Smoked Spatchcock Turkey

Quick facts

• Turkey: one 12–13 lb bird, fully thawed and unstuffed.
• Prep: refrigerator thawing followed by an overnight Bird Baptism wet brine.
• Smoker: a steady 275°F throughout the cook.
• Doneness: at least 155°F in the thickest breast and innermost thigh and wing.
• Rest: at least 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Turkey

• 1 whole turkey, 12–13 lb, preferably all-natural and not already brined or enhanced
• Optional: prepared turkey injection of your choice, amount according to its label and your preference
• Poultry or barbecue dry rub of your choice
• Melted unsalted butter, as needed for optional basting

Wet brine — the “bird baptism”

• 1 package Meat Church Bird Baptism Poultry Brine (1.25 lb)
• 1 gallon water, with any additional water needed to cover the turkey added according to the package directions

Optional honey-Dijon glaze

• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons Meat Church Holy Cow seasoning, or your preferred barbecue rub

Optional Binder

• Mayo can help keep the meat moist and also make the skin crispier, it also cooks away since it’s mostly oils, so it won’t leave any “mayo” flavor
• Mix with your mayo some of your seasonings of choice
• Spread the mayo underneath the skin so it rests between skin and meat

Instructions

Thaw and prepare

1. Thaw the turkey completely in the refrigerator at 40°F or below, on a tray to catch drips. Allow roughly 24 hours for every 4–5 lb; planning about 4 days works for this size bird. Plan refrigerator thawing so the overnight wet brine can follow.
2. Remove the neck and giblets and trim excess skin. Pat dry. Raw turkey does not need washing as a cleanup step; controlled post-brine rinsing is described below.
3. Spatchcock the turkey: place it breast-side down on a stable board. Use sturdy poultry shears to cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it. Turn the turkey skin-side up and press firmly on the breastbone until it lies flat. Tuck the wing tips underneath.
4. Make the Bird Baptism brine using one package and 1 gallon of water, following the packet's mixing directions. Warm a portion of the water to dissolve the mix, add the remaining cold water, then chill the finished brine completely to 40°F or below before adding the turkey.
5. Submerge the turkey completely in the cold brine in a food-safe container or brining bag. Cover and refrigerate at 40°F or below overnight, following the package timing for your bird. At 45 minutes per pound, a 12–13 lb all-natural turkey needs roughly 9–10 hours; already enhanced poultry needs the shorter timing noted below.
6. Remove the turkey and discard the used brine. For the packet's post-brine rinse, clear food and utensils from the sink area, rinse gently with cold water to avoid splashing, then clean and sanitize the sink and surrounding surfaces. Pat the turkey completely dry before injection or seasoning.
7. If using an optional injection, pour it into a separate working bowl so the injector does not contaminate the original container. Inject the breasts, thighs and legs to your preference, following the product directions. Discard any injection left in the working bowl after use.
8. Season the underside first. Gently loosen the breast skin without tearing it, lightly season the meat underneath, then lay the skin back in place and season the outside.
9. Let the seasoning adhere for at least 15 minutes while preparing the smoker.

Smoke at 275°F

1. Preheat the smoker fully to 275°F with a water pan inside (optional, based on dryer climates). Use your preferred poultry smoking wood; pecan, hickory or a fruit wood are options from the Meat Church method.
2. Place the turkey skin-side up, directly on the smoker rack or on a raised rack in a pan. Keep the breast toward the hotter area, as in the original method, and monitor temperatures so you can rotate the bird if needed.
3. Maintain a steady 275°F throughout the cook. Check temperatures regularly and cook to measured doneness rather than a fixed timer; there is no separate low-temperature stage or hot finishing stage.
4. Baste occasionally with melted butter if desired, keeping the smoker at 275°F. If using the glaze, prepare and apply it as described below, toward the end of the cook.
5. Use an instant-read thermometer to check both breasts and the innermost parts of the thighs and wings, avoiding bone. Keep cooking until every checked area reaches at least 155°F before removing the turkey.

Optional glaze

1. While the turkey cooks, combine the honey, Dijon mustard and seasoning in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and reduce by about one-third.
2. Brush or drizzle on a light coating toward the end of the 275°F cook, roughly during the last 15 minutes. Watch for excessive browning. The turkey's measured doneness, not a fixed glazing time, determines when to remove it.

Rest and carve

1. Transfer the cooked turkey to a tray and rest in a switched-off oven for at least 30 minutes. Plan to carve and serve after the rest; use safe hot holding at 140°F or above if serving is delayed.
2. Remove each breast in one piece, then slice across the grain into serving strips, working from front to back. Separate the legs and thighs for serving.

Notes

• Cold-water thawing requires cooking immediately once the turkey is thawed, so it does not fit this overnight wet-brine workflow. For reference, the method uses leak-proof packaging, full submersion in cold water, about 30 minutes per pound, and fresh cold water every 30 minutes. Use refrigerator thawing when planning the bird baptism.
• If the back of your refrigerator tends to freeze food, keep the turkey clear of that wall and face the breast toward the front, while keeping the refrigerator at 40°F or below.
• Check the turkey and injection labels for added salt or brining solution. Bird Baptism's directions recommend 45 minutes per pound for all-natural poultry and 15 minutes per pound otherwise; follow your current package for an already enhanced bird rather than automatically brining it overnight. Keep any additional injection optional and adjust salty rub accordingly.
• The wet brine is our “bird baptism.” We have used it for the past two years, and it is our standard way of preparing turkey from now on.

Storage

Carve and refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour if the surrounding temperature is above 90°F. Use refrigerated cooked turkey within 3–4 days, or freeze it.

Sources

The wet brine, spatchcock preparation, under-skin seasoning, 275°F smoker setting and optional glaze are adapted from Meat Church’s Spatchcock Turkey. An optional injection and the under-skin mayo binder remain personal variations, along with the 30-minute rest.

Safety and thawing references: USDA turkey cooking guidance and USDA safe thawing guidance.