Recipe: Sesame-Ginger Spatchcocked Turkey

From the editors and writers of Food & Wine Magazine.

Want to win Thanksgiving dinner? Make this spatchcocked roast turkey, which is perfectly juicy, incredibly crispy, and deliciously flavorful. Recipe developer Ann Taylor Pittman rubs the meat beneath the skin with a combination of dried ginger, salt, and white pepper for an overnight dry-brine that seasons and promotes moist, tender meat. Spatchcocking the bird is a time-saving approach to roast turkey that any busy holiday cook will appreciate for the oven time it frees up, compared to a traditional whole roast turkey. The method also allows the turkey to cook more evenly. A blend of butter and toasted sesame oil brings a rich, nutty, and burnished finish to the bird. 

The toasted sesame oil in the butter mixture deepens the roasted “brown” flavor of the skin, while the white pepper and ginger lend subtle hints of spice to the meat.

Sesame-Ginger Spatchcocked Turkey

By Ann Taylor Pittman

Active Time: 25 mins.
Chill Time: 1 day
Total Time: 1 day 2 hrs. 55 mins.
Servings: 12

Ingredients:

1 (12-pound) whole fresh turkey
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
2 medium-size yellow onions, coarsely chopped (about 3 1/2 cups)
2 large carrots, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 large celery stalks, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3 ounces), softened
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions:

Step 1: Pat turkey dry using paper towels; place turkey, breast side down, on a cutting board. Using kitchen shears, cut along either side of backbone to separate backbone from turkey. Discard backbone, or reserve for making stock. Flip turkey breast side up. Using the heels of your hands, firmly press down against breastbone until it cracks and turkey flattens. Arrange turkey breast side up on a wire rack, and place rack inside an 18- x 13-inch rimmed baking sheet; tuck wing tips underneath turkey. Loosen turkey skin from breast, thighs, and drumsticks by sliding your fingers underneath the skin. Stir together salt, ginger, and white pepper in a small bowl. Rub two-thirds of the salt mixture (about 2 1/2 tablespoons) evenly beneath skin of breast, thighs, and drumsticks; rub remaining salt mixture (about 1 tablespoon) over wings and skin of breast, thighs, and drumsticks. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 hours.

Step 2: Remove turkey from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Arrange onions, carrots, and celery in bottom of a second rimmed baking sheet. Place turkey on an oven-safe wire rack, and set over vegetables on baking sheet.

Step 3: Preheat oven to 450°F with oven rack in middle position. Stir together butter and sesame oil in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Rub 2 to 3 teaspoons butter mixture over wings, and rub remaining butter mixture underneath turkey skin and over breast, thighs, and drumsticks.

Step 4: Roast turkey in preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of thigh registers 185°F, breast registers 155°F, and skin is crispy and golden brown, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Tent turkey using aluminum foil during last 15 minutes of roasting if skin begins to get too dark. Remove turkey; let stand 30 minutes before carving. 

Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, November 2024.

Notes

Use a high-quality Korean sesame oil here; its flavor will be richer and nuttier without tasting artificial. 

Dry-brining (salting and seasoning the turkey and then allowing it to rest refrigerated and uncovered, for 24 hours) is easier and less messy than wet brining, but it achieves the same result — juicy, well-seasoned meat. It also yields crispier skin. In this recipe, a simple dry brine of salt, ginger, and white pepper is rubbed under and over the turkey skin.

Make sure to let the turkey rest at room temperature for an hour before roasting. You don’t want it going into the oven fridge-cold. Before you turn the oven on, test-fit the pan (with the turkey on it) to see exactly where you need to arrange the oven racks. If the turkey is too large for the sheet tray, tie the legs together so that it comfortably fits on the tray.

Use a digital probe (leave-in) thermometer so you don’t have to open the oven to check the turkey’s temperature. Insert it in the meaty part of the thigh, making sure the tip doesn’t hit bone and doesn’t go all the way through. Once the turkey is done, let the bird sit for 30 minutes to allow the juices to settle before carving.

FAQs

What is spatchcocking?

Think of spatchcocking as turning a 3D turkey into a 2D one. It involves cutting out the backbone and butterflying the bird so that it lies flat. It cooks the bird much more quickly — in less than an hour and a half. Because all the meat is on the same plane and is equally exposed to the heat, it cooks more evenly — there’s no more breast meat overcooking as the thighs struggle to get done. And with all the skin on top of the bird, the entirety of it becomes wonderfully crisp. Finally, a spatchcocked bird takes up less vertical space, so you can accommodate more dishes on the other oven rack. 

How do you spatchcock a turkey?

Turn the bird upside down so the backbone is facing up. Using heavy-duty poultry shears, cut along either side of the backbone to remove it. Turn the turkey over, breast side up, and press down firmly on the center of the breastbone until it cracks and the bird lies flat. (For more detail, see our step-by-step photos of how to spatchcock a turkey).

How long does it take to spatchcock a turkey?

A spatchcocked turkey takes far less time to cook than a whole turkey. A 12-pound turkey that has been spatchcocked will cook in about one hour, whereas a 12-pound whole roast turkey will take nearly three hours to cook in the oven.  

What do you with the turkey backbone after spatchcocking?

Don’t throw out the backbone from a whole turkey! Save it to make turkey stock, which you can use for homemade gravy or soup. You can always freeze the bone for up to three months and reuse it when the holiday rush has subsided.

Suggested pairing

Try pairing a structured Barbera d’Alba, like Cascina Fontana, with this Thanksgiving main.

Make ahead

Allow the turkey to cool completely to room temperature before storing. Place leftovers in an airtight container, and store in the fridge for up to three days.

For more info: 

Check out the “Sunday Morning” 2024 “Food Issue” recipe index