Take your holiday feast to the next level with a Cranberry Molasses Smoked Spatchcock Turkey, combining rich smoky flavors with a sweet-tart glaze. This foolproof spatchcock method ensures crispy skin, juicy meat, and a bold cranberry molasses finish that will impress every guest at the table.
Jump to:
- Why This Recipe Works
- What Goes Into Smoked Spatchcock Turkey?
- How Big a Turkey Should You Smoke?
- How Long to Thaw Turkey?
- How to Spatchcock a Turkey?
- How to Smoke Spatchcock Turkey?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Expert Smoked Spatchcock Turkey Tips
- More Related Recipes
- Cranberry Molasses Smoked Spatchcock Turkey
Why This Recipe Works
- Spatchcocking a turkey is a simple technique that ensures even cooking, a juicy bird, and a quicker roasting time compared to a traditional whole turkey. Cooking a Spatchcock Turkey (or smoked Spatchcock chicken) is easy to do and makes smoking a bird this big that much more tasty.
- Smoking the turkey is simple and leaves you extra space in the oven! Plus the smoky flavor is incredible!
- Cooking to the right temperature guarantees a fully cooked yet incredibly juicy turkey. With a reliable thermometer, you can say goodbye to dry, tough meat and enjoy perfect results every time!
- The cranberry molasses glaze is so flavorful and the perfect pairing for turkey. I even like to make extra for dipping and pouring over everything!
This might be my favorite way to cook our Thanksgiving Turkey. It’s smoked, like my smoked turkey breast recipe, but also cooked with a delicious glaze that takes it to the next level.
This year, don’t forget to serve this turkey up with some sour cream mashed potatoes, creamy Thanksgiving corn, cream cheese green beans, hot artichoke dip, and an easy cranberry relish!
What Goes Into Smoked Spatchcock Turkey?
Turkey: Thawed and patted dry.
Baking Soda: Helps make the skin crunchy.
Ginger: I recommend using fresh for optimal flavor but dried/ground ginger will work too. Just 1 teaspoon ground instead the full 1 tbs fresh.
Molasses and Apple Cider: These add much-needed sweetness to the glaze that pairs beautifully with the tart vinegar.
Butter: Salted or Unsalted both works. The added fat to the remaining glaze gives so much body and flavor!
Equipment: Smoker, Pellets or wood chips (depending on your smoker), Smoker Thermometer and an Instant Read Thermometer for spot-checking.
How Big a Turkey Should You Smoke?
It is suggested 1-1 ½ lbs. per person. This might seem like a lot but a lot of the weight is bones.
I recommend for 4 people a 6lb turkey, 8 people a 12 lb turkey, and 12 people an 18lb turkey. If you have a lot of people, you might consider cooking several small or medium sized turkeys so they cook faster.
How Long to Thaw Turkey?
Allow 1-1 ½ days per 4 lbs of turkey to thaw. So if your turkey is 10 lbs, thaw for 2 ½ -3 days, and a 12 lb turkey 3-4 days.
According to the CDC, a turkey thawed in the refrigerator can remain refrigerated for 1-2 days before cooking. For more info from the CDC on thawing and handling turkeys read more here.
How to Spatchcock a Turkey?
- Step 1: Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey. Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears (this is my preferred tool) cut along the spine of the turkey from tail to neck and remove it as well.
- Step 2: Open the bird and locate the nob of bone/cartilage that is where the breastbone meets in the middle.
- Step 3: Using a knife, slice through this nob. It will be very easy to cut through. Alternatively, you can flip the bird over and press on this spot with your hands until you hear it break.
- Step 4: Once cut through, flip the bird and lay out flat. Pat dry.
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How to Smoke Spatchcock Turkey?
- Step 5: Mix the salt, pepper, and baking soda. Pat the skin side of the turkey dry, then sprinkle with the baking soda mixture, rubbing it in.
- Step 6: Smoke turkey until it reaches the proper temperature then remove from oven and allow to rest while you make the glaze.
- Step 7: While the turkey rests, in a medium saucepan, add all glaze ingredients except the butter to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally, until mixture is reduced to 1 ½ cups.
- Step 8: Strain the mixture through a mesh strainer then discard solids. Transfer ½ cup of the glaze to a small saucepan and set aside.
- Step 9: Brush turkey with ⅓ of the glaze, then place turkey in the oven and bake for 7 minutes. Repeat applying the glaze and baking twice more until the skin is crispy and browned. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes before carving.
- Step 10: With reserved glaze, bring to a boil and let reduce for 10 minutes until thickened. Then add in the butter and stir until melted.
This recipe is adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Science of Good Cooking! I absolutely love this cookbook and highly recommend it to anyone who loves to cook or wants to know the best methods for the tastiest dishes!
Frequently Asked Questions
The general rule of thumb is 30 minutes per pound of turkey. So, an 8lb turkey will need at least 4 hours to smoke, a 12bl turkey at least 6 hours, and a 15lb turkey at least 7 ½ hours. Times may vary depending on the smoker's temperature and outside ambient temperature.
Place your thermometer probe in the breast horizontally, near the neck cavity, parallel to where the spine is, and not touching any bone. It should be ½-1 inch from the internal cavity. You can read more about this here.
