Spatchcock Jerk Turkey is jerk marinated turkey roasted to tender perfection in half the time of traditional turkey. It has become my favorite way to prepare Thanksgiving turkey.
Spatchcock Jerk Turkey
A few years ago I decided I would have a Caribbean-themed Thanksgiving. I use all traditional Thanksgiving ingredients and dishes but put my Caribbean spin on them. That was the first time I made jerk turkey. It was so flavorful that it’s now part of my Thanksgiving menu essentials!
Spatchcocking (also called butterflying) the turkey was also a huge time saver. Have you guys ever baked a turkey this way? It took half the time and was much juicier than roasting the turkey whole.
Why You’ll Love This Jerk Turkey Recipe
- Perfect for the Holidays: I cook a whole turkey once a year. And this is my go to flavor and method. Spice up your Thanksgiving turkey with this Caribbean twist!
- Spatchcocked: A whole roasted turkey in half the time? Sign me up! Spatchcocked turkey significantly reduces the cooking time. It also ensures every piece of the jerk turkey has crispy skin without brine and it cooks evenly.
- Easy: If this is your first time making a whole turkey, this recipe is a great introduction. This recipe has simple instructions for an easy step-by-step guide.
What is Spatchcock Turkey?
Spatchcocked turkey is turkey with the backbone removed. Spatchcocking or butterflying the turkey allows the whole bird to lay flat on a surface. Once it is lying flat, it is easier to cook.
Ingredients for Jerk Turkey
This jerk turkey recipe has double the flavor because we use a dry rub and a jerk marinade.
- Turkey: Use a turkey that is 10-12 lbs.
- All-purpose flour: Use cassava flour, if on Whole30.
- Butter: Use ghee if on Whole30.
For Dry Rub:
- Brown sugar (skip if on Whole30)
- Garlic powder
- Paprika
- Onion powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Black pepper
- Salt: I use iodized sea salt, you can also use coarse salt
Jerk Marinade:
- Store-bought jerk seasoning or one batch of my homemade Jerk Seasoning: If you don’t have access to good jarred jerk seasoning it is quite easy to make your own. Here’s my jerk seasoning recipe. It is Whole30, sugar-free, and loaded with bold flavors. It’s better than any jar seasoning I’ve tried, in my humble opinion. If you do have access to jarred seasoning, Walkerswood and Grace are my two favorite choices.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Jerk Turkey
How to Spatchcock a Turkey
Cut out the backbone with a pair of kitchen shears. Then put a slit in the breast bone using the same kitchen shears. Turn the turkey over (breast side up) and press firmly on the breast in order to flatten the turkey. Here is a quick video that shows how to spatchcock a turkey (click here).
Wash the Turkey
After I spatchcock the turkey, I did something I’ve never done before, I coated the turkey with 1/2 cup of all purpose flour. My thinking here was that I wanted to get rid of some of that game taste that turkey usually has (number one reason Caribbean people don’t like Turkey, in my opinion). The flour method is what I use when cooking goat and lamb, so I wanted to give it a try.
I let the flour sit for 15 minutes and then I washed it completely off the turkey. I then bathed the turkey in the juice of two lemons and let it sit for another 15 minutes before washing it again. I’m not going to lie this was a lot of washing but you know what, my turkey didn’t have any of that gamey turkey taste so it was worth it! Try it next time you cook turkey and tell me what you think.
Make a Dry Rub for the Jerk Turkey
Make a dry ry rub with brown sugar, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Add all of the ingredients to a ziplock bag and mix them together.
Then use some paper towels and pat dry the turkey in order to get rid of all the excess water from washing. Once the turkey is dry, rub about half of the dry rub all over the inside of the turkey. I was really generous.
Adding the Jerk Seasoning
I added an entire batch of my homemade marinade or about 1/2 cup of jarred jerk marinade. I rubbed the jerk seasoning in every nook and cranny and made sure every inch of turkey was covered, including under the skin (wherever I could).
Then flip the spatchcock turkey over and repeat the seasoning process. Start with the dry rub and finish with the jerk marinade. I always use gloves when working with jerk seasoning, this helps to keep your hands pepper and spice-free.
Baking the Jerk Turkey
It took 1.5 hours to cook this spatchcocok jerk turkey. For the first hour, I roasted the turkey uncovered at 400°F. I checked it at 30 minutes in and rotated the pan so that it browned evenly. For some reason the right side of my oven has a hot spot and food browns on that side faster than the left. Most ovens have hot spots so adjust accordingly.
After 1 hour in the oven, I basted the turkey (using a turkey baster), and then covered it with foil. (Remove the turkey from the oven for this step, and use oven mittens to put the foil wrap on the pan. It’s easier and safer.) Then I reduced the heat to 375°F and cooked the turkey for another 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the breast read at least 165°F.
I had anticipated roasting this turkey for 2 hours but at 1 hour and 30 minutes, it was done. You may need to keep baking for another 30 minutes so keep that in mind.
Getting the Jerk Turkey from the Pan to the Table
My husband helped me to move the turkey from pan to serving dish because it was so tender, it almost fell apart when I tried it on my own. You might need some extra hands if you decide you don’t want to serve it in the roasting pan, which is what I would have done, if I were just making it for my fam and not for the blog.
I hope you try this spatchcock jerk turkey for Thanksgiving. We devoured it in one sitting!
