Spatchcocking a Turkey vs a Chicken

[cbuman74]

With Thanksgiving right around the corner I think I am going to spatchcock a turkey! Any major differences than doing a chicken? I have done several chickens now and they have turned out "really" tasty or so my family says. But a turkey is a whole lot of bird. Any tips would be helpful and any out of this world brines too.

 

[TentHunter]

The rib bones are thicker so a little tougher to cut through. Cooking takes longer because the bird's bigger.

Otherwise there's no real difference.

Brining is a really subjective topic; some swear by it and love it and some (like me) don't. You have to try it and see how you like it.

 

[firehouse_bbq]

Did several spathcock'd turkeys last year and they were great. Cooked in about 2-3 hours over charcoal, and were awesome. Like tent said, the bones are a little thicker than a chicken, so be prepared. I used a meat cleaver and it worked great.

I plan to do my turkeys this year all spathcock'd!

 

[roburado]

Yeah. The big turkey bones are a pain, but the results are worth it. If you haven't done it yet, be careful. I used shears, and that was tough. Then, I used a cleaver for the parts that I couldn't cut with the shears. The cut ends of the turkey bones were pretty sharp. Just be careful, and don't skewer yourself on a turkey rib.

 

[rbaggett]

I believe Spatchcocking is the only way to cook a turkey on a smoker. I don't brine. I get smoker to around 275 and cook bird to 163 in the middle of the breast and then let rest for 15 minutes. As for prep, I use olive oil for the glue of my favorite rub. As BP would say, easy smoking and smoking easy.