How to Spatchcock a Turkey (Miracle Method with Step-by-Step Photos!)

Step 1

Remove the turkey from its packaging. There is no need to rinse your turkey (rinsing promotes cross-contamination). Instead, simply use paper towel to pat the surface of the turkey as dry as possible. If present, remove the neck & giblets from the cavity of the turkey. Discard or set aside for easy turkey gravy. Transfer the turkey to a large plastic cutting board atop a stable, sturdy surface. Place the turkey breast side facing down.

Step 2

Using very sharp kitchen shears or a sharp knife, carefully snip along each side of the turkey’s backbone until it’s completely detached. Discard or set aside for easy turkey gravy.

Step 3

With the turkey still facing breast side down, carefully use your hands to stretch open the ribs of the turkey, revealing its inner cavity. Locate the top of the turkey’s breast plate directly behind the turkey breasts. Place the heel of a sharp chef’s knife in the center of the top of the breast plate. Use a rolling pin to carefully yet forcefully tap the spine of the knife, wedging the heel of the knife into the bone. Continue tapping until the bone cracks.

Step 4

Finish spatchcocking: Use your hands to stretch the inner cavity of the turkey as wide open as possible, then flip the turkey such that its breast side is facing up. Place your hands on the center of its breasts, on the breast bone. Use your body weight to apply pressure to the chest plate, cracking the bone all the way through such that the turkey lays flat  – your turkey is spatchcocked & ready for roasting. Great job!!! (Note: If you have difficulty cracking the chest plate of the turkey, flip the turkey back over, running the tip of a sharp knife over the bone from within the open cavity – these score marks help ease up any resistance. Flip the bird back over & press down on it again.)