This Traeger Spatchcock Smoked Turkey without brine will give you a holiday turkey that is tender, juicy, and full of unbelievable smoky flavor. Read below to find all the instructions you need to spatchcock a turkey and how to smoke it to perfection in a delicious dry rub!
Use the leftover meat and bones to whip up a batch of my homemade smoked turkey stock for smoked turkey bean soup!
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
The holiday season is just around the corner, which means it's time to start thinking about your menu. If you're looking for a show-stopping main course, you have to try this smoked spatchcock turkey recipe. Not only is it delicious, but it's also easy to prepare.
For another truly stunning holiday recipe, try my Smoked Turkey Roast or Smoked Prime Rib Roast; you will LOVE them!
Jump to:
Why I Love This Smoked Spatchcock Turkey
- The flavor. Thanks to the combination of smoke flavor, delicious seasonings and spices in the dry rub, this turkey is SO delicious.
- The texture. The skin of the turkey comes out crispy and golden brown, while the meat is perfectly juicy and tender.
- It's impressive. There's nothing like a smoked spatchcock turkey to impress your friends and family.
- It's easy. Despite its impressive appearance, this is an easy pellet grill recipe that is actually quite simple to make.
- No brining. I'm all about simple and easy, and this turkey is juicy and flavorful without brining.
Ingredient Notes
This smoked spatchcocked turkey is easy to make with simple ingredients that you can easily find at your local grocery store.
- Whole turkey. I used a 9-pound frozen turkey that I had in my freezer. I defrosted it a couple of days before I was planning on cooking it.
- Melted butter. This is drizzled on just before the turkey is done cooking. It helps to crisp up the skin even more. You can also use olive oil or avocado oil.
- Dry rub. I used my homemade Dry Rub For Turkey which contains brown sugar, smoked paprika, sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, crushed rosemary, poultry seasoning, and ground thyme. Feel free to use your favorite dry rub or my Smoked Chicken Rub or Smoked Pork Rub, which are also delicious on turkey.
See the printable recipe card for exact measurements and a full list of ingredients.
How To Make Traeger Smoked Spatchcock Turkey
Read below for instructions on how to spatchcock a turkey, or watch how it is done in the video.
How To Spatchcock A Turkey
I found the easiest way to spatchcock a turkey is with a good pair of kitchen shears. If you don't have kitchen shears, use a sharp knife.
- Start by removing the giblets and turkey neck. Set these aside for later if desired (they make delicious turkey soup).
- Place the turkey breast side down on a cutting board or large baking sheet. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, remove the backbone by cutting along the sides of the backbone, then remove it entirely.
- Once the backbone has been removed, open up the turkey like a book and locate the center of the breast bone. Using a knife, cut around the breast bone with a knife and remove the breast bone.
- Once the breastbone is removed, flip the butterflied turkey over so the skin side is up. With the breast bone removed, the turkey will flatten completely. Cut off any excess skin.
- Our turkey was missing a wing, so we cut the other wing off to match. And that's all there is to it!
How To Smoke A Spatchcock Turkey
- Preheat your pellet grill to 275 degrees F. Place the spatchcocked turkey on a rimmed baking sheet and pat the turkey dry with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the spice rub until combined. Sprinkle the rub liberally on the entire turkey, being sure to get underneath the legs and on the sides of the bird. Let the rub sit for 10 minutes so it adheres to the bird.
- Place the spatchcocked turkey into the preheated smoker directly on the grill grate, breast side up. Insert an internal meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast (making sure not to touch any bone).
- Close the lid and smoke the turkey for 2 hours. Melt some butter in a small saucepan. (I did this on the smoker). Once melted, use a basting brush to drizzle melted butter over the entire top of the bird. Do not brush it on; just let the butter run off the brush onto the turkey. This will help the turkey skin crisp up.
- Close the lid and continue to smoke until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165 degrees F. You can also check the internal temperature of the thigh; it should be 175 degrees F.
- When fully cooked, remove the turkey from the grill and cover it loosely with aluminum foil. Let the turkey rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
Tip: Cook with the thermometer, not the clock because all grills cook differently, and many variables play a part in the cooking time, such as weather, different grills, etc.
How To Carve A Spatchcock Turkey
- Ttransfer the turkey to a cutting board, breast side up. Using a sharp knife, cut along the inside of the thigh, removing it and the leg. Next, locate the joint between the leg and the thigh and cut through it with a sharp knife. Cut on the inside of the wings to remove the wings.
- Next, use a sharp knife to slice in between the two breasts. Lift it off the carcass while simultaneously cutting it underneath. Repeat with the other breast.
- Slice the breast meat thinly with a sharp knife. You can also remove the bone from each turkey thigh and slice the thighs into thin slices if desired.
- Arrange the turkey meat on a serving platter, and serve it with your favorite side dishes!
Variations
- Spicy - add chili powder or chili pepper flakes to the spice rub.
- Saucy - Brush on your favorite BBQ sauce just before the end of cooking time.
- Glaze - Make a maple glaze and brush it on a half hour before the turkey is done smoking.
- Brine - You can dry brine the turkey with the dry brine in my Electric Smoker Smoked Turkey, or wet brine the turkey with my Fresh Herb Citrus Turkey Brine.
Related Recipe: Another excellent option for cooking a turkey if you don't have a smoker is to make a turkey in a roaster oven.
Equipment
- Pellet smoker. I used my Traeger pellet grill that has a built-in temperature probe and syncs to my phone. I have also cooked it on my Pit Boss smoker. Any smoker will work, even a Masterbuilt smoker.
