready, pull the turkey out of the refrigerator and let sit out while you get the smoker up and running. We set ours to 225 degrees F. Once it was pre-heated we inserted a wireless meat thermometer into the turkey and placed the bird on the grate, breast side up and spread it out.
How long to smoke a turkey at 225
Close the lid and let smoke for a few hours (approximately 4 hours) until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. Then we increased the temperature of the smoker to 275 degrees F and let the turkey finish cooking to 165 degrees F for about an hour longer just to help crisp up the skin a bit.
When the turkey comes to temperature, carefully remove and let rest before slicing and serving!
How long to let a turkey rest before slicing?
Once the internal temperature is reached, it’s a great idea to let the turkey rest for about 20-30 minutes before serving. That way all of the juices go back to where they belong and it helps preserve the meats texture as well.
Make sure to checkout my review on the INKBIRD INT-11P-B Wireless Meat Thermometer!
What to serve with this smoked turkey:
- The Best Smoked Shells N Cheese
- Slow Cooker Zesty Baked Beans
- Easy Pumpkin Pie
- Smoked Berry Cherry Pie
Looking for leftover smoked turkey ideas?
Make sure to checkout my Leftover Turkey Pot Pie Recipe!
Make sure to PIN IT!
Spatchcock Smoked Turkey (Step by step)
Equipment
- 1 brining bucket or large bucket/pot
- 1 pair of poultry scissors or sharp knife
- 1 Meat thermometer
Materials
For the turkey brine
- 6 cups water
- 1 cup Salt
- 1/3 cup hot honey or regular
- 1/3 cup dark or regular brown sugar
- 1-2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 4 cloves garlic minced
For the turkey
- 1 15-20 lb. whole turkey
- 4 tbsp butter
- mustard
- Seasonings & rubs of choice
Instructions
For the turkey brine
- First start by defrosting your turkey. Combine the water, hot honey, brown sugar, salt, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic in a pot and heat over medium-high heat on the stove. Whisk and let cook until ingredients have dissolved.
- After that let the mixture come down to room temperature (or speed it up by adding ice to it). Make sure to remove the gizzards and the neck from the inside of your turkey cavity.
- Next add the turkey a large buck or we have this Brining Bucket. Pour the brine mixture over the bird. If it doesn't cover the bird add in some more cool water. Then refrigerate over night or for 24 hours.
How to spatchcock a turkey
- Grab a pair of poultry shears or a butcher knife and remove the brined turkey to a cutting board. Place the turkey breast side down. Next cut along both sides of the backbone and remove.
- Then flip the turkey back over and spread the legs out to the side. With your hands, press down firmly on the breasts until it cracks. If you need to make additional cuts to make the flattening more even, go for it.
- Next I applied some mustard as a binder and rubbed it all over the outside of the bird. I tucked a few pads of butter under the skin as well. Then I liberally seasoned with some Traeger Fin & Feather and a couple other seasonings/ rubs. You can either continue to the smoking process or we put it back in the refrigerator overnight until we were ready to smoke.
- When you are ready, pull the turkey out of the refrigerator and let sit out while you get the smoker up and running. We set ours to 225 degrees F. Once it was pre-heated we inserted a wireless meat thermometer into the turkey and placed the bird on the grate, breast side up and spread it out.
- Close the lid and let smoke for a few hours (approximately 4 hours) until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F.
- Then we increased the temperature of the smoker to 275 degrees F and let the turkey finish cooking to 165 degrees F for about an hour longer just to help crips up the skin a bit.
- When the turkey comes to temperature, carefully remove and let rest 20-30 minutes before slicing and serving!
