A simple apple cider brine and a stint on the grill over indirect heat ensures your grilled spatchcock turkey is juicy and tender, with shatteringly crisp skin. It's guaranteed to be the star of your holiday table (and your leftover turkey sandwiches!)
If you've never tried grilling a spatchcock turkey before, now is the time. It cooks up much more quickly than a traditional roast turkey, and cooks more evenly, making it less prone to drying out. All this, and it leaves your oven completely free for other important things, like dessert.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A spatchcock turkey cooks much faster than a whole turkey.
- It's cooked on the grill, leaving your oven free for sides and desserts. Or you can make it as part of a full grilled Thanksgiving dinner.
- The brining process keeps it tender and juicy.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Apple cider--This is a pressed apple juice that's available at most supermarkets during the fall, not the hard cider that contains alcohol. Got leftover apple cider? Try one of these 15 amazing recipes that use apple cider.
- Spices--Use whole spices for brining your turkey. Ground spices will make the spice flavor very strong.
- Salt--Since you're using a large quantity of salt here and since crystal sizes can vary significantly from brand to brand, I recommend weighing your salt. You want 6 ¼ ounces (175 g) of salt, which is 1 ¼ cups of Diamond brand kosher salt, or about ¾ cup of Morton kosher salt.
- Turkey--This grilled turkey recipe works best with a medium sized turkey, about 11 to 13 pounds. You can make it with a larger turkey, but you will need to increase the amount of brine, and the cooking time will be longer.
- Butter--I use salted butter here but if you've only got unsalted, add a big pinch of salt to your herb butter before rubbing it on the turkey.
- Herbs--Use your favorite combination of finely chopped herbs, like parsley, rosemary, thyme, or sage.
How to Make Spatchcock Grilled Turkey
- Combine the 1 quart of the cider, salt, and spices in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the salt.
- Add the remaining cider and water and let it cool to room temperature. Submerge the turkey in the brine, cover, and chill overnight.
- Drain the turkey and pat dry. Remove the backbone from the turkey. You can save it for stock.
- Flip the turkey over and press down on the breast bone to flatten it. (Yep, this particular turkey was missing a wing. Don't fret if yours is, too!) Place it on a rack set in a baking sheet and chill, uncovered for 2 hours.
- Mash the butter and herbs together in a small bowl.
- Rub half of the butter under the skin of the turkey.
- Grill the turkey over indirect heat for 1 hour.
- Melt the remaining herb butter and baste the turkey every 10 minutes until cooked through. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes before carving.
FAQs
What does brining do for my turkey?
Soaking your turkey in a salt-water solution before grilling will add flavor and help it retain moisture, keeping it juicy throughout the cooking process. The sweetness from the cider and flavor from the whole spices will add an extra level of flavor to your bird.
How can I tell when it's done?
An instant-read thermometer is the most reliable way to determine doneness. Poke it in a few places, including the center of the breast and the thickest part of the thigh. It should read 165°F when it's ready.
What should I serve with this cider-brined turkey?
This is a Thanksgiving-worthy turkey dinner, so I recommend serving it with traditional Thanksgiving sides, such as skillet sausage stuffing, cheesy garlic mashed potatoes and skillet green bean casserole.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- For this size of turkey, I find that a canning pot or large stockpot works well for containing the turkey and brine. If you are using a larger container, you may need to increase the amount of brine in order to submerge the turkey.
- If your turkey isn't submerged in the brine, you can use a plate or a zip-top bag filled with water to help submerge it.
- If your turkey begins to brown too much during cooking, tent it loosely with foil.
- Leftover turkey is fantastic in these turkey quesadillas!
- This recipe is suitable for gluten-free and dairy-free diets.
More Grilling Recipes You'll Love
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Recipe
Grilled Spatchcock Turkey
This grilled turkey recipe uses a simple apple cider brine to infuse the bird with plenty of flavor and keep it juicy while grilling.
Ingredients
For the brine
- 3 quarts (2.8 l) apple cider divided
- ¾ cup (175 g) Diamond Brand kosher salt (or 1 ¼ cups Morton kosher salt)
- 1 tablespoon whole allspice
- 1 tablespoon whole cloves
- 3 quarts (2.8 l) cold water
- One (11-to-13-pound) turkey
For the herb butter
- 1 stick salted butter softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs
Instructions
Make the brine
- In a large stockpot, combine 1 quart apple cider, the salt, allspice, and cloves and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Stir until the salt is dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 quarts apple cider, and the water. Let the brine cool to room temperature. If necessary, transfer the brine to a large stock pot, canning pot, or other vessel that will accommodate the turkey snugly.
- Add the turkey to the brine, ensuring that it's submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Drain the turkey and pat it dry with paper towel.
- Place the turkey breast side down on a work surface and use a pair of heavy-duty kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut down each side of the back bone. Remove the back bone. The turkey should sort of flop open like a book.
- Flip the turkey over so that it's breast side up and the legs are sticking out each side. Push down on the center of the breast bone until you hear a crack.
- Place the chicken on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for 2 hours.
Make the herb butter
- Prepare a grill for medium (375°F) indirect heat. Ideally you want to have a burner on either side of the cool zone. (If your grill won't accommodate this, heat one side and leave the other side as the cool zone.)
- Mash the butter and herbs together in a small bowl. Reserve half of the herb butter for basting.
- Remove the turkey from the fridge and use your fingers to separate the skin from the meat without tearing the skin. Rub the remaining half of the herb butter under the skin, distributing it as evenly as possible.
- Place the turkey, skin side up on the cool zone of the grill, cover, and cook for 1 hour. (If you only have burners lit on one side of the grill, I recommend turning the turkey after 30 minutes.)
- Melt the remaining herb butter.
- After the turkey has cooked for 1 hour, begin basting it with the herb butter every 10 minutes or so, until the turkey is golden brown and has reached an internal temperature of 165°F, 30 to 50 minutes more (about 8 minutes per pound).
- Remove the turkey from the grill and let it rest at least 30 minutes before carving.
Notes
- Best container--For this size of turkey, I find that a canning pot or large stockpot works well for containing the turkey and brine. If you are using a larger container, you may need to increase the amount of brine in order to submerge the turkey.
- Submerge it!--If your turkey isn't submerged in the brine, you can use a plate or a zip-top bag filled with water to help submerge it.
- Cover it--If your turkey begins to brown too much during cooking, tent it loosely with foil.
- Dietary--This recipe is suitable for gluten-free and dairy-free diets.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portionCalories: 468kcalProtein: 52gFat: 27gCholesterol: 177mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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