- Sharp kitchen shears (or a sharp knife) to remove the backbone of the turkey.
- Instant-read thermometer for checking the internal temperature of the turkey if your smoker doesn't have one. This is a must-have item when cooking on a smoker.
- Wood pellets. The best wood pellets are the Turkey blend by Traeger. Hickory, Mesquite, Signature Blend, Applewood, and Cherry wood are all excellent options.
Storage
Refrigerator: Leftover turkey can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freezer: Leftover smoked turkey can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container or Ziploc bag. If you have lots of leftovers, slice up the turkey and wrap it in individual serving sizes in plastic wrap. Place individual servings in a Ziploc bag, then pop them in the freezer for meal prep for school or work lunches.
Recipe Tips
- The cook time depends on the size of the turkey. A large bird will take longer to cook than a smaller bird.
- When buying your turkey, plan on 1.5 pounds of turkey per person. This will ensure everyone gets enough to eat.
- Avoid lifting the lid to check on your turkey; this will prolong the cooking time.
- Use the smoked turkey carcass instead of chicken to make Smoked Chicken Soup.
Recipe FAQs
A spatchcocked turkey is a whole bird that has been butterflied and flattened, making it significantly quicker to cook than a traditional whole turkey. The spatchcock technique ensures that the dark meat and white meat are cooked to perfection. This makes it the ideal way to cook a large turkey on the smoker. In fact, if your turkey is over 15 pounds, I recommend spatchcocking your turkey for even cooking.
On a Traeger grill, a spatchcocked turkey will take about 20 minutes per pound at 275 degrees Fahrenheit. The exact cook time will vary depending on the size of your turkey and the temperature of the smoker.
A 15-pound spatchcocked turkey will take approximately 5 hours to smoke.
For a turkey over 15 pounds, I find it best to smoke a spatchcocked turkey so it cooks evenly. For a turkey under 15 pounds, you can either smoke it whole or spatchcock it.
Side Dishes
Many things go well with a spatchcock turkey. Some of my favorites are Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes, Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole, Smoked Baked Potatoes, Classic Green Bean Casserole, and Oven Roasted Squash.
I also love to serve it with turkey gravy, Homemade Stuffing, Homemade Cranberry Sauce or Whole30 Cranberry Sauce, Smoked Green Bean Casserole, and Air Fryer Green Beans.
More Smoked Turkey Recipes
Did you make this Smoked Spatchcock Turkey on Pellet Grill recipe? If you did, can you do me a big favor and leave a rating and review letting me know how you liked it? This helps my website grow so I can continue to publish free recipes. Thank you! 😊
Printable Recipe
Traeger Smoked Spatchcock Turkey
Ingredients
- 8-10 pound whole turkey neck and giblets removed
- ½ cup butter melted
- 7-9 tablespoons dry spice rub ingredients below
Turkey Dry Rub
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1½ teaspoons onion powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ tsp rosemary crushed
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon ground thyme
Instructions
- Preheat your smoker. Preheat your smoker to 275℉.
- Spatchcock the turkey. Remove the giblets and turkey neck from inside the turkey. Place the turkey breast side down on a large cutting board. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, remove the backbone by cutting along the sides of the backbone, then remove it entirely. Once the backbone has been removed, open up the turkey like a book and locate the center of the breast bone. Remove the breastbone by cutting the meat off around it and removing it with your hand. Flip the butterflied turkey over so the skin side is up. The turkey should be flattened out completely. Cut off any excess skin.
- Season. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the dry rub until combined. Sprinkle the rub liberally on the entire turkey, being sure to get underneath the legs and on the sides of the bird. Let the rub sit for 10 minutes to adhere to the bird.
- Smoke the spatchcocked turkey. Place the turkey into the preheated smoker, directly on the grill grate, breast side up. Insert an internal meat thermometer into the thickest part of the breast (making sure not to touch any bone). Close the lid and smoke the turkey for 2 hours at 275℉.
- Drizzle butter. After the turkey has been smoking for 2 hours, melt butter in a small saucepan. (I did this on the smoker). Drizzle butter over the turkey using a basting brush, covering the entire top of the bird. Do not brush it on; just let the butter run off the brush onto the turkey. This will help the turkey skin crisp up.
- Continue smoking. Close the lid, and continue to smoke the turkey at 275℉ until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 165 degrees F. This will take approximately one more hour. You can also check the internal temperature of the thigh; it should be 175 degrees F. Remove the turkey from the grill and cover it loosely with aluminum foil. Let the turkey rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.
- Carve and serve. Place the turkey on a cutting board, breast side up. Using a sharp knife, cut along the inside of the thigh, removing it and the leg. Next, locate the joint between the leg and the thigh and cut through it with a sharp knife. Next, cut on the inside of the wings to remove the wings. Next, use a sharp knife to slice in between the two breasts. Lift it off the carcass while simultaneously cutting it underneath. Repeat with the other breast. Slice the breast meat thinly with a sharp knife. You can also remove the bone from each turkey thigh and slice the thighs into thin slices if desired. Arrange the turkey meat on a serving platter, and serve with your favorite side dishes!
Video
Save This Recipe 💌
Enter your email below and I'll send the recipe straight to your inbox! Plus, you'll get new recipes from me each week!
Notes
- The cook time depends on the size of the turkey. A large bird will take longer to cook than a smaller bird.
- When buying your turkey, plan on 1.5 pounds of turkey per person. This will ensure everyone gets enough to eat.
- Avoid lifting the lid to check on your turkey; this will prolong the cooking time.
- Use the turkey carcass to make smoked turkey soup.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Comments
No Comments