Roast Spatchcocked Turkey

By JohnHanrahan

It may be hard to believe, but you can roast a 12-pound Thanksgiving turkey in a little more than an hour, one that will emerge from the oven with juicy, evenly cooked meat and delectable crisp, golden-brown skin.

The secret is an incredibly simple method: spatchcocking, or flattening the bird by removing the backbone. Another term for it is butterflying. All it takes is a pair of poultry shears and a bit of muscle. (If you don't want to give it a try, most butchers will do it for you with advance notice.)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 whole fresh turkey (about 12 pounds)

Details

Servings 8
Adapted from marthastewart.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Stir together oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

Rinse inside and outside of turkey; pat dry with paper towels. Spatchcock turkey (see our how-to). Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, breast side up. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Brush or rub turkey all over with oil mixture. Roast, rotating sheet halfway through and basting twice, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Let stand for 20 minutes before carving (see our how-to).