It's 1 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. The turkey has been in the oven since 10, the sweet potatoes are waiting on the counter, the stuffing is still raw in its dish, and someone just asked when the rolls go in. There's one oven, and the bird isn't giving it back anytime soon.
This is not your fault. A whole turkey is simply slow. But the USDA has published a faster way to roast it, and it starts with a pair of kitchen shears.
Why a whole bird holds the oven hostage
The Food Safety and Inspection Service's roasting chart gives an unstuffed whole turkey of 8 to 12 pounds about 2¾ to 3 hours at 325°F. For a 12- to 14-pound bird, it's about 3 to 3¾ hours. Add 20 minutes of resting time, and the oven is booked for most of the afternoon.
Spatchcocking changes the shape of the bird. Once the backbone is removed and the turkey is pressed flat, the USDA's Thanksgiving guide roasts a 12-pound turkey at 450°F for about 70 minutes. Based on those figures, that's roughly 1½ to almost 2 hours of oven time handed back to the side dishes.
How to spatchcock a 12-pound turkey
- Thaw it fully. In the fridge, allow about 24 hours for every 4 to 5 pounds, so roughly 3 days for a 12-pound bird.
- Cut out the backbone. Set the turkey breast side down. With sturdy kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it.
- Flatten it. Flip the bird over and press down firmly on the breast until the breastbone breaks and the turkey lies flat.
- Season and roast. Brush with olive oil, add salt and pepper, then roast at 450°F for about 70 minutes.
- Check, then rest. The turkey is done when a food thermometer reads 165°F in the innermost part of the thigh and wing and the thickest part of the breast. Let it stand about 20 minutes before carving.
A flat bird has no cavity, so the stuffing goes in its own dish, which is what the FSIS recommends anyway. Lively Table's cornbread stuffing bakes in a 13x9-inch dish at 350°F for about an hour, so slide it in before or after the turkey. It needs to reach 165°F too.
Plan B if cutting through the backbone feels like too much: ask the butcher counter to spatchcock the turkey for you when you pick it up.
The fine print on that 70 minutes
Seventy minutes is the USDA's estimate for a 12-pound bird. A bigger turkey will take longer, and ovens vary, which is why the thermometer, not the timer, decides when dinner is ready. Check all three spots.
A flattened turkey is also wider than a whole one, so measure your roasting pan and your oven before the big day. Wash your hands, the shears and the cutting board well after handling raw poultry.
Once dinner is over, the clock starts again: the USDA says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of the turkey coming out of the oven and use them within 4 days, or freeze them.
Shears, a flat bird and a thermometer at 165°F. That's the trick.
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