This maple orange glazed spatchcock turkey will steal the hearts (and stomachs) of everyone around your dinner table. It’s juicy, sweet, citrusy, and just the right amount of crispy.Sure, a traditional whole roasted turkey is always the centerpiece at Thanksgiving dinner. But have you tried spatchcock turkey? It’s a simple process where you open the bird up, flatten it, then roast it. Not only does spatchcock turkey cook in a fraction of the time, but when you baste the turkey with my maple orange glaze, it’s pretty much the best tasting turkey ever.
Ingredients12 pound turkey
3/4 cup butter, cubed and softened at room temperature
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 large onion, sliced
2 oranges, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup maple syrup
Method* To spatchcock your turkey, place the turkey breast side down and cut alongside both sides of the backbone to remove it.
* Open up the turkey and score along the keel bone to make it easier to flatten.
* Flip the turkey breast side up and push down with your hands to flatten it.
* Preheat your oven to 425F. In a measuring cup, mix the orange juice and maple syrup together and set aside. Then, make the herb butter by mixing the butter, minced garlic, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
* Use your hands to gently loosen the skin of the turkey on top of the breasts. Rub 1/3 of the herb butter under the skin. Then rub the remaining herb butter on the outside of the turkey.
* Add the slices of onion and orange on a baking sheet or roasting pan, then lay the spatchcock turkey on top. Tuck the wing tips under.
* Place your turkey in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350F. Roast the turkey for 30 minutes, then pour the maple orange juice mixture all over the turkey.
* Continue roasting the turkey for another hour, or until the internal temperature is 160F, and baste the turkey with the maple orange glaze every 20 minutes.
* Remove the turkey from the oven, let it rest for at least 30 minutes, then carve and serve.