Main Dishes • Cooking Technique
How to Spatchcock a Turkey or Chicken
Crispy skin, juicy meat, and less time roasting!
Yes, spatchcocking is really what it’s called! 😂 By removing the backbone and flattening a whole chicken or turkey, you help it cook faster and more evenly. In the video I use a turkey. Here’s what I did—and all the extra tips I couldn’t squeeze into one minute.
Watch the technique
The video shows a turkey, but you can use the same technique for chicken. Cooking times depend on the size of the bird, so your thermometer matters more than the clock.
What you’ll need
- Whole chicken or turkey, fully thawed
- Sturdy, heavy-duty kitchen shears
- Stable cutting board
- Rimmed sheet pan and oven-safe wire rack
- Paper towels, olive oil, seasoning, and an instant-read or leave-in meat thermometer
My brown sugar & smoked paprika seasoning
This is simply what I used in my video—not the only way to season a bird! Adjust the flavors to suit you.
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Brown sugar | 2 tablespoons |
| Kosher salt | About 2 teaspoons, to taste |
| Smoked paprika | 1 tablespoon |
| Garlic powder | 1 teaspoon |
| Onion powder | 1 teaspoon |
| Black pepper | 1 teaspoon |
| Olive oil | Enough to lightly coat the bird |
For a larger turkey, you may need more seasoning to cover it evenly.
How to spatchcock and roast
1. Remove the backbone
Place the bird breast-side down. With sturdy kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it. Turn the bird breast-side up and press firmly on the breastbone until it flattens. It may crack—that’s normal! Save the backbone for stock.
2. Pat the skin dry
This step wasn’t in my short video, but don’t skip it! Thoroughly pat the skin dry with paper towels so it browns instead of steaming. Wash your hands and clean and sanitize any surfaces that touched raw poultry; don’t rinse the bird.
3. Oil and season
Rub a light coating of olive oil over the bird to help the seasoning stick. Mix the seasonings and distribute them evenly. Extra tip: Carefully loosen some skin and rub a portion of the mixture directly onto the meat for extra flavor.
4. Put a rack inside your sheet pan
I set an oven-safe baking rack in a rimmed sheet pan, then placed the bird on top. Roasting uses dry heat, and the rack gives hot air room to circulate underneath. That helps the bird roast evenly and keeps the underside from sitting in juices—great for crispier skin!
5. Tuck the wings and protect the drumsticks
Tuck the wing tips behind the breasts and position the thinner drumstick ends so they aren’t sticking out into excessive heat. If any small parts darken too fast, loosely cover them with foil. Those bits are useful when you simmer the leftover frame for soup: browned is delicious; burned can taste bitter!
6. Start at 400°F, then lower to 325°F
For my bird and brown-sugar seasoning, I roasted at 400°F for the first 30 minutes to develop color and crisp skin, then reduced the oven to 325°F to finish cooking more gently. Since the rub contains brown sugar, keep an eye on the color: sugar can scorch. Tent overly dark areas with foil if needed.
7. Let it rest, then carve
Don’t skip this step! Resting is especially important for turkey, which can dry out easily. Give the cooked bird time to rest before carving so the juices settle and redistribute throughout the meat instead of running onto the cutting board. Allow about 10–15 minutes for a chicken and around 20–30 minutes for a large turkey. Then carve and enjoy that golden skin and juicy meat!
Don’t throw away the flavor
Save the backbone and the leftover frame for homemade chicken or turkey stock, and use that stock for noodle soup. Skip any truly burned parts; nicely browned bones are fine. Refrigerate leftovers promptly.
Make it your own
Prefer herbs, lemon, garlic, or a less-sweet rub? Go for it! This video shows just one easy way to spatchcock and roast chicken or turkey. If you’ve got questions, ask away—there’s always more than one way to cook a delicious bird! 💜
Featured Pampered Chef Products
Here are the tools I recommend for this technique. Choose the sheet pan and rack combination that works best for you!
- Foundations Kitchen Shears: Heavy-duty shears for removing the backbone.
- Brilliance Nonstick Half Sheet Pan With Rack: Nonstick sheet pan and rack together.
- Half Sheet Pan & Baking Rack Set: Another pan-and-rack option so you can choose the set that fits your kitchen.
- Instant-Read Food Thermometer: Check poultry temperature without guessing.