Smoked Spatchcock Turkey

5 from 1 vote

This smoked spatchcock turkey with Creole butter injection is perfect for Thanksgiving or any holiday meal. Spatchcocking helps the turkey cook faster, stay juicy, and take on more smoky flavor!

Prep Time45

Cook Time2

Brine Time12

Total Time14 45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Creole/Cajun

Servings:

Calories: 633kcal

Author: Krysten Wilkes & Marrekus Wilkes

Ingredients

12 pound turkey thawed if frozen

Turkey Brine

¾ cup Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt if using table salt, use half this amount
½ cup granulated sugar
2 oranges quartered
3 lemons quartered
2 limes quartered
1 head garlic peeled
1 white onion quartered
1 bunch thyme sprigs
2-3 sprigs rosemary
3-4 sage leaves fresh

Cajun Butter Injection

½ pound unsalted butter melted
4 tablespoons Creole seasoning
2 tablespoon granulated garlic
2 tablespoon granulated onion

Instructions

Make turkey brine for smoking: Heat water in a large pot and dissolve the salt and sugar, then let it cool. Add the cut citrus, onion, garlic, and fresh herbs.
Spatchcock the turkey: On a work surface, turn the turkey breast-down. With sturdy kitchen shears, cut down each side of the backbone to remove it (save for stock if you like). Working from the inside of the turkey and starting at the neck end, use a sharp knife to cut through the membrane and split the triangular keel bone that joins the two sides of the breast. (If you can’t cut through it, skip this part; the turkey will still be reasonably flat.) Flip turkey over and press down firmly until bones crack and the turkey is flattened.
Pour or ladle cooled brine into a large brining bag or pot. Place turkey in brine solution, then refrigerate for 16 to 24 hours (about 1 ½ hours per pound of turkey).
Remove turkey from brine. Submerge turkey in a pot or sink of fresh, cold water for 15 minutes to remove excess salt from the outside. Remove turkey from water, place on a large cutting board, and pat dry with paper towels.
Make Creole butter injection: Melt butter and mix with Creole or Cajun seasoning, Soul Dust Seasoning or soul food seasoning. Set aside a portion for basting.
Using a meat injector with the single hole needle, place the needle in the measuring cup and pull the plunger to fill the syringe with butter. Inject the turkey at approximately ½-inch intervals in the breasts, thighs, and legs, paying extra attention to the breast area and remelting the butter if needed.
Smoke spatchcock turkey: Following the instructions for your smoker or grill, preheat to 350°, setting up grill for indirect heat grilling. Add in a few chunks of cherry or apple wood for smoke. (Or, for a gas grill, use wood chips, soak in water for about 30 minutes, and then add about a third at a time to the grill’s smoke box now, after 30 minutes of grilling, and then 30 more minutes of grilling).
Line a sheet pan (about 12 by 18 inches) with foil. Brush turkey all over with reserved butter mixture (re-melt it first, if needed) and season all over with remaining 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning. Set turkey breast side up on foil-lined pan with tips of drumsticks pointing out (turkey should not extend over sides of pan).
When wood chunks start smoking, set turkey on pan in smoker or over indirect heat on grill. Cook, with smoker or grill covered, basting every 30-45 minutes with juices that gather in pan, until turkey reaches 145° to 165° in thickest part of breast not touching the bone, 1 ¾ to 2 ¼ hours. (Cooks with Soul likes to cook their turkey to 145° but some people prefer it more done.) Baste one final time, then remove from the grill.
Let turkey rest 20-30 minutes before carving.

Notes

Spatchcock for Even Cooking: Removing the backbone helps the turkey cook faster and more evenly. A butcher can do this for you if needed.
Keep It Moist: Inject Cajun butter into the breasts, thighs, and legs to add moisture and flavor.
Baste Often: Brush the turkey with leftover butter every 30–45 minutes for extra flavor and juiciness.
Watch the Temperature: Keep your smoker around 350°F so the turkey cooks evenly and reaches a safe internal temperature.
Let It Rest: Rest the turkey for 20–30 minutes after smoking so the juices settle.
Fix Uneven Cooking: If one part cooks faster, loosely tent that area with foil.
Crispy Skin Tip: For crispier skin, raise the heat to about 375°F near the end or finish the turkey under the broiler for a few minutes.

Nutrition