Cranberry Molasses Smoked Spatchcock Turkey
Take your holiday feast up a notch with a Cranberry Molasses Smoked Spatchcock Turkey, featuring smoky flavors and a sweet-tart glaze for crispy skin and juicy meat.
Servings: 8
Calories: 820kcal
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
Tips and Tricks
- *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.
Nutrition
Calories: 820kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 105g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 355mg | Sodium: 1448mg | Potassium: 1612mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 369IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 153mg | Iron: 5mg