People always tell me turkey is the worst part of the holiday plate. They'll load up on the mac and cheese, the candied yams, and the collard greens, then skip the bird altogether. Honey, the dry turkey stops here. I rub this one with a citrus and brown sugar dry brine the night before, cut out the backbone so it lies flat, and roast it at 450°F, so the breast and thighs finish together in about 90 minutes instead of three or four hours.
When I was testing recipes, we tried an unbrined bird just to see the difference, and y'all, ever had food so bad it makes you angry? That turkey was disrespectful.
Every bit of the meat was dry and flavorless and everybody hated it, even though the only thing I'd left out was the dry brine. The first time I nailed the dry brined version, my husband looked at me and said, "The juice from this turkey is ridiculous!" He was shocked, I was shocked, and I knew we had our winner.
Jump to:
What’s in My Turkey Brine and Butter
Full ingredients, measurements, and printable instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Citrus zest - I use a mix of orange, lemon, and lime, but one kind works just fine. The oils in the zest are what flavor the skin, so zest it finely.
- Kosher salt - I use Diamond Crystal brand. Morton kosher salt is close to twice as salty cup for cup, so if that's what's what you have, weigh it instead (the grams are in the card). The amount may look high next to other recipes, but on a spatchcocked bird it's seasoning the back and front.
- Light brown sugar - this helps the skin brown evenly and adds a little sweetness against the citrus.
- Turkey - get one between 13 and 16 pounds. A 14-pound bird feeds about 10, and I don’t go bigger than 16 because a larger turkey won’t fit on a rimmed baking sheet and the timing gets harder to control. If you’re feeding more than 12, roast two smaller birds at the same time.
For the Holiday Herb Butter
- Clarified butter or ghee - regular butter has milk solids that burn at 450°F and water that steams the skin instead of crisping it, so I always clarify mine. You'll find it at the grocery store as ghee, too. If you'd rather skip it, a high smoke point oil like peanut, avocado, or grapeseed works.
- Fresh herbs - I use the classic Thanksgiving blend of thyme, rosemary, and sage, but if I could only pick one, it'd be sage for that holiday flavor.
How I Spatchcock a Turkey
Step 1
Flip the bird!
Pull out the pop-up timer if your turkey came with one, since those don't pop until it's well past done. Then set the turkey breast side down on your work surface so the backbone faces up and the tail end is toward you.
Step 2
Start snipping one side.
Get a good grip on the turkey and cut up one side of the backbone with poultry shears, starting at the tail end. If the turkey is slippery, hold it with a paper towel.
Step 3
Remove the spine.
Cut down the other side to free the backbone completely. Save it with the neck and giblets for turkey stock and gravy, but cut the tail off first, since it holds glands that can taste unpleasant.
Step 4
Flip + flatten out.
FFlip the turkey breast side up and press down on the center of the breast with the heel of your hand until the breastbone cracks and the bird lies flat. Set it on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet with the thighs spread out to the sides.
Dry Brining and Roasting the Turkey
Start the dry brine at least the night before. Plan to pull the turkey out of the fridge about 3 hours before dinner. The long rest at the end frees up the oven for your sides, like my crispy mini hasselback potatoes and candied yams.
Step 1
Get that rub on there and dry brine overnight
Mix the dry brine mixture together and rub the mixture all over the turkey on all sides, both on the turkey skin and the exposed cavity of the turkey.
I dry brine instead of wet brining because there’s no bucket hogging the fridge and nothing to rinse off before it roasts. Dry brine overnight at least, but I've gone 3 days without a problem!
Step 2
Cover in buttah, baby.
Take the turkey out of the fridge 30 minutes to an hour before roasting so the skin doesn't tear, and melt the clarified butter with the herbs while it sits. Pat the skin dry, wiping off any salt that's left (don't rinse it, or you'll undo all that drying), then brush the herb butter into every nook and cranny.
Step 3
Roast + rest.
Roast it hot, no basting needed, until an instant-read thermometer in the thigh says it's ready, tent the breast with foil if it browns too fast, then give it a good long rest before carving.
Skip the pan drippings, and don't bake dressing under the rack, since the dry brine makes them too salty. I make my gravy from homemade stock made with the backbone and neckbones. Gravy is technically optional, but is it really?
Step 4
Carve + serve!
The thighs and legs pull away easily. Take each breast off the bone in one piece, then slice it to serve, and save the bones for stock. If you'd like to see it done, J. Kenji López-Alt's carving video walks through it.
