It’s that time of year again – turkey season! As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, many home cooks ponder the age-old question: should I spatchcock my turkey before brining it? There are good arguments on both sides of this debate, so let’s break it down.
What is Spatchcocking?
First, what exactly does it mean to “spatchcock” a turkey? Spatchcocking is a method of preparing poultry for roasting or grilling by removing the backbone and flattening the bird. This allows the turkey to cook more evenly and quickly.
To spatchcock a turkey, use kitchen shears or sharp scissors to cut out the backbone. Remove any excess fat or skin around the cavity opening. Flip the turkey over and press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten. You’ll end up with a bird that looks almost like a big butterfly!
Spatchcocking speeds up cooking time significantly A spatchcocked 12-14 lb turkey only needs around 90 minutes in the oven Compare that to the standard roasting time of 2-3 hours for a whole turkey of the same size.
Benefits of Spatchcocking Before Brining
So why might you want to spatchcock before brining your turkey? Here are some of the potential advantages
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Faster brining time. With the backbone removed and the bird flattened, the turkey brines much more quickly and evenly. The brine can fully penetrate and season the meat in just 4-6 hours rather than a full day or two.
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More surface area. Spatchcocking exposes more surface area on the turkey for the brine to cover. This can lead to better flavor distribution.
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Easier to work with. A spatchcocked turkey can fit more easily into brining bags or containers. No need to jam an unwieldy whole bird into your fridge.
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Better crisping. Removing the backbone allows more air flow and crisping of the skin during roasting.
The Case for Brining First
On the other hand, there are also good reasons to brine your turkey before spatchcocking it:
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Avoids over-salting. Brining infuses salt throughout the turkey. Cutting the bird beforehand creates more surface area for the brine to penetrate. This runs the risk of over-salting the meat if brined too long after spatchcocking.
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Allows trussing. Some people prefer to truss or tie a spatchcocked turkey before roasting to hold it together better. This works best if you brine the whole bird first.
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Keeps shape. The backbone helps the turkey hold its natural shape during brining. Removing it first can cause the bird to fall apart more.
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Slower thawing. You’ll need to fully thaw the turkey before removing the backbone. Brining while still frozen can slow down the brining time.
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Easier process. Handling a slippery brined bird can be challenging. Removing the backbone first provides better grip and control over the turkey.
Tips for Brining a Spatchcocked Turkey
If you do decide to spatchcock first, keep these tips in mind:
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Only brine for 4-6 hours to prevent over-salting. Rinse well after brining.
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Keep the turkey very cold during brining to maximize moisture retention. Use ice baths as needed.
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Let the brined bird air dry in the fridge for better skin crisping before roasting.
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Roast at a high temp (450°F) for the first 30 minutes to accelerate browning after brining.
Brining Times for Whole vs Spatchcocked Birds
Here are general guidelines for brining based on whether your turkey is whole or spatchcocked:
- Whole turkey: 24-48 hours
- Spatchcocked turkey: 4-6 hours
For a spatchcocked bird, err on the lower end of brining times. It’s easy to over-salt the turkey if brined too long after cutting out the backbone.
So in the end, should you spatchcock your turkey before brining it? There are good arguments on both sides. Spatchcocking first allows for faster brining, but brining first makes it easier to handle the bird.
As long as you account for the faster brining time needed for a spatchcocked turkey, either method will work well. If you can, try brining one turkey each way and see which you prefer! That’s the best way to join in on this tasty debate.
Above all, don’t stress too much about the order. Focus on technique for properly brining, spatchcocking, and roasting your turkey. Follow basic food safety guidelines, use an accurate meat thermometer, and you’ll end up with a moist, delicious holiday centerpiece.
How to Brine a Turkey: Two Methods
Brining ensures moisture will be retained in the meat during the cooking process. There are two types of brine; a wet brine and a dry brine. Salt is the key component to both.
A wet brine is just salt, water, and spices mixed together to season meats and keep their moisture. Along with the salt, the water gets absorbed at the cellular level into the bird. This ensures a moist turkey on the table.
I enjoy a lightly flavored brine that enhances the turkey’s flavor, especially if cooking a wild turkey. Along with salt, I find that acid helps prepare poultry by breaking down muscle fibers and connective tissue, which makes the meat even more tender and flavorful. I also add sugar to balance the saltiness and sourness. To me, it’s a perfect balance.
Make the brine taste the way you like it; just make sure there is at least 8% salt to water by weight to keep the water in while you cook.
It can be hard to wet brine a whole turkey because the bird has to stay completely submerged in the brining solution. There might not be enough space in your fridge to keep the turkey and brine cold for the whole brining process. Brining Turkey is simple using a cooler and a trash bag!.
Solution: Place the brine in a trash bag inside a cooler. You can make sure that your turkey stays at a safe temperature (between 35 and 40 degrees F) by putting ice in the bag every so often.
Tip: You can wrap the bag around the turkey and put ice on top of it to keep the brine from going too thin.
Timing: I brine my turkey for 24 to 48 hours.
Take the turkey out of the brine when you’re ready to cook it. Then, rinse and dry it very well.
Watch me demonstrate how to wet brine a turkey for the Outdoor Channel:
Wild vs. Domesticated Turkey
If you are cooking a wild turkey, you will want to make sure it has aged properly. I prefer dry aging my meat before it is frozen. During dry aging, the meat needs to be surrounded by a constant air temperature of 34-37 degrees. This denatures (breaks down) the meat.
A domesticated turkey from the grocery store, on the other hand, is ready to cook. You can thaw the meat as per the instructions and then begin with a brine.
You can brine your bird before or after spatchcocking it, which I really think you should do.
- If I want to brine the turkey with water, I will spatchcock it first.
- But if I’m going to dry brine, I’ll butterfly the turkey before I put the dry rub on it.
Brining Meat is simple and results in a brilliant flavor!
How to Spatchcock a Turkey
FAQ
Do you Spatchcock a turkey before or after brining?
Should you spatchcock a turkey, yes or no?
How do you prepare a turkey before brining?
Should I poke holes in turkey before brining?
How do you brine a spatchcocked Turkey?
Place the spatchcocked turkey into the solution and cover more water if needed until it’s fully submerged. Close the lid or bag and place in the fridge for 12 hours. Rule of thumb is 1 hour brine per lb. Drain, and lay the turkey on a cooling rack in a rimmed pan. Gently lift the skin from the flesh to separate.
Should you Spatchcock your Turkey this Thanksgiving?
But if you’re stuck deciding between a wet brine and a dry brine, Cayt will walk you through ’em both. There are many reasons to choose to spatchcock your turkey this Thanksgiving. Maybe you’re looking for a shorter cook time, a crispier crust, or just to take up less space in your pellet grill–either way your smoked turkey will be a hit!
How long does it take to Spatchcock a Turkey?
It’s definitely odd-looking, a bit like a frog, but it also cooks more quickly (only about 1 1/12 hours for a 15-pound turkey on a grill) and evenly than a bird that is not butterflied. In this tutorial we show you how to spatchcock a bird in this way, but we also go one extra step of completely removing the legs from the rest of the turkey’s body.