You want to pull your turkey when the breast hits 160°F and then allow it to sit for 30 minutes. The carryover cooking will bring it to 165°F. You can read more about the perfect turkey cooking temperatures here.
I like to use a competition blend, but apple, hickory, or maple are great too.
Expert Smoked Spatchcock Turkey Tips
Stuffing: I don’t like to stuff anything in a turkey I am smoking so that it will get adequate airflow and cook the meat evenly. If I were to stuff the turkey it would be with herbs, like sage, rosemary, and thyme, to add a little aromatic flavor.
Check out my homemade stuffing for a delicious oven-baked alternative.
Moisture: There are many opinions when it comes to keeping turkey meat moist when smoking. Some people swear by spraying the meat with apple juice every hour, others use water, and some people don’t spray at all.
Honestly, I fall into the category of doing nothing extra to the turkey. When you cook low and slow the turkey stays super juicy.
Brining: This recipe doesn't require brining. However, if you do want to try brining I recommend a dry brine like my herb butter turkey. This is where you pat the turkey dry rub it with salt and let it sit in the refrigerator for a day, then smoke it.
However, similar to smoked chicken thighs, you can just smoke it as is (with a little salt pepper and baking soda help crisp the skin), or with herb butter!
Leftovers: Leftover turkey is great for turkey enchiladas, open faced sandwiches, turkey tacos, and my favorite turkey cranberry sandwich!
More Related Recipes
Make sure to check out all my Easy Thanksgiving Recipes here where you will find lots of easy, make-ahead sides like sweet potato pudding and jalapeno deviled eggs, delicious desserts (like pumpkin pie, caramel pecan pie, and pecan brownies!), and so much more!
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Cranberry Molasses Smoked Spatchcock Turkey
Ingredients
- 8-15 lb Turkey thawed
- 1 tbs salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
Cranberry Molasses Glaze
- 3 cups apple cider
- 1 cup cranberries fresh or frozen
- ½ cup molasses
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbs Dijon mustard
- 1 tbs ginger freshly grated
- 2 tbs unsalted butter
Instructions
How to Spatchcock a Turkey
- Locate the spine along the back of the turkey. Cut along the spine on both sides then remove it. You can save this for making broth or throw it away.8-15 lb Turkey
- Flip the turkey over and locate the nob or cartilage/bone that is at the top of the breast on the inside of the bird. Using a sharp knife slice through this nob*- it should be pretty easy.
- Flip the bird over and lay out flat.
- In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper, and baking soda.1 tbs salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoon baking powder
- Pat the turkey breast side with a paper towel to remove any excess water. Sprinkle turkey with salt mixture. Make sure to get all sides.
Smoking the Turkey
- Place your thermometer probe in the breast horizontally, near the neck cavity, parallel to where the spine was and not touching any bone. It should be ½-1 inch from the internal cavity.
- Preheat your smoker to 225°F or 300°F. 225°F will take longer but be more smoky, 300°F will have crispier skin and less smoky flavor but will cook faster. If you are using a pellet smoker set your smoke to high.
- Smoke the turkey until the breast has reached 160°F then remove from smoker to a baking sheet/roasting pan, tent with foil, and let sit for 30 minutes. During this time the temperature will rise to 165°F and be fully cooked. The leg meat is best when it is at 175-180°F since it has more collagen to break down. *
Glaze for the Turkey
- While turkey is resting make your glaze. Also, preheat your oven to 450°F.
- In a medium sauce pot combine apple cider, cranberries, molasses, apple cider vinegar, mustard, and fresh ginger.3 cups apple cider, 1 cup cranberries, ½ cup molasses, ½ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tbs Dijon mustard, 1 tbs ginger
- Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally, until total volume is reduced to 1 ½ cups- about 30 minutes.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, pressing down the cranberries to squeeze out any extra juice.
- Remove ½ cup and place back in the sauce pot and set aside to cool slightly.
- Brush ⅓ of the remaining glaze over the turkey, then bake for 7 minutes. Then brush ½ of the remaining glaze over the turkey and bake another 7 minutes, then repeat with the last portion of glaze and bake a final 7 minutes. At this point, the skin should be brown and crispy. Remove from oven and allow the turkey to rest on a cutting board for 20 minutes before carving.
- With the reserved glaze, heat the liquid over medium heat until it’s reduced and thickened a bit- about 10 minutes. Remove from heat then whisk in the butter.2 tbs unsalted butter
- Serve extra glaze alongside turkey.
Notes
- *Knob: You can also just flip the turkey back over and press down where the knob is located, pressing hard enough to break that part and be able to lay the bird out flat.
- Smoking Times/Temperatures: Approximately 30 minutes per pound of turkey. So, an 8lb turkey will need at least 4hrs to smoke, a 12bl turkey at least 6 hours, and a 15lb turkey 7 ½ hours.
- *Dark Meat: Since the leg meat is towards the outside of the turkey it will naturally cook to a higher temperature than the breast meat.
- Drippings: You can place the turkey directly on the grate or in a drip pan. If you use a drip pan you can use the drippings to make my easy homemade gravy (just use in place or in addition to broth).
- Nutrition info based on a 12lb turkey and is an estimate.
Lisa says
My favorite turkey recipe! The glaze is amazing!