What Readers Say About This Turkey Recipe
"I have been cooking turkeys for over 50 years and this was far and away the best turkey I have ever cooked or eaten." - Ann
"I was amazed that the beautiful flavors from the dry brine and herb butter went all the way through the meat." - Marla
"This is the third year in a row making this turkey for my Friendsgiving and it is always a hit!" - Jorie
Roasting This Spatchcock Turkey on a Gas Grill
A grill is basically an oven outdoors, so the method doesn't change. Heat it to 450°F, same as the oven, and cook the turkey over indirect heat on a grill-safe baking sheet with the wire rack so the drippings don't cause flare-ups. Watch the thickest part of the thigh with a probe thermometer.
Equipment I Used
These are my main tools for this recipe, they make every step much easier.
Craving more cozy recipes? Sign up for the Sweet Tea & Thyme newsletter, save this recipe with the Pin button. If you whip it up, tag me (@sweet_tea_thyme on IG/@sweetteaandthyme on TikTok) and don’t forget to leave a star rating and note below, it helps more than you know, friend.
Citrus Dry Brined Spatchcock Turkey with Herb Butter
Ingredients
- 1 (13 lb-16 lb) whole turkey, giblet bag and neck removed
Citrus Dry Brine
- 2 large oranges, finely zested
- 3 lemons, finely zested
- 2 limes, finely zested
- ⅓ cup kosher salt
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
Herb Butter
- 8 tablespoon clarified butter or ghee, or other high heat oil like peanut oil, avocado oil, etc.
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, off the stem and finely chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves, off the stem and finely chopped
- 4 sage leaves, finely chopped
Instructions
Spatchcock the Turkey
- If you’d like, cut out the wishbone from the neck end of the turkey with a sharp paring knife.1 (13 lb-16 lb) whole turkey
- Pull out the pop-up timer if there is one, then set the turkey breast side down with the backbone facing up. Starting at the tail end, cut up both sides of the backbone with poultry shears and remove it. Cut the tail off the backbone and save it for turkey stock.
- Flip the turkey breast side up and press firmly on the center of the breast with the heel of your hand until the breastbone cracks and the turkey lies flat. Spread the thighs out to the sides.
Make the Citrus Dry Brine
- In a small bowl, mix the orange, lemon, and lime zest with the kosher salt, brown sugar, and black pepper.2 large oranges, 3 lemons, 2 limes, ⅓ cup kosher salt, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
- Pat the turkey dry with paper towels, then rub the brine over all of the skin and the exposed underside. Set the turkey on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate it uncovered for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.
Make the Clarified Herb Butter
- Melt the clarified butter with the chopped thyme, rosemary, and sage in a small saucepan over low heat or in the microwave. Set aside, or make it ahead and rewarm.8 tablespoon clarified butter or ghee, 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves, 4 sage leaves
Roast the Turkey
- Take the turkey out of the fridge 30 minutes to 1 hour before roasting so the skin doesn't tear, and preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Pat the skin completely dry with paper towels, wiping off any visible salt, then brush the herb butter over all of the skin.
- Roast the turkey on the wire rack and baking sheet for 90 to 110 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F (74°C). If the breast browns too quickly, tent it loosely with foil.
- Let the turkey rest for 45 minutes, then carve and serve. Discard the pan drippings, which are too salty from the dry brine to use for gravy (or may be completely evaporated).1 (13 lb-16 lb) whole turkey
Recipe Notes
- If your turkey is frozen: give it 24 hours in the fridge for every 4 pounds, and plan for it to be fully thawed before the brine goes on. For a 16-pound bird and a Thursday dinner, that means it comes out of the freezer by Saturday for an overnight brine, or by the Friday before for the full 2-day brine. The USDA's guide to thawing a turkey has the full chart.
- Salt: the measurements are based on Diamond Crystal kosher salt. Morton is close to twice as salty cup for cup, so weigh it if that's what you have.
- Turkey size: use a 13- to 16-pound turkey. For more than 12 people, roast two smaller turkeys at the same time.
- Thawing: thaw a frozen turkey in the fridge for 24 hours per 4 pounds so it's fully thawed before the brine goes on.
- Pop-up timers: pull it out. Most pop at around 180°F, so go by your thermometer instead.
- Grill info: heat it to 450°F and roast it over indirect heat on a grill-safe baking sheet with the wire rack and watch the thigh with a probe thermometer.
- Carving: J. Kenji López-Alt's carving video walks through it.
Leave a Reply