Spatchcocked Smoked Turkey

A whole turkey smoked upright is slow and uneven: the breast dries out while the legs catch up. Cutting out the backbone and laying the bird flat fixes most of that. The thighs sit closer to the heat, the breast cooks at the same pace, and a 12-pound bird finishes in about three hours. The brine seasons the meat through, the butter baste keeps the skin supple, and a honey-mustard glaze brushed on at the very end gives the skin a sticky, tangy finish that smoked turkey usually lacks.

His published version uses an overnight wet brine made from his own branded product and his branded rub. We switched to a dry brine of plain kosher salt and brown sugar. It needs no bucket or fridge space for gallons of liquid, and the skin dries out while it sits, which helps it brown. The rub is a pantry blend with no added salt, since the brine already supplies it. Our glaze uses whole-grain mustard and cider vinegar for a sharper edge. And every stage is tied to a thermometer reading, with the breast and thigh checked separately.

• Smoker, kettle grill or pellet grill with a grate wide enough for a flattened bird
• Heavy kitchen shears or poultry shears
• Leave-in probe thermometer, plus an instant-read thermometer
• Rimmed baking sheet with a wire rack, for dry brining in the fridge
• Basting brush and a small saucepan
• Large cutting board and a sharp carving knife

For the turkey and dry brine

• 1 whole turkey, 10–13 lb, fully thawed, giblets removed
• 3 tbsp kosher salt (use 2 tbsp if your salt is a dense, fine-grained brand)
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar

Rub (no salt)

• 1 tbsp coarse black pepper
• 2 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried thyme or rubbed sage
• ¼ tsp cayenne, optional

Baste and glaze

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, for basting
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp whole-grain mustard
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp butter
• A pinch of black pepper

1. Thaw in the fridge

A frozen turkey needs several days in the fridge to thaw. Plan backwards from cook day, and see our turkey thawing and storage guide for the timings and safe shortcuts.

2. Spatchcock

Set the bird breast side down. Cut along both sides of the backbone with shears and lift it out; keep it for stock. Flip the turkey, spread the legs and press hard on the breastbone with the heel of your hand until it cracks and the bird lies flat. Tuck the wing tips behind the breast.

3. Dry brine for 12–24 hours

Mix the salt and brown sugar. Loosen the skin over the breast and thighs with your fingers and rub about a third of the mix directly onto the meat. Season the rest of the bird all over, inside and out. Set it skin side up on the rack over the baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered for 12–24 hours.

4. Heat the smoker to 275°F

Set up for indirect heat at 275°F. Turkey takes on smoke easily, so use a milder wood such as apple, cherry, pecan or oak, and only a few chunks on a charcoal cooker.

5. Season and load

Pat the skin dry with paper towels. Brush on a thin coat of the melted butter, then sprinkle the rub evenly over the skin side. Lay the turkey skin side up with the legs toward the hotter side of the cooker. Insert a leave-in probe into the thickest part of the breast.

6. Smoke and baste

Leave the lid shut for the first hour. After that, brush on more melted butter every 45 minutes, working quickly so the cooker keeps its heat.

7. Glaze near the end

While the turkey cooks, warm the honey, mustard, vinegar, butter and pepper in a small pan until smooth. When the breast reads about 155°F, brush the glaze over the skin. Keep cooking until the breast and the thickest part of the thigh both read at least 165°F, usually 15–20 minutes more. The glaze should look tacky and set.

8. Rest and carve

Move the turkey to a board, tent it loosely with foil and rest for 20–30 minutes. Remove the legs at the joint and split them into drumsticks and thighs. Cut each breast off the bone in one piece, then slice it across the grain.

Check more than one spot in both breasts and both thighs, keeping the probe tip off the bone. Our smoked turkey temperature guide covers probe placement in more detail.

A 10–13 lb spatchcocked turkey usually takes 2.5 to 3.5 hours at 275°F. Add 12–24 hours of dry brining the day before, 30 minutes to season and load, and 20–30 minutes of rest. Wind, cold weather and a heavier bird all push the cook longer, so start an hour earlier than you think you need and keep the finished turkey tented while the sides come together.

Colour is not a reliable sign that poultry is safe, so use these signs for texture and timing only. The thermometer decides when it is done.

• The skin is deep amber, taut and dry to the touch before the glaze goes on
• The drumsticks move loosely when you wiggle them
• The glaze is sticky and set, with no wet shine running off

• Wet brine instead: dissolve ½ cup kosher salt and ¼ cup brown sugar in 1 gallon of cold water, submerge the flattened bird and refrigerate 8–12 hours, then rinse and dry well
• Turkey breast only: a bone-in breast follows the same steps and usually finishes in 1.5–2.5 hours
• Different glaze: maple syrup works in place of honey, and Dijon gives a smoother glaze than whole-grain mustard
• Chicken: the same method suits a spatchcocked chicken, which finishes in roughly 1.5 hours

Raw poultry keeps only 1 to 2 days in the fridge, so time the thaw and dry brine to land inside that window. Once cooked, do not leave turkey out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Carve the meat off the bone and refrigerate it in shallow containers. It keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge, or 2 to 6 months in the freezer for best quality. Reheat leftovers to 165°F. Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service and FoodSafety.gov. If leftovers smell or feel off, check our guide on how to tell if turkey is bad.