# Spatchcock Turkey



## HalfSmoked (Sep 30, 2022)

I'm old school never done any spatchcock anything.
My question is I have a 14 lb. turkey if I spatchcock it how much that will cut down on cooking time?
I'm going to be pushed for time and it will be raining (not on the smoker)

Warren


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## BigW. (Sep 30, 2022)

Here are a few things I found.  Take with a grain of salt.  I think most folks spatch for more even cooking between white/dark meat.

Though the presentation isn’t traditional, there are a few reasons we prefer to spatchcock turkey:

*It’s quick. *Because the bird is flattened, the cooking time is cut almost in half.
*The bird cooks evenly.* With a whole bird, the breast meat often dries out before the dark meat is done. By flattening the turkey, the legs and thighs (dark meat) are more exposed to the heat, and so they cook in the same time as the breast.
*The skin gets nice and crispy*. Since the whole bird is equally exposed to heat, every inch of its skin will evenly brown and develop that crave-worthy crispiness.
Spatchcock turkey cooking time per pound at 350​

Turkey Weight (lb)Cooking Time (350ºF)*12 lb spatchcock turkey*2 Hours and 12 Minutes*14 lb spatchcock turkey*2 Hours and 50 Minutes*16 lb spatchcock turkey*3 Hours and 8 Minutes*18 lb spatchcock turkey*3 Hours and 48 Minutes*20 lb spatchcock turkey*4 Hours and 15 Minutes


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## clifish (Sep 30, 2022)

Any reason you should not spatchcock a Duck?  Thinking of doing it instead of putting it on a rotisserie.  Would the fat still render out of the scored skin when it is smoked flat?


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## clifish (Sep 30, 2022)

BigW. said:


> Here are a few things I found.  Take with a grain of salt.  I think most folks spatch for more even cooking between white/dark meat.
> 
> Though the presentation isn’t traditional, there are a few reasons we prefer to spatchcock turkey:
> 
> ...


At what temps is the above based on?  Inquiring minds (or lack there of)  want to know.


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## BigW. (Sep 30, 2022)

clifish said:


> At what temps is the above based on?  Inquiring minds (or lack there of)  want to know.


Edited post to say 350.  There are a few other tables that rec cooking in the 425-450 range.  Most here know to use a therm instead of time.  Chart was to help with ballpark time.


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## zwiller (Sep 30, 2022)

I spatched one time and while the results were good it was a PITA to handle.  I take it further and just half the thing.


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## clifish (Sep 30, 2022)

BigW. said:


> Edited post to say 350.  There are a few other tables that rec cooking in the 425-450 range.  Most here know to use a therm instead of time.  Chart was to help with ballpark time.


understood,  just looking for a ballpark on the time/temp - thx


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