Traeger Smoked Spatchco*ck Turkey Recipe - Delicious Thanksgiving Meal (2024)

FAQs

Should I Spatchco*ck a turkey for Thanksgiving? ›

Spatchco*cking ensures even cooking and browning since the entirety of the skin and meat are exposed to even heat. Plus, with that shorter cooking time, you are especially guaranteed to have juicy, perfectly cooked turkey meat. Another perk of this method is easier carving.

Set the Traeger to 225°F and preheat with the lid closed for 15 minutes. Set the wire rack over a 4-inch-deep roasting dish and set the turkey on top, breast side-up. Close the lid and smoke the turkey until the thickest part of the breast reaches an internal temperature of 100°F to 110°F, about 2 to 2.5 hours.

This may seem obvious, but the turkey is a big bird. That means that when it's smoked, there's plenty of surface area to be infused with smoky flavor. That smoke, paired with the lemon zest and herbs of our Crazy Chick Lemon Garlic, will have your guests coming back for seconds, thirds and fourths.

Spatchco*cking is a great choice for a big bird, because it helps it smoke faster and makes it easier for you to get really juicy results.

But it can also be problematic. It takes up space in the oven, for one thing. Doesn't that bird know you have green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and rolls waiting in line? Plus it is often overcooked, and half the skin—which we want ultra crisp—is soaked and squidgy at the bottom of the bird.

When smoking at 225°F, it can take about 30 to 45 minutes to cook one pound of turkey. That means a 12-pound turkey should take at least six hours to cook in a smoker. To smoke your turkey faster, increase the smoker's temperature to 250°F to 275°F.

After 1 hour and 20 minutes of total cooking time from when the breast was placed on the grill, the turkey should be close to finishing. It is done when it registers 165°F in the thickest part of the leg (not touching bone) and in the thickest part of the breast (not touching bone).

A spatchco*cked whole turkey will cook more quickly than a standard turkey. While the spatchco*ck turkey cooking time will depend on the size and oven temperature, 6 minutes per pound is a good rule of thumb. Depending on the size of the turkey, cook times are estimated between 60-90 minutes.

Turkeys should be brined overnight, coated with fat only initially, and minimally seasoned. Brining keeps the turkey from drying out during the smoking process. Basting the turkey only results in soggy skin. Overly seasoning the skin just makes inedible skin – let the brine and aromatics add flavor.

Why not stuff a smoked turkey? ›

You Could Overstuff the Turkey

It will, however, make it even harder to get the stuffing to cook evenly, meaning you're even more likely to get a scorched bird—or wind up with salmonella-susceptible pockets of undercooked stuffing.

Butter makes your turkey better

You may not need to double brine, but you can still maximize the moisture of the meat with a butter layer. Stuffing salted butter between the skin and meat will help baste and season the meat as it cooks.

Smoke the turkey over low heat 225° - 275° F for approximately 11-13 minutes a pound. 9. Once the breast reaches 165°F, remove, cover loosely with foil, and allow to rest approximately 30 minutes.

A roasted spatchco*cked turkey is crispier, juicier, and quicker than a conventional whole bird, but you can cook a butterflied bird in plenty of other ways. If you want a different taste, you can smoke your spatchco*cked turkey.

For smoking turkey all year long, try hickory, pecan, and apple smoking wood. Our favorite wood chips and wood chunks are by Western Wood because they are kiln-dried and burn clean. Our favorite pellets for smoking turkey are B&B Pecan pellets or Jack Daniel's Pellets.

Spatchco*ck Ahead Of Time

To save yourself some roasting time, you can spatchco*ck your turkey the day before. Just set it onto a baking sheet and leave it in the fridge uncovered overnight. Rub it with a little salt for a dry brine and allow the cold air to dry up the skin. This results in the ultimate crispy skin.

Remove giblets and neck. Place turkey on cutting board, breast side down. Using sharp kitchen shears, cut along one side of the backbone, leaving a 2-inch wide strip, cut along opposite side and remove. Press on breast, down and towards outside.

A broken-down turkey roasts much faster than a whole one, cutting hours off your cooking time.

I love to cook poultry this way because of all the wins that are involved: you halve the cooking time but still get to keep the meat on the bone, meaning it retains all that delicious flavour.