Storage
Lucky enough to have leftovers? Store leftover turkey in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Use leftovers for sandwiches, salads, breakfast hash, and more!
Making this Jerk Turkey Whole30 Compatible
To make this turkey Whole30 compatible:
- Simply leave out the brown sugar in the dry rub and make sure all your other spices are whole30 compatible.
- Use my homemade Jerk Seasoning if you can’t find a compatible store brought brand
- Replace the butter used to baste the turkey with ghee
Tips for the Best Spatchcock Turkey
- Wash the turkey with flour to get rid of the gamey taste.
- Let the turkey marinate in the refrigerator overnight for best results. In the past, I let my turkey marinade in the refrigerator for 2 days before baking.
- Remove the turkey from the refrigerator at least 2 hours before baking and let it come to room temperature. This will help the turkey to bake evenly and the skin will be extra crispy.
- Just before I put the turkey in the oven, I added 2 tablespoons of butter (you can use ghee if doing a Whole30) to the breasts. My butter was pretty cold, so I just sliced off about two tablespoons and placed it on the breasts, and then I put the turkey in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jerk turkey is moderately spicy. The homemade jerk marinade used for this recipe contains using wiri wiri pepper, a chili pepper that is widely used in Guyana. You can substitute that with habanero peppers and of course, the more peppers you use, the spicier your seasoning will be. For a mild jerk flavor, remove some of the seeds and ribs from your pepper and for a spicier jerk flavor add more pepper.
Spatchcocking allows the turkey to cook more evenly, ensuring that both the white and dark meats reach the ideal temperature simultaneously, resulting in juicier meat. This also significantly reduces the cooking time, making it a quicker and more convenient method, especially for large birds. Lastly, the flattened shape exposes more of the skin, promoting crispy, golden-brown skin all over, enhancing both the presentation and the overall dining experience.
Spatchcock your turkey and you can cut the cooking time in half. Most turkeys take about 3 hours to make but with this spatchcock jerk turkey recipe, you can make it in 1.5.
Spatchcock Jerk Turkey
Equipment
- Roasting pan
- Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
- 1 young turkey 10 to 12 lbs
- 1 cup all purpose flour use cassava flour, if on Whole30
- 2 tablespoons butter use ghee if on Whole30
For Dry Rub:
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar skip if on Whole30
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt I use iodized sea salt, you can also use coarse salt
Jerk Marinade:
- 1/2 cup of store bought jerk seasoning or one batch of my homemade Jerk Seasoning )
Instructions
- Spatchcock the turkey by removing the backbone and pressing flat.
- Then sprinkle the turkey with flour, let rest for 15 minutes then rinse thoroughly. This helps to remove some of the gamey turkey taste.
- After rinsing pat turkey dry with paper towels and set aside.
Make a dry rub:
- At brown sugar (skip if on Whole30), garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt to a quart size ziplock bag and mix together to make a dry rub.
Season the turkey:
- Add about 1/2 the dry rub to the underside of the turkey, followed by about 3 tablespoons of the jerk seasoning or 1/2 the batch of my homemade jerk seasoning
- Then turn turkey breast side up and add remaining dry rub, followed by the remaining jerk seasoning or . Be sure to season the neck cavity with dry rub and a generous amount of jerk seasoning.
- For best results let marinate in the fridge overnight (can marinate for up to 3 days if you like)
Roast/Bake the Turkey:
- Remove from the refrigerator 2 hours before baking to allow turkey to come to room temperature.
- Then preheat oven to 400°F.
- Next place turkey in a large enough roasting pan that allows it to lay flat, breast side up.
- Then rub two tablespoons of butter or ghee on turkey breasts.
- Then bake turkey uncover for 1 hour, basting with the pan juices at the half hour mark.
- Next, after roasting the turkey for an hour, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F, baste turkey with the pan juices and cover the turkey with foil wrap,
- Bake turkey for an additional 30 to 45 minutes at 375°F or until the internal temperature of the turkey is 165°F.
- Remove turkey from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes
2. I prefer Walkerswood jerk seasoning because of it’s flavor and thickness. Be careful not to buy the Walkerswood jerk marinade, as it is not the same product and will give a very different flavor.
3. Feel free to wash your turkey before marinating, you can even soak it in lemon juice or try the flour method I mention above in this post.
Nutrition
The information listed in the recipe card is an estimate provided by an online nutrition tool. The tool evaluates ingredient names and amounts then makes calculations based on the number of servings listed for the recipe. It is provided as a general guideline and not as a precise calculation. For precise nutrition information please feel free to add the ingredients to your preferred nutrition calculator or consult a doctor or licensed nutritionist.
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Shanti Says
I tired this recipe, will never go back to a regular baked turkey again… it was the best everrrr
Natasha Says
Absolutely wonderful! I admit that I was a bit intimidated so I didn’t spatchcock the bird. However, I did use your tips (flour and lemon) as well as the dry rub. In the past I have always used the Walkerswood jerk seasoning along with normal seasoning my bird. Your rub added another dimension to the flavor. Very flavorful and tender. (I serve my turkey precut on a platter. When we sit down we are ready to eat, not watch someone wrestle with a turkey.) I will most definitely use this again and next time I won’t be a wuss and will spatchcock my bird. Did you tie the turkey legs together? Just curious…
Althea Brown Says
So glad you tried it. I don’t tie the legs. Just press them flat.