Herb-Rubbed Crisp-Skinned Butterflied Roast Turkey Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to cook a butterfly turkey? ›

Roast the Joint in a deep tray and cover with foil. Place in the centre of the oven and cook at 180°C, Gas Mark 4 for approx 20 minutes per kg plus 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes to allow the skin to crisp up.

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.

Don't butter your bird

Placing butter under the skin won't make the meat juicier, though it might help the skin brown faster. However, butter is about 17 percent water, and it will make your bird splotchy, says López-Alt. Instead, rub the skin with vegetable oil before you roast.

Place roast, skin side up, on a flat roasting rack in 2-inch deep roasting pan. Do not add water to pan. Roast uncovered according to Cooking Schedule or until meat thermometer in center of breast roast reaches 170° F and in center of turkey roast reaches 175° F.

To check your turkey is perfectly cooked, insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the bird and hold for 30 seconds, it should be at least 75°C. Alternatively insert a skewer into the thickest part of the leg; if the juices do not run clear return to the oven for 10-15 minutes, then test again.

Coat the turkey all over with the butter and season generously. Place in top of the Vegetables and cover with foil. Roast for approximately 20 minutes per 500g plus and extra 20 mins. Baste twice during the cooking process removing the foil for the last 25-30 minutes.

Perhaps most importantly, the turkey will cook in significantly less time than non-spatchco*cked—figure about 6 minutes per pound if following this recipe, or until thigh meat registers 165°.

Higher temperatures will dry the bird and overcook it. But if your turkey is split and flattened, cook it at 450°F for 20 to 25 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 400°F and roast until all parts of the turkey until the breast's internal temperature is 150°F and thighs are 165°F.

Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C). Spatchco*ck the turkey by cutting out the backbone with heavy shears, making an incision in the breastbone, turning the bird onto its back and pressing down firmly to flatten it out. If you didn't dry brine it beforehand, season the bird well with salt and pepper.

Stick with salt and pepper, put herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage to work, or take spicy Cajun seasoning for a spin for some kick. Whatever blend you choose, spread it all over the turkey—on top, underneath, between the body and wings and legs, under the skin, and even in the cavity of the bird.

What do you put in the bottom of a turkey roasting pan? ›

Place chopped onions, celery, and carrots in the bottom of the roasting pan. Pick a few herbs off the stalks and add to the vegetables. Set aside. Pat dry the turkey with paper towels.

We've found that covering a turkey in foil yields much moister results than roasting it without foil, and we favor simply covering up the breast to even out cooking time. Some people swear that roasting a turkey breast-side down and flipping it halfway through achieves the same results as a foil covered breast.

Oven-Roasted Turkey

We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.

Impart rich flavor and add moisture to your Thanksgiving turkey by adding a layer of butter under the skin before roasting. Learn how to do this simple (but genius) technique for a delicious Thanksgiving turkey. I'm Kelly Senyei with http://www.epicurious.com, and this is how to put butter under turkey skin.

The point of using a rack is to let the heat of the oven circulate around the turkey. You don't need a specially designed rack for your roasting pan, but you need something to lift the bird above the bottom of the pan. Balls of aluminum foil work perfectly well; you can also use upside-down ramekins.

Spatchco*cking turkey cooks more evenly and more quickly than non-butterflied versions, for stunningly crisp skin and perfectly cooked white and dark meat. Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site.

To not dry out a turkey, you need to add moisture when you reheat the meat. You'll see in our reheating methods that we add homemade gravy, chicken stock or butter to the turkey before heating it up low and slow. This ensures that juices in the turkey won't escape as steam when they're exposed to heat.

What is the difference between a turkey butterfly and a turkey crown? A turkey butterfly is completely boneless, while a turkey crown still contains the bone. A turkey crown and turkey butterfly are otherwise the same cut of meat - the two breast sections of the turkey with legs and wings removed.